Month: November 2016

Children in nature: sensory engagement and the experience of biodiversity

Children in nature: sensory engagement and the experience of biodiversity
– New EER Article Alert
Thomas Beery & Kari Anne Jørgensen
Pages: 1-13 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1250149

Abstract
Given concerns for a severely diminished childhood experience of nature, coupled with alarm for a rapidly diminishing global biodiversity, this article considers the potential for childhood nature experience to be an important part of biodiversity understanding. Findings from two studies are integrated and presented as windows into childhood nature experience to illuminate important aspects of sensory rich learning. In one study from Sweden, semi-structured interviews with adults were conducted and analyzed to explore an understanding of the sensory experience of childhood collecting in nature via participant memories. In the second study, direct observations of children’s play and exploration in an outdoor kindergarten in Norway were conducted and analyzed. Bringing these two studies together for shared analysis is useful for investigating biodiversity experience and understanding. Analysis supports the idea that the experience of biodiversity, actual childhood interaction with variation and diversity with living and nonliving items from nature allows children important learning opportunities, inclusive of biodiversity understanding. The results support practical implications for sensory rich environmental education and underscores the practical importance of childhood access to nature.
Keywords: Biodiversity understanding, embodied experience, experience of nature, extinction of experience, sensory experience

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2016.1250149
#newEERpaper

An ESD pathway to quality education in the Cyprus primary education context

An ESD pathway to quality education in the Cyprus primary education context
– New EER Article Alert
Chrysanthi Kadji-Beltran, Nicoletta Christodoulou, Aravella Zachariou, Petra Lindemann-Matthies, Susan Barker & Costas Kadis
Pages: 0-0 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1249459

Abstract
This research is based on the rationale that the well-defined framework of education for sustainable development (ESD), its connection with real life and its specific integration in the educational policies and curricula can help to enhance quality education (QE) in a meaningful and identifiable way. In a first step, the common ground of ESD and QE was explored in different areas: common dimensions, future-oriented objectives, commonly targeted skills, value orientation, teaching and learning approaches. In a second step, this information was taken as a base to investigate how well twelve lesson units for primary school reflect the common ground of ESD and QE. The units were specifically developed for this research, in which ESD experienced teachers (mentors) supported inexperienced ones (mentees). Results indicate that ESD can reinforce QE, but that teachers need support with regard to the political and cultural dimensions of SD issues, collaborations with local communities and assessments.
Keywords: Education for sustainable development, quality education, teacher education

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2016.1249459
#newEERpaper

Place in research. Theory, methodology, and methods – a book review

Dave Clarke’s review of the 2015 publication by Eve Tuck and Marcia McKenzie is in the journal at:

http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/6HwESRVqED6jtUv52tEI/full

Follow the link to see why he concludes:

I see this as an important book for two main reasons. Firstly because of the way in which Indigenous theories and methods of land are presented alongside Western space/place theorising. This should begin to open up approaches to research methodology to researchers seeking critical, participatory and ethical methods. Secondly it is a valuable contribution in that it is unafraid to delve into contemporary theoretical currents regarding spatiality and (new) materiality and offer critique and consideration regarding the political fallout and opportunities of these discourses. This is not a ‘how to guide’ nor a more traditional research methods text book, rather Eve Tuck and Marcia McKenzie contribute an engaging and well referenced discussion, acting as a confluence of ideas for considering place in research.

