ABSTRACT
Ecology is a subject that has given rise to more controversy regarding its place in educational systems than any other branch of science. It is a relatively new science, and in its early years it was described not as a science at all but merely a point of view (McIntosh, 1985). The environmental crisis highlighted by Rachel Carson in the 1960s (Carson, 1962) thrust ecology into the public arena, helping raise its profile and develop it into a fully fashioned science with a rich array of principles, concepts, observations, experiments, and models. Some critics of ecology, for example, di Castri and Hadley (1986), still question the validity of its status as a science and highlight the lack of rigor, weak predictive capability, and failure to harness modern technology as shortcomings. Despite these criticisms, ecology, which is very much the study of interrelationships within our environment, clearly adheres to the principles and definitions of science (Wali, 1999). Ecology was, and is, a science that does not readily fit into the familiar mold of science erected on the model of classical physics, as it deals with phenomena touching on human sensibilities, including ethics, morality, and economics. So this complex history, as well as its fuzzy boundaries, raises issues about how ecology is taught, and these challenges have long been recognized (Lambert, 1966). The goal of this chapter is to present a case for student-centered learning using authentic and contemporary approaches in which the quality of the learning experience is improved and at the same time is commensurate with the principles of sustainable development.
