The trajectory of place-based education (PBE) is laid out by drawing on literature from outdoor, ... more The trajectory of place-based education (PBE) is laid out by drawing on literature from outdoor, experiential, environmental, critical, and land-based education to map key intersections and influences. Directions for PBE with respect to decolonization and reinhabitation-and the meaningful acknowledgement of Indigenous knowledge systems-are explored. Implications for teacher education are addressed.
In this paper, we draw on the ontology and epistemology of the local Kasena ethnic group in North... more In this paper, we draw on the ontology and epistemology of the local Kasena ethnic group in Northern Ghana to explore Early Childhood Environmental Education. The study, taking place in Boania Primary School, drew on the concept of two-eyed seeing, where both western and Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies were taught. In this way, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge was integrated into the Early Childhood Environmental Education programme for the Kindergarten two classroom environmental studies topics. Two Indigenous Elders led the integration of local knowledge into environmental studies topics by visiting the school to teach the children through taking them outdoors for learning activities. After this, in-depth interviews were held with the teacher, Indigenous Elders, and nine children regarding their experiences. The purpose of the study was to explore how Indigenous Ecological Knowledges can help instil in children positive environmental attitudes and values, while also connec...
Using a post-structural, interpretive perspective, we studied children’s humour in a grade-1 and ... more Using a post-structural, interpretive perspective, we studied children’s humour in a grade-1 and -2 classroom. In this article, we report our observations of two boys who took on the role of “class clown.” The boys used humour to negotiate power, which we defined as participation in discourse, taking on the role of class clowns and playing these roles, based on the context of their actions and responses of their peers and teachers. They were also defined by their roles because their teachers and peers came to expect certain actions from them. These two boys contributed to classroom discursive practices and also limited the classroom discourse. Keywords: primary education, discourse community, humour, class clown, post- structuralism En utilisant une perspective interprétative post-structurelle, nous avons étudié le sens de l’humour des enfants dans une classe de 1ère et de 2e année au primaire. Dans le présent article, nous rapportons nos observations de deux garçons qui ont adopté ...
BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. OBJECTIVE The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumption, dietary quality and food and nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. METHODS This population health intervention study will be conducted in 2 intervention elementary schools matched with 2 control schools. We will collect preintervention data, including objective measurements of food eaten at school and food-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This will be followed by the intervention itself, along with qualitative case studies of the intervention process in the 2 intervention schools. Then, we will collect postintervention data similar to the preintervention data. Finally, we will finish the data analysis and complete the ongoing sharing of learning from the project. RESULTS This study was funded in April 2020 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection did not begin until May 2021. The intervention will begin in September 2021 and end in June 2023, with end point data collection occurring in May and June 2023. The case study research will begin in September 2021 and will be ongoing for the duration of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The opportunity we have to systematically and comprehensively study a curriculum-integrated school lunch program, as well as the promising practices for school food programs across Canada, is without precedent. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/30899
However, the points of view and opinions expressed in project documents are those of the authors ... more However, the points of view and opinions expressed in project documents are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. The purpose of the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching is to fund research, inquiry and dissemination of information focusing on instruction (both teaching and learning) in the context of the public elementary and secondary education system. Specifically, it will: 1) contribute to knowledge about teaching and learning; 2) encourage educational inquiry through a wide range of methodologies; 3) support the involvement of practising teachers in active research projects; 4) encourage organizations as well as individuals to determine and act in areas of research and inquiry; and 5) encourage experimentation with innovative ideas and methodologies related to teaching and learning. The Foundation is an independent charitable organization formed by the Saskatchewan Teachers ’ Federation in 1991. It is governed by...
This paper further develops a presentation given at The Canadian Network for Environmental Educat... more This paper further develops a presentation given at The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) Conference in October 2018. The research reported here draws on the interviews of eight prominent teacher educators from Canadian Universities, who were invited to give their perspectives of place-based education in their teacher education programs. Profiles of the interviewees highlight how teacher educators came to, and take up, place-based education. Thematic analysis identified key findings: participants’ pathways to place-based education, their choice of terminology, the varied purposes for place-based education, choices of methodologies, and views of structures that affect place-based education. We discuss whether place-based, environmental, and Indigenous education were linked in different teacher education programs in Canada.
