Why is "Environmental Science" the most unpopular Science-related VCE subject?

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Does anybody know?


Many schools seem to not offer it. I know it scales down but so does psychology so it can be the only reason. It doesn't seem that difficult too!

[pi]

Well, from what I have heard, it is pretty difficult and there is a LOT of writing in the exam(s). Not sure on the schools' reason though. Maybe its hard to find qualified teachers, resources, expensive?

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Well, from what I have heard, it is pretty difficult and there is a LOT of writing in the exam(s). Not sure on the schools' reason though. Maybe its hard to find qualified teachers, resources, expensive?

so, rather like PE?
but PE's still popular...

[Archimedes]

Well, from what I have heard, it is pretty difficult and there is a LOT of writing in the exam(s). Not sure on the schools' reason though. Maybe its hard to find qualified teachers, resources, expensive?

I agree with Rophitpi in that teachers aren't qualified enough to teach it.

[boysenberry]

Well, from what I have heard, it is pretty difficult and there is a LOT of writing in the exam(s). Not sure on the schools' reason though. Maybe its hard to find qualified teachers, resources, expensive?

I agree with Rophitpi in that teachers aren't qualified enough to teach it.

If this is true, then why is this the case?

What's the root cause of it?
It doesn't seem to be a particularly difficult subject...why are so many teachers letting their students down when it comes to environmental science?

[Eriny]

Probably because not many schools offer it...

[Lasercookie]

I would say it'd partly be students not knowing about the class (because their school never offer the class) and because of the lack of demand, schools don't offer it. 

If more students expressed their wish to take the class, I'm sure that schools would easily be able to put together a class.

I'm not sure if there'd be many teachers experienced in teaching Environmental Science, but inexperience doesn't mean their not qualified to teach it. I'd assume schools would just assign a teacher with a background in science.

[Readinya]

I'm going to be blunt here: no one wants to do environmental science (in my school anyway). My school offers the subject, but basically no one picks it, or a very small number, and taking into account teacher availability + resources the school then decides not to run it.

My Bio teacher was originally an enviro science teacher. However, during one of her "BioEnviro" classes in Year 10 (Half Biology, half Environmental Science), everyone in her class complained it was too...environmental.

I've got nothing against the subject; i just happen to like the other sciences more.

[jacob_power]

But environmental science sounds like a really easy subject. I find it hard to believe that there aren't enough qualified teachers around for the subject. No...there's more to it than that.

[Lasercookie]

But environmental science sounds like a really easy subject. I find it hard to believe that there aren't enough qualified teachers around for the subject. No...there's more to it than that.

I still reckon it's a lack of students wanting to do the subject.

I know that there would be a lot of people who would have no idea that the subject exists.

It might also be that it's not a prerequisite for most courses, so students don't bother taking a subject that doesn't really open any doors. It's not a prerequisite for Environmental Science @ Melbourne or Environmental Science @ Monash (they only list English). 

People might not be interested in the subject content, I know that's true for me (though I'm not really that interested in Biology or Psychology either).

[Romperait]

Environmental  science is a relatively new course for vce (not sure but I think it was introduced after psych) and I suppose between a lack of teachers willing to actually teach the subject and a lack of students that want to do it, the subject on the whole doesn't have the same presence in vce as the other sciences.

It's not a hard subject conceptually, probably one of the easiest in fact. Time constraints during the exam and being able to give the right information in a relatively concise way are what differentiate most people. So in saying that...I wouldn't say that "teachers aren't qualified enough to teach it" considering the only difficult part of the course is getting your thoughts onto the paper quickly enough.

[taiga]

I wanted to do it, but our school doesn't offer it

Apparently one of our Chemistry/year 9-10 science teachers knows the course though. I guess not enough people put it as their first preference.

[pi]

I wanted to do it, but our school doesn't offer it

Me too, looked more interesting than bio

[boysenberry]

I have a friend who is interested in doing this sub through distance education.

Does anybody know what the prefered or best textbook is for this subject?


Thanks!

[pi]

Best textbooks