Implementation of a sustainability dual credit course curriculum to support environmental literacy in an urban high school.

This bound case study examined the curricular support of Environmental Literacy in urban high school through the implementation of authentic environmental education experiences through a Sustainability Dual Credit course. Environmental Education provides students opportunities to engage in authentic local and global issues that exist beyond the classroom walls. Environmental Education is essential for students to become environmentally literate, where they are empowered to make sustainable choices that contribute to a sustainable future. A review of literature revealed there is a gap in current literature regarding how the curriculum of Sustainability Dual Credit courses supports Environmental Literacy in a United States urban high school setting. This qualitative bound case study reports on the data collected from participants perspectives using semi-structured interviews and course artifacts. This research design was selected to illuminate the phenomenon through an in-depth study of an individual urban high school Sustainability Dual Credit curriculum. This bound case study provided rich qualitative data analysis of semi-structured interviews and course artifacts that resulted in pattern matching to the Environmental Literacy components framework: ecological knowledge, environmental cognitive skills, environmental disposition, and environmental behaviors. The personal accounts and course artifacts provided evidence that indicated Environmental Literacy was supported in urban high school students who participated in the Sustainability Dual Credit course. The findings from the research questions individually and collectively provide implications for practice in supporting educators as they seek to increase opportunities and methods of teaching environmental education that promotes environmental literacy.