Session Information
06 SES 05, Ecology and Learning with the Digital
Paper Session
Contribution
Nature education is crucial for the development of environmental consciousness. Traditional nature education models often simplify environmental issues by not critically examining their social, cultural, and practical relevance (Day, 2000). In these models, learning about nature only occurs within traditional classroom settings (Gronomeyer, 1987). Community-based Eco-pedagogy provides alternatives to traditional nature education (Elder, 2003; Kahn, 2010)
The literature is growing on the importance of nature and environmental education for adults (Kahn, 2010).The primary aims of this participatory action research study are to improve sensitiveness of adults particularly the future educators towards nature and to achieve environmental literacy and sustainability by inspiring community action and educational opportunities that support sustainable and thriving environments for a Community-based Eco-pedagogy. The community-based eco-pedagogy involves new concepts of creativity, ethics, and experiential and life long learning in which individuals would start seeing the nature as a “communion of subjects” and not as the mere “collection of objects” to which modern science reduces the world.
The study further explores the possibilities of helping the adults -through communication and collaboration with each other and their communities to re-evaluate and discover the diversity and importance of their surrounding environment while utilizing pedagogical strategies which will involve the participants to the in-depth study of the nature, history, the culture, the traditional customs, and the natural environment. In addition, the study articulates various strategies for designing and implementing eco-curricula that include sustainability, biodiversity, ecological restoration, scientific discourse on nature, environmental literacy to discuss the importance of nature education for adults, who can use ecological knowledge to facilitate social and environmental actions.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Carr, W. & Kremmis, S.(1986). Becoming Critical: Education, Knowledge, and Action Research. London: Falmer Press Brydon-Miller, M. (2002). "Why action research?" In Action Research Volume 1(1): 9–28. SAGE Publications London, Thousand Oaks CA, New Delhi. Burns, D. (2007). Systemic Action Research: A strategy for whole system change. Bristol: Policy Press Day, Brian A. and Martha C. Monroe, (2000) (eds). Environmental Education and Communication for a Sustainable World: Handbook for International Practitioners. Washington, DC: Academy forEducational Development. Elder, James L. (2003). A Field Guide to Environmental Literacy: Making Strategic Investments in Environmental Education. Manchester, MA: Environmental Education Coalition. Gronemeyer, M. (1987). Ecological Education a Failing Practice? Or: Is the Ecological Movement an Educational Movement? In W. Lierman & J. Kulich (Eds.), Adult Education and the Challenge of the 1990s. London: Croom Helm. Kahn, R. (2010). Critical Pedagogy, Ecoliteracy, and Planetary Crisis: The Ecopedagogy Movement. New York: Peter Lang.
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