Journal of Water and Sustainable Development

Designing a Comprehensive Sensory Environmental Education (SEE) Curriculum with a Focus on Water (Specialized for Lower Secondary Education)

Document Type : Applied Article

Authors

Amir Ali Boroumand 1
Mohammad Javad Amiri 2

1 Department of Environmental Planning, Management, and HSE, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Disasters Engineering, Education and Environmental Systems, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22067/jwsd.v12i3.2506-1429
Abstract
The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive and innovative environmental education curriculum focused on water issues, grounded in the augmented-senses approach and emphasizing the capacities of Iranian Indigenous Knowledge in water resource management and conservation. Designed for lower secondary education levels, the curriculum seeks to enhance students' environmental literacy through sensory-biological experiences, contextual understanding, and active social engagement with national water-related challenges. The study employs a combination of exploratory content analysis, instructional design based on situated cognition theory, and experiential learning principles. The conceptual framework integrates transformative environmental education models, place-based learning, multisensory learning theories, and the epistemological foundations of Iranian Indigenous Knowledge related to water. Historical, ethnographic, and documentary sources on Iran’s water culture were analyzed to identify key elements for multisensory, place-based learning situations. A backward design model was then used to align learning objectives, content standards, and assessment mechanisms with students' cognitive, emotional, and social developmental levels. The developed curriculum incorporates augmented-senses technologies and interactive tools to create immersive sensory learning experiences in both formal and informal settings (e.g., school gardens, water heritage sites, and workshops). It integrates regional water management models through curricular projects, local narratives, and research portfolios, ensuring adaptability to Iran’s climatic, cultural, and pedagogical diversity. The curriculum bridges traditional knowledge with modern education, fostering interdisciplinary, ecologically adaptive, and transformative learning.

Keywords

Formal Environmental Education
Effective Education
Water Education
Eco-Based Curriculum
Multisensory Learning
Subjects
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Journal of Water and Sustainable Development
Volume 12, Issue 3 - Serial Number 37
Food Security and Water Efficiency
Autumn 2025
Pages 139-155

  • Receive Date 04 June 2025
  • Revise Date 16 July 2025
  • Accept Date 25 July 2025

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