Environmental education activities for troop sections within the scout association of Malta

Abstract

The objective of this dissertation was to enhance the non-formal environmental education of youths forming part of Troop sections, within the Scout Association of Malta. This was done through the development of an educational Resource Pack, consisting of five activities, and a Leader's Guide, containing the necessary information and instructions for Scout leaders to implement the activities. Prior to the development of the pack, an investigation of the main aspects of environmental education and the Scout Movement's environmental philosophy was carried out. The environmental education resources available for Scout leaders were examined and the opinions of Scout leaders about areas that required development or improvement were gathered through a series of informal interviews. The next stage of this dissertation was the development of the educational pack. The main aim of the proposed activities was to integrate local environmental issues with various items from the national Scout Programme. Upon its completion, the pack was sent to Scout leaders of all Scout groups in Malta. An evaluation of the pack's effectiveness was carried out through an evaluative questionnaire, completed by various Scout leaders, whilst two Scout groups carried out a trial of some of the activities. The feedback received was positive, with leaders identifying various positive aspects from the pack.