Session Information
08 SES 04 B, Sustainable School Development
Paper Session
Contribution
The theoretical framework for this research is action competence. Action competence is an approach to teaching environmental and health education principally developed in Denmark. The action competence approach to teaching starts from a democratic, participatory position to learning (Jensen and Schnack, 1997). Hence students choose the focus of learning by identifying a problem in their own experience, investigating possible solutions and implementing the most appropriate to engender a change; although in practice not all of these stages are always completed. Research into this approach to teaching has revealed a marked increase in engagement with environmental and health problems and improved sense of confidence, sphere of influence and willingness to engage in local community issues, amongst other things (Carlsson and Simovska, 2012). In England, the action competence approach to teaching is not used. However, it has much in common with approaches to learning active citizenship (Hoskins, 2012). Hence, action competence theory can be employed to analyse the development of active citizenship in environmental education situations.
In the context of primary schools in England, a number of cultural differences were identified. The theory was developed to encompass these differences. Furthermore, the informal learning context of green/eco groups also had to be accounted for. In England, approximately 50% of primary schools have green/eco groups that function as after school or lunchtime clubs. Although these take many different forms, they often have a strongly participatory approach where the children are encouraged to be involved in the running and organisation of the club. In these situations action competence theory can provide an analytical framework to investigate the links between participation in green/eco groups and the development of active citizenship skills. This analytical framework could be applicable to other similar situations across Europe; providing the particular cultural and learning dimensions of the cases are clarified and the theory is developed accordingly.
Another theoretical perspective that influenced this research is the transactional approach as described by Ohman and Ostman (2007). Ohman and Ostman have used the transactional approach to develop a method for analysing meaning making in situations of environmental and sustainability education. The transactional approach to understanding meaning making involves having a first person perspective on language, such that the language is understood as it acts between people in their environments. The processes that occur within transactions between people and people in their environment give meaning to the language used in the transactions, and identity to the individuals involved. The principle implications of the transactional approach for this research relate to its onto-epistemic framing and hence, its methodology.
Congruently, the theoretical perspectives underpinning participatory approaches shape the methodology. The acceptance of children as ‘beings’ not ‘becomings’ (Mannion, 2003) both influences and arises from such participatory approaches to learning. The assumption of this treatment of children is a central aspect of this research that guides its ethical orientation. It also has a strong influence on the methodology outlined below.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Braun, V. & Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp.77–101. Carlsson, M. & Simovska, V., 2012. Exploring learning outcomes of school-based health promotion--a multiple case study. Health Education Research, 27(3), pp.437–447. Gough, S. & Scott, W., 2000. Exploring the Purposes of Qualitative Data Coding in Educational Enquiry: Insights from recent research. Educational Studies, 26(3), pp.339–354. Hoskins, B., Janmaat, J.G. & Villalba, E., 2012. Learning citizenship through social participation outside and inside school: an international, multilevel study of young people’s learning of citizenship. British Educational Research Journal, 38(3), pp.419–446. Jensen, B.B. & Schnack, K., 1997. The Action Competence Approach in Environmental Education. Environmental Education Research, 3(2), pp.163–178. Mannion, G., 2003. Children’s participation in school grounds developments: creating a place for education that promotes children’s social inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 7(2), pp.175–192. Ohman, J. & Ostman, L., 2007. Continuity and change in moral meaning-making—a transactional approach. Journal of Moral Education, 36(2), pp.151–168. Stake, R.E. (2006) Multiple Case Study Analysis; Guildford: New York, London, Guildford
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.