CJEE is pleased to present this special issue of the journal on early years outdoor play, in coll... more CJEE is pleased to present this special issue of the journal on early years outdoor play, in collaboration with the Lawson Foundation. The issue is produced in conjunction with, and as a follow-up to, presentations given at the Lawson Foundation’s Symposium on Early Years Outdoor Play (EYOP), which took place October 24–26, 2018. The symposium had an interdisciplinary focus on outdoor play for young children and brought together a global network of scholars, policy makers, and practitioners. One of the key outcomes of the symposium was a discussion paper titled “Advancing Outdoor Play and Early Childhood Education.” This paper was developed by the Lawson Foundation (2019) and was collaboratively reviewed and revised by symposium participants both during and after the event. The paper outlines six major themes related to advancing EYOP:
Place-based education has demonstrable success in K-12 student engagement and community revitaliz... more Place-based education has demonstrable success in K-12 student engagement and community revitalization.
Tensions between the current model of Early Childhood Education practiced and the Indigenous or t... more Tensions between the current model of Early Childhood Education practiced and the Indigenous or traditional ways of raising children are examined in the context of Ghana and West Africa. Ghana and other West African countries are making efforts to move away from didactic, teacher-directed methods of teaching in early childhood where children are treated as blank slates to be filled with knowledge by the teacher. These efforts are manifested in the multiple early learning theories that have been adopted in curricula to guide practice. However, this paper assesses tensions between the model of early childhood education currently practiced in Ghana (and West Africa more broadly) and Ghanaian Indigenous ways of raising children, which exposes how moving away from the teacher-centered method of teaching is difficult. Drawing on secondary data sources, in the form of a literature review of published articles, government documents, and reports from Non-Governmental Organizations, in this paper we identify that these tensions emerge due to the differences between the current Early Childhood Education program and the Indigenous educational system as well as the marginalization of Indigenous content from the Early Childhood Education program.
Science education in Saskatchewan involves unique challenges borne of having urban and rural, Ind... more Science education in Saskatchewan involves unique challenges borne of having urban and rural, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and immigrant populations dispersed across a large geographical area. This context impacts the crafting of science curricula, provision of cohesive and comprehensive science educator programs and professional development, and consistency in assessment. Publically funded education occurs through public, separate, and Francophone school divisions with federal involvement on Indigenous reserves. Science teacher education occurs through two public universities; both offer direct entry and post-degree programming with similar course requirements. Other organizations under the auspices of these universities also deliver teacher education. Primary challenges for those involved in advancing science teaching and learning involve employing inquiry approaches, engaging in Indigenous ways of knowing, and advancing a variety of assessment approaches.
Based on pedagogical practices in environmental and science education that privilege the concept ... more Based on pedagogical practices in environmental and science education that privilege the concept of place in all dimensions, we explore in this paper the work and experiences of two teacher educators, one in Brazil and one in Canada, as they visit and learn from one another's places. We wonder about unique places and how such different contexts, with different cultures, histories, and geographies, support researchers and their teacher candidates, guiding them to becoming better teachers within a context for addressing current pressing issues: social and ecological justice. While contrasting our different paths, we reflect and discuss our practices with/on empathy and place education. We discussed the power of bringing teacher education to places (and vice-versa). By contrasting places and their unique ontologies and epistemologies with empathy, we developed deeper understanding of the integral role of place in learning, and better ideas for preparing teachers to teach about their contexts.
This paper reports on a study of day care children, ages 2 years 6 months to almost 5 years old, ... more This paper reports on a study of day care children, ages 2 years 6 months to almost 5 years old, who visited a naturalized area near their day care once a week, over several months. The focus of this paper is on the embodied learning and expression of children’s learning, along with their use of oral language. The children engaged in some structured activities, as well as free play. Often, after play, adults had children discuss what they had observed or learned in the garden. Constructivist grounded theory was used for this study, with the researcher and research assistant making notes while children played, while they talked, and jotting down memos at the end of each day. Initial observations revealed that children not only explored the naturalized area through their senses, but they embodied their “feelings” of and about the world, and used their bodies to express and playfully imagine their worlds. Although language allows for greater focus and analysis of experiences, the role ...
BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. OBJECTIVE The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumpt...
Background Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more Background Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. Objective The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumpt...
In this article, the authors aim at presenting a lived experience and the meaning-making construc... more In this article, the authors aim at presenting a lived experience and the meaning-making constructed by them as they participate in a simulation of the history of contact between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in the country now named Canada and inquire into their stories within the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space. Considering relational ethics, the teacher educators and researchers lived, told, retold, and relived the stories of their own experiences, co-composing stories of anti-racist teacher education, playfulness, inclusion, privilege, and responsibility, through the eyes of an Indigenous Cree, a Brazilian, and a Canadian woman, towards increasing understanding of decolonizing education.
