Educational issues, school settings, and environmental psychology

This paper reviews selected research on classroom and school environments, using a framework that views schools from three perspectives—as places for learning, as places for socialization and as places for psychological development. Studies are included that deal with the impact of noise and classroom design on learning; the relationship between seating position, achievement and status; spatial cognition; the classroom environment and sex role stereotyping; privacy; and density. The need for classrooms to enhance children's feelings of competence, security and self-esteem is also stressed. The goal of the paper is to point out ways in which environmental psychologists can contribute to the improvement of the educational system and to the quality of life in schools.     

如何提高高校教师的课堂管理能力

教师课堂管理水平的高低直接决定着课堂教学的效果和成败.因而最大限度地调动学生课堂学习的自主性,有效地维持学生的适宜行为,保持良好的课堂秩序,科学的组织教学内容,创造良好的教学环境,并且不断提高教师的自身素质.从而达到促进教学改革,提高教学质量的目的.     

Walking in “wild” and “tended” urban forests: The impact on psychological well-being

The positive effect of natural compared to urban environment on human restoration and well-being has been proved in various studies. To go one step further in analyzing the influence of physical environments, we question if this positive effect is consistent in different natural conditions namely wild and tended urban forests. In an experimental field setting, participants were randomly assigned to either a walk through wild or tended forests for 30 min. Multidimensional scales in a pre-post-treatment-setting measured well-being. Results indicate a stronger change in “positive affect” and “negative affect” in the tended forest condition. Well-being factors “activation” and “arousal” changed after solitary walks, too. However, there were no differences between the treatment conditions, indicating a stronger influence of physical activity than the forest condition wild and tended on these well-being factors. Perceived attractiveness of the natural area did not effect the change in well-being, thus questioning the close relation between perceived attractiveness and the effect on well-being suggested in prior research. Furthermore, more and less fatigued persons did not profit differently concerning well-being changes. The results give important advice to design natural areas serving restoration and public health, especially for people living in urban environments.     

Towards sustainable community‐based natural resource management in the indigenous Meqmegi community in Taiwan: Rethinking impacts of local participation

This paper examines approaches for local resident participation in community‐based natural resource management (CBNRM); focusing particularly on the potential impacts that local participation imposes on the natural environment. This study used qualitative methods to collect data, and selected Meqmegi, an indigenous community in Taiwan, as a case study. The findings indicate that many opportunities can be created that stimulate a community to participate in natural resource management; moreover, residents are prone to use their own ways to participate. Therefore, although local participation is praised for its people‐oriented way of natural resource management, impacts from the participation process will ultimately be imposed on the environment. We suggest that more consideration be given to the environmental conditions during the process of local participation via CBNRM to make sure that impacts on the environment are positive, and lead to a truly sustainable future.     

'Making a wish': Children and the local landscape

The links between children's rights and their participation in environmental decision-making is a growing field of interest. This paper describes findings from a six-month in-depth pilot study with a small group of children aged 6-10 years located in a village in the northeast of England. The focus of this paper is on the relationship of these children with their local landscape and how they felt about involvement in decision-making that might affect that environment. The methodology was child-centred responding to the 'languages' of children. Two main findings are discussed in this paper: (a) issues of boundary were particularly important in physical and emotional terms for both children and parents and this had little to do with the rurality of the location; (b) children believe they have special knowledge about the environment, which they may express using a range of communication methods. The author reflects on what implications this might have for the design and layout of local environments generally.     

体育教学的社会环境探讨

通过对教学环境的系统分析(自然环境、社会环境),发现在体育教学中,社会环境因素对体育教学质量、效果的影响以及相互关系。提出了科学掌握和利用教学环境,顺应社会环境的变化发展而自我完善,促进提高体育教学质量。     

数字经济发展与区域环境质量改善——来自省级面板数据的证据

本文基于2011—2019年我国31个省级行政区的面板数据,探究了数字经济发展对区域环境质量的影响。研究发现,总体来说,数字经济对环境质量具有显著的改善作用;数字经济对环境质量的改善作用在2014—2019年显著,在中部和西部省份显著,在环境污染程度较高的省份显著。传导机制检验表明,经济规模扩张、产业结构优化及绿色技术创新在数字经济对环境质量的作用机制中发挥中介作用。进一步分析表明,政府竞争在数字经济对环境质量的改善作用中起着负向调节作用,制度环境在数字经济对环境质量的作用机制中发挥正向调节作用。因此,应高质量地推动数字经济发展、充分发挥数字经济的环境质量改善作用、匡正地方政府的竞争行为及努力营造良好的制度环境,以改善环境质量。     

