The effects of environment-based education on students’ critical thinking skills and disposition towards critical thinking (First published in Volume10, Number 4)

Despite many years of state and national attention, legislation, and discussion, student achievement in core subject areas remains at unacceptable levels throughout

the United States (National Commission of Excellence in Education, 1983; National Research Council, 1999). Various efforts are in progress to improve student achievement, including national and state standards and assessments, as well as incentives for improvement and sanctions for continued low performance. At the same time, a number of well-researched reform models and instructional strategies are being implemented to reorganize and revitalize schools. The use of the environment as an integrating context for learning has the potential to serve as one of these comprehensive improvement strategies.