1. Aims, objectives and research questions Introduction There is currently no mandatory requirement for New Zealand schools to teach Environmental Education (EE). However, in 1999 the Ministry of Education published the Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools (Ministry of Education, 1999). The Guidelines are intended to assist teachers and schools to plan and provide education “in, about, and for the environment” in a way that integrates with learning objectives from the seven mandatory learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 1993). As such, schools are encouraged to develop EE programmes through a process of school-based curriculum development. More recently, a concept of education for sustainability