生猪养殖适度规模:产出、效益与环境——基于全国8省份1484个养殖户数据的实证

近年来，我国生猪养殖市场产生了剧烈波动，也催生了对生猪养殖适度规模问题的思考。本文基于8省份1484份生猪养殖户的调查数据，采用Translog生产函数和C-D生产函数，从产出、效益和环境三个维度对生猪养殖规模效应进行实证研究。研究表明：生猪养殖规模与环境污染之间存在倒“U”形关系；综合考虑产出、效益和环境三个方面，适度规模应为年出栏1000~1999头；养殖经验对生猪养殖的产出和效益影响显著，环保认知和参加培训状况对环境污染影响显著。基于此，积极引导养殖户合理科学扩大养殖规模、增强环境意识，提升生猪养殖从业人员长期经营的驱动力，对促进养殖行业绿色发展具有重要意义。     

ON THE MEASUREMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PUBLIC PROJECTS FROM A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE1

ABSTRACT: The major objectives are (1) to identify the problems involved in measuring the environmental impacts of public projects from selected perspectives, and (2) to elaborate a sociological approach used in an empirical investigation in that respect. The construct of environmental impact of a planned action is generally operationalized from different perspectives and with different methodological emphases in the various disciplines. Even the term environment does not elicit agreement among users as to its exact meaning. Although there has been a steady increase in the number of studies from a sociological perspective concerning environmental problems, there is lack of sociological counsel in writing environmental impact statements. Overall, we lack sociological methodology and operational procedures for that purpose. In an attempt to bring some empirical focus to this field, attitudinal measures employed to discover how residents of a river basin perceived negative and positive environmental impacts of a proposed watershed development project are reviewed. These come from a study of creation of the Cooper Reservoir and Dam in Texas. Data on 343 heads of households m the selected areas were collected through structured questionnaires with items on personal information, a vested interest scale, a knowledge of the project scale, and an environmental impact scale. Data show that perception of impacts by residents is influenced significantly by degree of their vested interests involved. Variables for inclusion in a sociological model of environmental impact are suggested.     

Environmental psychology or behavioral geography? Either way it was a good start

The paper traces the author's background as a British geographer and the intellectual climate at Clark University in 1968 which led him out of urban social geography into the uncharted domain of children's knowledge of the geographic environment. Following the integration of theory and research on the development of spatial cognition in children came the need to investigate child development in relation to the physical landscape more comprehensively in a Ph.D. dissertation. Subsequent work, built entirely from this early base, continues to investigate children's use, knowledge and experience of physical environment in a variety of settings. Applications of research are made in both the fields of environmental education and environmental planning and design.     

THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE PRACTICE OF TEACHERS

This study concerns the design of classroom environments and the impact of these environments on the practice of teachers. It involves data gathered from primary and secondary schools, using lesson observations and teacher interviews. Behavioural mapping instruments were developed for the school-based data collection, and subsequent analysis is both qualitative and quantitative. A number of constructs have been developed, defined and used to evaluate what happens within classrooms. Some of these constructs are physical (modes of layout), some are pedagogic (child-centred), and some involve combinations of data. The findings from the analysis of teachers’ classroom behaviour have been related to the issues emerging from their interviews. This enabled examination of behaviour alongside statements of attitudes and beliefs about the role of the classroom environment. These data inform questions about teachers’ awareness of their surroundings; the extent to which this awareness impacts on their teaching, and the extent to which teachers feel they have control over the features of their classrooms. The article concludes by making the case for the importance of environmental awareness in the training and retraining of teachers. Environmental competence is an important constituent of the skilled teacher.     

课堂、网络、宿舍三位一体的商务英语实践环境建设

对高职院校商务英语实践环境现状进行了分析,并结合高职商务英语教学的培养目标及中国环境管理干部学院商务英语专业建设实际,提出建设高职商务英语专业校园立体化实践环境模式。立体化实践环境主要包括课堂、网络和宿舍三个方面,并以网络交流平台为重点及主要特色。     

Parental perception of social risk and of positive potentiality of outdoor autonomy for children: The development of two instruments

An important factor that limits children's autonomy outdoors is parental perception of social danger and traffic danger. To obtain quantitative instruments for these dimensions, this work aimed to explore the validity and reliability of three scales. Two of them describe, respectively, problematic aspects of the area of residence linked to traffic and situations of social degradation that could constitute risk factors for the child's psychological and physical safety (Traffic Danger Perception Scale, Social Danger Perception Scale). The third scale investigates parental perception of the positive potentiality of outdoor autonomy for children's maturation and growth. Interviews were conducted with 377 mothers of children between 8 and 10 years of age residing in six different areas in Italy. The results indicated weak reliability of the Traffic Danger Perception Scale, which requires further investigation, and they confirmed the reliability and the construct validity of the Social Danger Perception Scale and the Perception of Positive Potentiality of Outdoor Autonomy for Children Scale. The perception of social danger was higher in mothers who live in larger urban contexts and who have more personal fear of crime and a lower sense of community. The positive perception of children's autonomy of movement was higher among mothers who live in greener areas, who have a greater sense of community and who have more neighbourhood relations.     

