Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T13:18:52.796Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Children and Young People's Experience of the Natural World: Teachers' Perceptions and Observations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2012

Emilia Fägerstam
Emilia Fägerstam*
Affiliation:
Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Sweden Department of Education, Macquarie University, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Emilia Fägerstam, PhD Candidate, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden and Department of Education, Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia. Email: emilia.fagerstam@liu.se
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study explores the observations and perceptions of environmental education centre officers and teachers regarding children's experiences with nature. The study also explores the officers' and teachers' perceptions of the potential of using nature experiences in environmental education. A thematic analysis of data from interviews with 13 officers and 8 high school teachers in Sydney, Australia, revealed a widely held perception that children and young people have limited experience with natural settings in nature reserves and national parks. The interviewees suggested that although their students were interested in learning in natural settings, many were uncomfortable, afraid, and only had a vicarious understanding of Australian ecology, flora and fauna. The participants' view of the potential of nature experiences was twofold: nature experiences were fundamental for developing a connection with nature and establishing environmental concern, and experiences in nature facilitated ecological knowledge, which was considered to be a component of understanding and developing place identity in the Australian environment.

Keywords

outdoor learningenvironmental educationnaturechildren's and young people's experiencesteachers' observations
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , July 2012 , pp. 1 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Almeida, S., & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2011). The historical, present and future ‘ness’ of environmental education in India. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 27 (1), 122–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballantyne, R., & Packer, J. (2009). Introducing a fifth pedagogy: Experience-based strategies for facilitating learning in natural environments. Environmental Education Research, 15 (2), 243–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brookes, A. (2002). Lost in the Australian bush: Outdoor education as curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 34 (4), 405–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bryant, D., & Charmaz, C. (2007). The SAGE handbook of grounded theory. London: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cele, S. (2006). Communicating place. Methods for understanding children's experience of place (Doctoral dissertation, Stockholm University, Sweden).Google Scholar
Chapin, S., Carpenter, S., Kofinas, G., Folke, C., Abel, N., Clark, W., . . . Swanson, F. (2009). Ecosystem stewardship: Sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 25 (4), 241–249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen-Hsuan Cheng, J., & Monroe, M. (2010). Connection to nature: Children's affective attitude toward nature. Environment and Behavior, 44 (1), 31–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
City of Sydney. (2010). Metropolitan Sydney. Retrieved from www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/CityResearch/metropolitanSydney.aspGoogle Scholar
Cohn, I. (2011). Indigenous ways-fruits of our ancestors. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 11 (1), 15–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cutter-Mackenzie, A., & Smith, R. (2003). Ecological literacy: The ‘missing paradigm’ in environmental education (part one). Environmental Education Research, 9 (4), 497–524.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, J. (2010). Young children and the environment. Early education for sustainability. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Education and Training, NSW. (2001). Environmental education policy for schools. Sydney, Australia: Author.Google Scholar
Ernst, J., & Theimer, S. (2011). Evaluating the effects of environmental education programming on connectedness to nature. Environmental Education Research, 17 (5), 577–598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ernst, J., & Tornabene, L. (2012). Preservice early childhood educators’ perceptions of outdoor settings as learning environments. Environmental Education Research. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.640749.39-50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemlich, J. (2010). Environmental education evaluation: reinterpreting education as a strategy for meeting mission. Evaluation and Program Planning, 33, 180–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hungerford, H. (2010). Environmental education (EE) for the 21st century: Where have we been? Where are we now? Where are we headed? The Journal of Environmental Education, 41 (1), 1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hungerford, H., & Volk, T. (1990). Changing learner behaviour through environmental education. Journal of Environmental Education, 21, 8–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahn, P. Jr. (1999). The human relationship with nature. Development and culture. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellert, S. (2002). Experiencing nature: affective, cognitive, and evaluative development in children. In Kahn, P. Jr., & Kellert, S. (Eds.), Children and Nature. Psychological. Sociocultural, and Evolutionary Investigations. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press.Google Scholar
Kollmus, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behaviour? Environmental Education Research, 8 (3), 239–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lisberg-Jensen, E. (2011). Humanekologiska perspektiv på barns naturkontakt. [Human-ecological perspectives on children's contact with nature]. In Mårtenson, F., Lisberg Jensen, E., Söderström, M., & Öhman, J. (Eds.), Den nyttiga utevistelsen? Forskningsperspektiv på naturkontaktens betydelse för barns hälsa och miljöengagemang. [The benefit of being outdoors? Research on the potential of contact with nature concerning children's health and environmental concern]. Bromma: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.Google Scholar
Lisberg-Jensen, E., & Ousi, P. (2008). Contested construction of nature for city fringe outdoor recreation in southern Sweden: The Arrie case. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 7, 171–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lugg, A. (2007). Developing sustainability-literate citizens through outdoor learning: Possibilities for outdoor education in higher education. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 7 (2), 97–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malone, K. (2007). The bubble-wrap generation: Children growing up in walled gardens. Environmental Education Research, 13 (4), 513–527.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, P. (2008). Teacher qualification guidelines, ecological literacy and outdoor education. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 12 (2), 32–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, M., & Huberman, M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Nakagawa, Y., & Payne, P. (2011). Experiencing beach in Australia: Study abroad students' perspectives. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 27 (1), 94–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nordenström, H. (2008). Environmental education and multicultural education — too close to be separate. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 17 (2), 131–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orr, D. (2004). Earth in mind. Washington, DC: Island Press.Google Scholar
Payne, P. (2005). Families, homes and environmental education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 21, 81–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Preston, L. (2004). Making connections with nature: Bridging the theory-practice gap in outdoor and environmental education. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, 8 (1), 12–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sandell, K., & Öhman, J. (2010). Educational potentials of encounters with nature: Reflections from a Swedish outdoor perspective. Environmental Education Research, 16 (1), 113–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stevenson, R. (2011). Sense of place in Australian environmental education research: Distinctive, missing or displaced? Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 27 (1), 46–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, A. (2006). Seeing the trees and the forest: Attending to Australian natural history as if it mattered. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 22 (2), 85–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, A. (2008). Whose place, whose history? Outdoor environmental education pedagogy as ‘reading’ the landscape. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 8 (2), 79–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, A. (2011). Becoming-speckled warbler: Re/creating Australian natural history pedagogy. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 27 (1), 68–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stewart, A., & Müller, G. (2009). Toward a pedagogy for Australian natural history: Learning to read and learning content. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 25, 105–115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tranter, P., & Malone, K. (2008). Out of bounds. Insights from Australian children to support sustainable cities. Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice, 21 (4), 20–26.Google Scholar
White, H. (2009). Problem-based learning. Commentary: Biochemistry de-natured — how unstructured outdoor play can support later learning. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 37 (6), 369–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zemits, B. (2006). Biodiversity: who knows, who cares? Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 22 (2), 99–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar