Changes in teacher practice and knowledge as a result of

involvement in the national Enviroschools in the Early years

programme.

Avril MaxwellOpen Polytechnic

Whakatauki

Manaaki whenua

Manaaki tangata

Haere whakamua

Care for the land

Care for the people

Go forward

OverviewResearch project outlined

Researchers – Avril Maxwell & Dr. Brent Mawson

Key concepts and terms

Questions and discussion

Case study- research projectArticle in local paper- April 2012- Expo to launch and showcase the Northland pilot of the national Enviroschools in the Early Years programme.

Research took place during 2013.

Background/context

Enviroschools programme - main focus on school sector; little research on ece sector.

Building interest and concern for EfS issues in ec sector over past 5 years.

Link – EfS and ece mainly with outdoor/natural environment – implicit more than explicit.

Enviroschools programmeAims to give young children a sense of connection with

the environment and the community. Began in the Waikato in the 1990’s and was originally

focused on the compulsory school sector. Programmes have now spread to most regions in New

Zealand and include early childhood centres as well as schools.

Non profit making initiative as a direct response to increasing environmental and social issues being faced by communities

action based kaupapa, aligns with a transformative approach toward supporting societal change to work toward a better world (MacNaughton, 2003).

Schools and early childhood centres are active participants and work across a range of projects, such as waste audits, gardening, restoration work and recycling.

The programme is firmly embedded in te ao Māori, with the principle of kaitiakitanga an integral part of the programme.

Research methodology: Focus group discussions – May-October; (early term

two and end of term three) Reflective journals kept by teachers over terms two

and three 2013Individual interviews –approximately thirty- forty

five minutes durationInterview with Enviroschools Co-ordinatorLiterature review

Themes emerged-what we found out :The interplay/connectedness between personal and

professional interests/commitment around sustainability. A good fit- connections between sustainability and Te

Whaariki and te ao Māori Enviroschools programme creating a focus/lensWorking as a teamRelationships and reciprocity of learning important

Connections – personal & professionalConnections existed and were strengthenedI am really passionate about having a sustainable future and I am really passionate about having it at the centre. So I find it really easy to implement into my teaching practice.

Nature and animals..has always been a huge part of my life.

There seemed strong awareness from teachers that this was a long term commitment.

I have a vision, but it’s a really long off vision and it’s a journey and we are on it, and it’s the beginning (Interview).

This longer term vision I believe is important to ensuring that this focus remains at the forefront of the curriculum.

Connections- EfS & Te Wh riki and te ao M oriā āA key part of ec kaupapaIt kind of all fits in together, so it’s not something that is separate. It’s all, the whole kaupapa of Enviroschools is so interlinked with Te Whāriki, now that I’ve actually looked at it more in-depth.That’s the thing with this whole programme too. It’s not something that you can only do one way. It’s totally up to your centre and how your programme works and what your philosophy is and what you believe in and how you work as a team and what your families are like to what you do.

A lens/focus createdYes changes …..Its great having an Enviroschools focus because I do now look around and notice resources I can use from nature to compliment our programme.

I notice things, more nature-based things that I can bring because we are a part of the Enviro school and because we know that that’s what we want to be, sustainable in nature.

The sustainability lens supported pedagogical changes and also supported teachers in recognising (and sustaining) practices related to sustainability.It’s pretty much at the top of my list, like when I go to plan, and especially through learning stories and stuff for children and documenting that. That’s where, if you look through their books, like their portfolios, to begin with it was all about a lot to do with the Enviroschools and everything like that, so that was a way to educate parents as well, through the planning for children, and our board, our planning up here.

A team approachA shared vision amongst the teaching team seemed to

contribute to EfS remaining a high priority for the teachers.

T writes I believe having the whole team on board, having the same vision has been vital for the continuation of having a sustainable centre.

This team approach also applied to the children in relation to contributing toward a community of learners (Wenger, 1998).

RelationshipsVaeliki and Mackey (2008) refer to the ripple effect in

relation to engagement in sustainability practices creating waves of action which spread out to families and communities.

It’s come back from a couple of parents that children have you know, they’ve gone to throw the milk bottle in the bin for instance, no, no, no, that goes in the recycle bin. So it’s getting home to families as well about where each item should go, which is really good.

Relationships and the reciprocity of learning seems to underpin the experience. Whilst this could relate to individual personalities, it also seems clearly to be part of the Enviroschools kaupapa.

The relationship with Enviroschools Co-ordinator was very important to us, but she has also been learning from us as well

Research provides validation ( and support) for the inclusion of ece in the Enviroschools programme.

Resourcing is a challenge for the Enviroschools Foundation.

Advice when moving to EfSIt is not a separate part of the curriculum, its interlinked. Support networks are the big thing, just to get to know

how things are set up. Getting rid of things is a challenge for established

kindergartens.  Not all teachers are this way inclined, it is not a passion

with them. It is hard to get the whole team on board, this was an important part of our successful journey.

Fed up…..Published 1991 (23 years ago).

Not new, we have been slow to act!

Do you agree or disagree and why?

Discuss with one other person for 5 minutes.

Key concepts and termsEcology – the study of the relationships between living

things and their environments.

Slow pedagogy – taking time

Politics of place - connections to a place; repeated visits at different times; the ecological concept of citizenship, taking action to improve or sustain a place.

Kaitiakitanga –we are guardians rather than owners of land.

Mauri – connectedness to everything ;everything has a life force. Related to concept of ecological.

Transformative education – draws on ideas about how teachers/education can change society. Action…Glenda MacNaughton

Real experiences- connections and love/caring for the land must be experienced rather than viewed through a lens or screen

Developing an ecological identity – Ann Pelo draws upon many of these concepts

The Goodness of rain, 2013

ECA Code of Ethics updated “the obligation for early childhood educators to ‘work with children to help them understand that they are global citizens with shared responsibilities to the environment and humanity’(Code 1.4” (Davis, 2009, p. 230)

Consider a new code for New Zealand teachers focused around sustainability for education

Is this a responsibility for all teachers?

There is growing awareness that we need to move beyond sustainable practices, recycling and having a worm farm and composting to an approach that includes a broader look at sustainability and one which is a whole curriculum approach.

He patai?

Whatungarongaro te tangata toitū te whenua

"People pass on, but land remains." 

Further readingDavis, J. M. (Ed.) (2010). Young children and the environment. Early

education for sustainability.Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Davis, J. & Elliott, S. (Eds.) (2014). Research in early childhood education for sustainability. International perspectives and provocations.London: Routledge.

Louv, R. (2010). Last child in the woods. Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. London: Atlantic Books.

Pelo, A. (2013). The goodness of rain. Developing an ecological identity in young children. Redmond, WA: Exchange Press.

Pramling Samuelsson, I., & Kaga,Y. (2008). The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society . Paris, France: UNESCO.