Gendered dimensions of climate change response in Swedish municipalities

This article elaborates on and discusses gendered dimensions of climate change response in Swedish municipalities. There are indications that attitudes and behaviour to the environment and climate change are gendered. This evidence together with our own work further indicates that gender awareness is most probably an important influence on how municipalities respond to climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate if and how gendered aspects of climate change response are integrated in the Swedish response to climate change. The potential causal relationships between a high level of awareness of the gendered aspects of climate change and the levels of climate change response were investigated. We asked whether there is a positive relationship between gender awareness and the quality of the communities' climate change policies and practice. Indications of such a relationship prompt a change in research priorities – paying more attention to gender – and in subsequent policy developments.     

Green exercise in the UK countryside: Effects on health and psychological well-being,and implications for policy and planning

There is evidence that contact with the natural environment and green space promotes good health. It is also well known that participation in regular physical activity generates physical and psychological health benefits. The authors have hypothesised that ‘green exercise’ will improve health and psychological well-being, yet few studies have quantified these effects. This study measured the effects of 10 green exercise case studies (including walking, cycling, horse-riding, fishing, canal-boating and conservation activities) in four regions of the UK on 263 participants. Even though these participants were generally an active and healthy group, it was found that green exercise led to a significant improvement in self-esteem and total mood disturbance (with anger-hostility, confusion-bewilderment, depression-dejection and tension-anxiety all improving post-activity). Self-esteem and mood were found not to be affected by the type, intensity or duration of the green exercise, as the results were similar for all 10 case studies. Thus all these activities generated mental health benefits, indicating the potential for a wider health and well-being dividend from green exercise. Green exercise thus has important implications for public and environmental health, and for a wide range of policy sectors.     

Pointing accuracy in children is dependent on age, sex and experience

We investigated the influence of age, sex and familiarity on spatial performance assessed with a pointing task in 84 children: 21 kindergartners, 21 first-graders, 21 fifth-graders and 21 sixth-graders. Spatial performance was assessed in the children's natural environment, their respective school or kindergarten. The children had to indicate the direction of prominent landmarks on the school campus while sitting in their classroom, drawing an arrow on a sheet of paper. Since the children had spent different amounts of time at their respective schools, experience with the environment was regarded as a covariate.Data analysis revealed significant effects for age, sex and experience. Fifth-graders aged around 10 years outperformed the younger children. Sex differences revealed male superiority at all ages. Experience with the environment was also shown to play a vital role. Children who had spent a longer time at the school were able to demonstrate better spatial knowledge by pointing more accurately towards unseen landmarks.     

Is trade liberalisation bad for the environment? A review of the economic evidence

The continued growth in world trade and investment flows has led to a renewed interest among researchers and policy makers in the potential impact that trade liberalisation policy may have on the environment. The aim of this paper is to provide a balanced and accessible summary of the findings of recent economic research on the impact of growth in international trade and investment on environmental quality.     

Theory of the physical environment: An introduction

This paper suggests a way of classifying human physical environment according to its location and function. Environmental science is viewed as a branch of ecology, and the concept of the complex ecosystem is introduced. By using differential equations, the author draws attention to four factors that must be considered when evaluating the effect of any environmental agent on a human subject: the agent's extensive quality of rate of flow, its intensive quality of concentration or intensity, duration of the subject's exposure, and the uniformity of agent's stress in space and time. The environmental agents, individually or in jointly acting groups, produce environmental stress, which acts on the subject to produce strain and its contingent symptoms. The microclimate in this setting can be classified according to the type of stress involved. The human physical environment may be evaluated in three ways: objectively, subjectively, and from the standpoint of regulations or standards. The benefit or advantage of using this equation in evaluating or measuring the human physical environment is discussed.     

基于“三生共赢”的小流域水环境综合治理对策研究

小流域是实现重点流域精准化治理的基本单元,"三生共赢"是指要把解决环境问题的目标定位于生活、生产与生态的协调发展,是实现小流域环境改善和可持续发展的根本路径。本研究立足于流域水环境质量改善,以"三生共赢"和可持续发展理念为指导,提出了基于"三生共赢"的小流域水环境综合治理理论架构,即立足于水环境质量改善和水资源的优化配置,强化流域水环境约束,以尽可能小的环境代价支撑流域经济结构优化、新型城镇化发展,以资源高效和循环利用为核心,大力发展循环经济体系和循环社会体系,并通过创新流域治理体制机制构建成本共担利益共享格局,最终实现小流域社会经济可持续发展。本研究基于以上理论架构设计了生态环境、绿色经济、优质宜居三大类指标体系24项具体指标,并重点从优化流域空间开发格局、构建产业绿色发展体系、改善城乡居民生活环境、提升流域生态系统功能、健全流域治理体制机制等方面分析了小流域水环境综合治理对策。本研究可为各级政府创新流域治理模式、制定小流域水环境综合治理规划提供较为可行的理论支撑和技术体系。