This article presents an analysis of three uniquely situated garden-based research studies. As co... more This article presents an analysis of three uniquely situated garden-based research studies. As colleagues intrigued by the rich, intricate, learning dynamics playing out within the garden spaces, our collaboration explored the broader meaning and potential for garden-based programming. As we discussed the three garden studies, two themes emerged as valuable for analysis: relationality and decolonisation. We understand the themes in relation to Gregory Cajete’s (2005) conceptualisation of coming to resonance within oneself, one’s community, and the surrounding ecosystem as being integral aspects of a holistic learning program. In addition, centring learning around relationality with place requires, as Delores Calderon (2014) asserts, a critique of colonisation that has shaped place over time. In our collaboration on the three studies and reading of current developments in the literature, it became clear that garden- and place-based education must grapple with the troubled histories o...
As scholars working both individually and collectively, we are interested in exploring what may b... more As scholars working both individually and collectively, we are interested in exploring what may be achieved through taking up the complex notion of culture in sustainability education research. In this article, we present a bricolage of research, drawing on empirical and theoretical sources that collectively establish the kind of capacity we see as potentially creating the conditions for cultural change. We draw from cultural and environmental education theories. The three empirical examples explore the role of community and family, Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, and personal change through social and ecological justice teaching. The studies demonstrate ways sustainability education research can create the conditions to engage and cultivate communities—both previously established or newly formed—to respond to the pervasiveness and influence of culture as an always/already obstacle to ecologically and socially sound patterns of thought and behavior. Indeed, it seems clear that research and practice must be directed toward cultivating a collective capacity and movement that creates spaces for renewed thinking and action—in other words, for renewed being.
The trajectory of place-based education (PBE) is laid out by drawing on literature from outdoor, ... more The trajectory of place-based education (PBE) is laid out by drawing on literature from outdoor, experiential, environmental, critical, and land-based education to map key intersections and influences. Directions for PBE with respect to decolonization and reinhabitation-and the meaningful acknowledgement of Indigenous knowledge systems-are explored. Implications for teacher education are addressed.
In this paper, we draw on the ontology and epistemology of the local Kasena ethnic group in North... more In this paper, we draw on the ontology and epistemology of the local Kasena ethnic group in Northern Ghana to explore Early Childhood Environmental Education. The study, taking place in Boania Primary School, drew on the concept of two-eyed seeing, where both western and Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies were taught. In this way, Indigenous Ecological Knowledge was integrated into the Early Childhood Environmental Education programme for the Kindergarten two classroom environmental studies topics. Two Indigenous Elders led the integration of local knowledge into environmental studies topics by visiting the school to teach the children through taking them outdoors for learning activities. After this, in-depth interviews were held with the teacher, Indigenous Elders, and nine children regarding their experiences. The purpose of the study was to explore how Indigenous Ecological Knowledges can help instil in children positive environmental attitudes and values, while also connec...
Using a post-structural, interpretive perspective, we studied children’s humour in a grade-1 and ... more Using a post-structural, interpretive perspective, we studied children’s humour in a grade-1 and -2 classroom. In this article, we report our observations of two boys who took on the role of “class clown.” The boys used humour to negotiate power, which we defined as participation in discourse, taking on the role of class clowns and playing these roles, based on the context of their actions and responses of their peers and teachers. They were also defined by their roles because their teachers and peers came to expect certain actions from them. These two boys contributed to classroom discursive practices and also limited the classroom discourse. Keywords: primary education, discourse community, humour, class clown, post- structuralism En utilisant une perspective interprétative post-structurelle, nous avons étudié le sens de l’humour des enfants dans une classe de 1ère et de 2e année au primaire. Dans le présent article, nous rapportons nos observations de deux garçons qui ont adopté ...
BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. OBJECTIVE The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumption, dietary quality and food and nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices. METHODS This population health intervention study will be conducted in 2 intervention elementary schools matched with 2 control schools. We will collect preintervention data, including objective measurements of food eaten at school and food-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This will be followed by the intervention itself, along with qualitative case studies of the intervention process in the 2 intervention schools. Then, we will collect postintervention data similar to the preintervention data. Finally, we will finish the data analysis and complete the ongoing sharing of learning from the project. RESULTS This study was funded in April 2020 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection did not begin until May 2021. The intervention will begin in September 2021 and end in June 2023, with end point data collection occurring in May and June 2023. The case study research will begin in September 2021 and will be ongoing for the duration of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The opportunity we have to systematically and comprehensively study a curriculum-integrated school lunch program, as well as the promising practices for school food programs across Canada, is without precedent. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/30899
However, the points of view and opinions expressed in project documents are those of the authors ... more However, the points of view and opinions expressed in project documents are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation. The purpose of the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching is to fund research, inquiry and dissemination of information focusing on instruction (both teaching and learning) in the context of the public elementary and secondary education system. Specifically, it will: 1) contribute to knowledge about teaching and learning; 2) encourage educational inquiry through a wide range of methodologies; 3) support the involvement of practising teachers in active research projects; 4) encourage organizations as well as individuals to determine and act in areas of research and inquiry; and 5) encourage experimentation with innovative ideas and methodologies related to teaching and learning. The Foundation is an independent charitable organization formed by the Saskatchewan Teachers ’ Federation in 1991. It is governed by...
This paper further develops a presentation given at The Canadian Network for Environmental Educat... more This paper further develops a presentation given at The Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) Conference in October 2018. The research reported here draws on the interviews of eight prominent teacher educators from Canadian Universities, who were invited to give their perspectives of place-based education in their teacher education programs. Profiles of the interviewees highlight how teacher educators came to, and take up, place-based education. Thematic analysis identified key findings: participants’ pathways to place-based education, their choice of terminology, the varied purposes for place-based education, choices of methodologies, and views of structures that affect place-based education. We discuss whether place-based, environmental, and Indigenous education were linked in different teacher education programs in Canada.
CJEE is pleased to present this special issue of the journal on early years outdoor play, in coll... more CJEE is pleased to present this special issue of the journal on early years outdoor play, in collaboration with the Lawson Foundation. The issue is produced in conjunction with, and as a follow-up to, presentations given at the Lawson Foundation’s Symposium on Early Years Outdoor Play (EYOP), which took place October 24–26, 2018. The symposium had an interdisciplinary focus on outdoor play for young children and brought together a global network of scholars, policy makers, and practitioners. One of the key outcomes of the symposium was a discussion paper titled “Advancing Outdoor Play and Early Childhood Education.” This paper was developed by the Lawson Foundation (2019) and was collaboratively reviewed and revised by symposium participants both during and after the event. The paper outlines six major themes related to advancing EYOP:
Place-based education has demonstrable success in K-12 student engagement and community revitaliz... more Place-based education has demonstrable success in K-12 student engagement and community revitalization.
Tensions between the current model of Early Childhood Education practiced and the Indigenous or t... more Tensions between the current model of Early Childhood Education practiced and the Indigenous or traditional ways of raising children are examined in the context of Ghana and West Africa. Ghana and other West African countries are making efforts to move away from didactic, teacher-directed methods of teaching in early childhood where children are treated as blank slates to be filled with knowledge by the teacher. These efforts are manifested in the multiple early learning theories that have been adopted in curricula to guide practice. However, this paper assesses tensions between the model of early childhood education currently practiced in Ghana (and West Africa more broadly) and Ghanaian Indigenous ways of raising children, which exposes how moving away from the teacher-centered method of teaching is difficult. Drawing on secondary data sources, in the form of a literature review of published articles, government documents, and reports from Non-Governmental Organizations, in this paper we identify that these tensions emerge due to the differences between the current Early Childhood Education program and the Indigenous educational system as well as the marginalization of Indigenous content from the Early Childhood Education program.
Science education in Saskatchewan involves unique challenges borne of having urban and rural, Ind... more Science education in Saskatchewan involves unique challenges borne of having urban and rural, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and immigrant populations dispersed across a large geographical area. This context impacts the crafting of science curricula, provision of cohesive and comprehensive science educator programs and professional development, and consistency in assessment. Publically funded education occurs through public, separate, and Francophone school divisions with federal involvement on Indigenous reserves. Science teacher education occurs through two public universities; both offer direct entry and post-degree programming with similar course requirements. Other organizations under the auspices of these universities also deliver teacher education. Primary challenges for those involved in advancing science teaching and learning involve employing inquiry approaches, engaging in Indigenous ways of knowing, and advancing a variety of assessment approaches.
