Environmental education and the science of ecology: exploration of an uneasy relationship

While modern science is receiving harsh criticism within the framework of environmental education, at the same time ecology is presented as an alternative science, characterized as ‘holistic’ and ‘non‐exploitative’. However, many of the characteristics of the science of ecology do not comply with its characterization as alternative science. Furthermore, ecology is a science with competing paradigms, provisional theories, incommensurable worldviews, and extensive theoretical and methodological debates. The treatment of the science of ecology in environmental education is not taking into account the relevant evidence, resulting in a quite strong positivistic and dogmatic educational approach. The importance of approaches that comply more with a post‐positivistic account of education are discussed in the light of the possible contribution of environmental education to science education discourse.