The pedagogical model of the AR:CPS recommends a learning process in Education Related to the Environment (ERE) which consists in bringing the students to:

  • Call to attention in their environment any problem significant to them.
  • Analyse the problem taking into consideration the different outcomings.
  • Consider some potential solutions
  • Retain the ones that are the most appropriate for the situation.
  • Put into motion an action plan
  • Evaluate the steps taken and the result acheived.

This model opens the school to the life surrondings. It is the immediate environment, as seen by the students who become the reason and means of learning. The students choose and develop projects to solve problems they have encountered in their school or neighbourhood: vandalism, empty sites, damaged buildings, waste of water, etc.

The model suggests thirteen steps for the development of community projects. The two first steps concern the teacher; but during the process, the students become partners of the decisions and assume the project solely or in co-management. The teacher than becomes a guide, a resourceful person.

STEPS:

  1. The planification process by the teacher in collaboration with all the partners concerned: school director, collegues, parents, members of community,etc.
  2. The diagnostic evaluation of the students abilities relating to the process of problem resolution in a way to locate deficiences. As the project advances, the teacher will try to develop the requested abilities required for proper teaching and appropriate exercices.
  3. The student realization to community problems. An exploration visit of the environmental site is a priviliged way of discovering and sensitizing to these problems.
  4. Listing the problematic situations observed. The "thorough idea" technique is than used. The problems can be classified and their interrelations can be made into evidence.
  5. Identification of the criterions for the choice of a problematic situation to resolve.
  6. The choice of the problematic situation to resolve
  7. The research of information on the situation. The research can be documentary, interviews, observations, etc. A great part of the information comes from the community surrondings itself.
  8. The precise definition of the problem inherent to the analyzed situation.
  9. The continuation of the research on the problem now clearly defined.
  10. Exploration of possible solutions, (once again a thorough idea session)
  11. The development of criterions for the choice of a privileged solution.
  12. The development of an action plan; putting the action into motion.
  13. The evaluation of the capacity of the action in regards to the expected effects and the follow up. ( The evaluation of the procedure AR;CPS is done with grilles respecting the purpose of Education Related to the Environment of Unesco.)

All along this procedure, the student writes out what he is living in a journal. He writes his observations, his comments and he may also express his sentiments.

Elaborated in the United States by William B.Stapp (1988),the application of the model AR:CPS has often had, till now, for objectivity to change the traditional school environment and improve the teaching and learning conditions in school. In effect, it can not only bring us to the solving of environmental and social problems, but it can also help solving pedagogical problems in the school environment. (Sauvé,L.1992)

Pedagogical Model recognized in Québec and Canada

Since September 1993, the experimentations of the AR;CPS is realized at the Saint-Gabriel Archange School in Cap-de-la-Madeleine under the supervision of Mr.Claude Poudrier, teacher of the sixth grade.

Four organisation have already recognized the model of teaching and learning as an approch to privilaging Education Related to Environment. This is how the Interminsterial Comity in ERE (Québec 1994) has retained the AR:CPS to be diffused in Québec. Also, Ciradem-Québec has given its award to Mr. Claude Poudrier (Montréal 1995) for realizing the experiment with his six grade students. This award was offered by The Fondation of Education Related to Environment and the lasting developpement (FEREDD) with thanks to the financial support of Recyc-Québec. Within the contest " Le français à l'affiche" the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de la Mauricie also has given its first prize to Mr. Poudrier. Also the organizing comity of "L'EcoSummit" (Montréal 1996), has identified this expert processus developed here as being one of the 400 successes in lasting development that have transformed Québec.

 

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