Based on pedagogical practices in environmental and science education that privilege the concept ... more Based on pedagogical practices in environmental and science education that privilege the concept of place in all dimensions, we explore in this paper the work and experiences of two teacher educators, one in Brazil and one in Canada, as they visit and learn from one another's places. We wonder about unique places and how such different contexts, with different cultures, histories, and geographies, support researchers and their teacher candidates, guiding them to becoming better teachers within a context for addressing current pressing issues: social and ecological justice. While contrasting our different paths, we reflect and discuss our practices with/on empathy and place education. We discussed the power of bringing teacher education to places (and vice-versa). By contrasting places and their unique ontologies and epistemologies with empathy, we developed deeper understanding of the integral role of place in learning, and better ideas for preparing teachers to teach about their contexts.
This paper reports on a study of day care children, ages 2 years 6 months to almost 5 years old, ... more This paper reports on a study of day care children, ages 2 years 6 months to almost 5 years old, who visited a naturalized area near their day care once a week, over several months. The focus of this paper is on the embodied learning and expression of children’s learning, along with their use of oral language. The children engaged in some structured activities, as well as free play. Often, after play, adults had children discuss what they had observed or learned in the garden. Constructivist grounded theory was used for this study, with the researcher and research assistant making notes while children played, while they talked, and jotting down memos at the end of each day. Initial observations revealed that children not only explored the naturalized area through their senses, but they embodied their “feelings” of and about the world, and used their bodies to express and playfully imagine their worlds. Although language allows for greater focus and analysis of experiences, the role ...
BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more BACKGROUND Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. OBJECTIVE The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumpt...
Background Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer ... more Background Good nutrition affects children’s health, well-being, and learning, and schools offer an important setting to promote healthy behaviors that can last a lifetime. Once children reach school age, they spend more of their waking hours in school than in any other environment. Children’s eating habits may be easier to influence than those of adults. In Canada, households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and school food programs that are universally available to all children can support the development of healthy eating patterns across groups of varying socioeconomic status. There is a significant gap in the rigorous community-engaged academic research on the impact of school meal programs, especially universal ones. Objective The aim of this population health intervention research is to study the impact of a 2-year universal, curriculum-integrated healthy school lunch program in elementary schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on food consumpt...
In this article, the authors aim at presenting a lived experience and the meaning-making construc... more In this article, the authors aim at presenting a lived experience and the meaning-making constructed by them as they participate in a simulation of the history of contact between Europeans and Indigenous peoples in the country now named Canada and inquire into their stories within the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space. Considering relational ethics, the teacher educators and researchers lived, told, retold, and relived the stories of their own experiences, co-composing stories of anti-racist teacher education, playfulness, inclusion, privilege, and responsibility, through the eyes of an Indigenous Cree, a Brazilian, and a Canadian woman, towards increasing understanding of decolonizing education.
This article presents an analysis of three uniquely situated garden-based research studies. As co... more This article presents an analysis of three uniquely situated garden-based research studies. As colleagues intrigued by the rich, intricate, learning dynamics playing out within the garden spaces, our collaboration explored the broader meaning and potential for garden-based programming. As we discussed the three garden studies, two themes emerged as valuable for analysis: relationality and decolonisation. We understand the themes in relation to Gregory Cajete’s (2005) conceptualisation of coming to resonance within oneself, one’s community, and the surrounding ecosystem as being integral aspects of a holistic learning program. In addition, centring learning around relationality with place requires, as Delores Calderon (2014) asserts, a critique of colonisation that has shaped place over time. In our collaboration on the three studies and reading of current developments in the literature, it became clear that garden- and place-based education must grapple with the troubled histories o...
As scholars working both individually and collectively, we are interested in exploring what may b... more As scholars working both individually and collectively, we are interested in exploring what may be achieved through taking up the complex notion of culture in sustainability education research. In this article, we present a bricolage of research, drawing on empirical and theoretical sources that collectively establish the kind of capacity we see as potentially creating the conditions for cultural change. We draw from cultural and environmental education theories. The three empirical examples explore the role of community and family, Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge, and personal change through social and ecological justice teaching. The studies demonstrate ways sustainability education research can create the conditions to engage and cultivate communities—both previously established or newly formed—to respond to the pervasiveness and influence of culture as an always/already obstacle to ecologically and socially sound patterns of thought and behavior. Indeed, it seems clear that research and practice must be directed toward cultivating a collective capacity and movement that creates spaces for renewed thinking and action—in other words, for renewed being.
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Papers by Janet McVittie