An Evaluative Study of Environmental Topics in the Science Curriculum for Middle Schools in Libya
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Education of Environment, Middle School, Libya, Environmental Curricula
Abstract
The study aimed to analyze the content of science textbooks for grades seven, eight, and nine (middle school level) in Libya in terms of the environmental values and issues they address. It also sought to compare this content with science curricula at the same level in Egypt and Canada, in addition to assessing its alignment with UNESCO's recommendations regarding environmental topics that should be included in school curricula. The results showed that the proportion of environmental lessons in Libyan middle school science curricula does not exceed 13.85% of the total lessons, which is the lowest compared to other scientific fields (chemistry, physics, and biology). Furthermore, the comparative analysis revealed that the percentage of environmental lessons was 13.8% in Libya, compared to 25.9% in Egypt and 37.7% in Canada, placing Libya last in terms of attention to environmental content. When comparing the environmental content of the Libyan curricula with UNESCO’s recommended list of environmental topics, it was found that only 18 out of 58 topics were covered, representing just 31%.
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