Natural Collaborations How teachers are using Action Research to enhance Environmental Education
By Hilary Inwood and Alysse Kennedy, with contributions from Patricia Heibein, Jennifer
Venalainen, Adrienne Rigler, Linda Ryan, and Catherine Kurucz
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DOZEN TEACHERS GATHER around a lunch table with a view overlooking the city, sharing stories of nature-based learning. Hawks circle outside the elev-
enth-floor window as the group takes a break from their busy morning to eat and chat. Their conversation turns to how to get their classes outside considering it’s the first thing stu- dents want, but the last thing their parents want them to do. “I had sent home a note to all of my students’ families,” one teacher explains, “letting them know that we would be learn- ing outside every day, and to send their children in clothes that can get dirty. Most of my parents are on board with going outside, so when I had a student come to school one day dressed head-to-toe in white and nothing to change into, we had no choice — out we went! That boy was caked in mud, and I’d never seen him smile more than he did that day.” The teachers laugh, and one asks with a knowing smile, “And how did his parents react when they saw his clothes?”
“Oh, they weren’t happy,” she says with a chuckle, “but I
asked them, was it more important that their son came home clean but bored, or dirty and having learned a lot?” The group nods heartily in response, sipping coffee from reusable mugs. As teachers committed to Environmental Education (EE), this is one of the challenges they face on a regular basis. Navigating competing priorities in the curriculum, a lack of emphasis on environmental literacy, and sometimes the pit- falls of a muddy pair of pants, are all discussion points for this strong and passionate group. Meet the Environmental Education Action Research Team
of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Originally introduced by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s, Action Research embraces teachers’ knowledge and expertise as a means of improving educational practice. These experienced educators have come together to engage in Action Research in their own classrooms, working with researchers at the University of Toronto. This innovative team is the result of a unique partnership focused on EE between the TDSB, Canada’s larg- est school board, and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Edu- cation (OISE), one of the country’s largest faculties of edu- cation. As a type of educational research, Action Research is frequently used by teachers as a form of self-study to
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Photo credit: Jennifer Venalainen
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