Diminishing footprints: exploring the local and global challenges to place-based environmental education

Diminishing footprints: exploring the local and global challenges to place-based environmental education
– New EER Article Alert
David Chang
Pages: 1-11 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1249458

Abstract
An efficacious response to the ecological crisis requires a thorough examination of our material entitlements and a willingness to reduce our ecological impact by diminishing current levels of consumption. Drawing on the example of air pollution in China, I present a case for the reduction of consumption and impact as a worthy outcome of place-based environmental education. I consider the challenges that place-based educators face in initiating a reduction in collective impact among its constituents, which stem from theoretical assumptions about the link between the local and the global, and the influence of non-local socio-economic forces. Because the current planetary situation complicates the task of the place-based educator, and one’s investment in place may be assailed by trans-national forces, I forward ecological virtue ethics as a complementary form of environmental education, which in conjunction with place-based education, can serve to promote a reduction in consumption and impact among local communities.
Keywords: Environmental education, place-based education, local, global, virtue ethics, ecological footprint

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2016.1249458
#newEERpaper

Spillover effects in environmental behaviors, across time and context: a review and research agenda

Spillover effects in environmental behaviors, across time and context: a review and research agenda
– New EER Article Alert
Andreas Nilsson, Magnus Bergquist & Wesley P. Schultz
Pages: 1-17 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1250148

Abstract
When implementing environmental education and interventions to promote one pro-environmental behavior, it is seldom asked if and how non-target pro-environmental behaviors are affected. The spillover effect proposes that engaging in one behavior affects the probability of engagement or disengaging in a second behavior. Therefore, the positive spillover effect predicts that interventions targeting one specific behavioral have the capacity to promote non-targeted and/or future pro-environmental behaviors. However, the negative spillover effect predicts that engaging in a first pro-environmental behavior will prevent or decrease a second pro-environmental behavior. Since the theoretical and empirical basis for positive and negative spillover effects are not sufficiently understood, the present paper (1) suggests a distinction between behavioral, temporal, and contextual spillovers (2) reviews the existing spillover research literature across a variety of environmental domains, (3) presents potential moderators governing the direction of spillover effects, and finally (4) discuss techniques to promote pro-environmental spillovers.
Keywords: Environmental behaviors, spillover, rebound, moral-licensing

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2016.1250148
#newEERpaper

Start the week by considering the key decision categories on manuscripts

After pre-screening of submissions against the aims and scope of the journal, referees and editors are invited to assess the quality of a manuscript. But what are the key recommendation options available to referees and the editorial board?

The recommendation that goes with the qualitative comments about the originality, presentation, relevance, and significance of the manuscript’s subject matter to the readership of the journal is usually one from a range of standard types.

The key decisions are:
Accept – if the paper is suitable for publication in its current form.*
Minor revision – if the paper will be ready for publication after light revisions.
Major revision – if the paper would benefit from substantial changes such as expanded data analysis, widening of the literature review, or rewriting sections of the text.
Reject – if the paper is not suitable for publication with this journal, or if the revisions that would need to be undertaken are too fundamental for the submission to continue being considered in its current form.

Please note that with ‘major revisions’, the editor is usually expecting something more substantial than a long series of minor revisions; in other words, the quality of the manuscript should be substantially improved and demonstrably so on resubmission, e.g. as explained in the cover letter.

This year, the average time to decision based on refereeing has been 33 days. On average, authors may expect 2-3 rounds of refereeing before a paper is accepted, hopefully moving up the ladder of decisions with each round.

NB In the last ten years, of other 1000 submissions, only two papers have been accepted at this journal without any revisions required.

  • Some articles receive a ‘provisional accept‘, e.g. the title, keywords, abstract, or copy editing may also need attending to given the evolution of the manuscript since the original submission, but another round of refereeing is not required. It is not the job of the reviewer to edit the paper for English, but referees may suggest corrections to the English where the technical meaning is unclear. For non-native speakers, our publishers, Taylor & Francis, offers English language editing services – http://www.tandfeditingservices.com/en/

Weekend reading – storyboarding your research

Weekend reading – storyboarding your research

How to do smarter, proactive planning-and-realization of projects, reports and articles, from the outset

https://medium.com/advice-and-help-in-authoring-a-phd-or-non-fiction/story-boarding-research-b430cebd5ccd#.jspzvp5z2

Young children’s ideas about environment

Young children’s ideas about environment: perspectives from three early childhood educational settings
– New EER Article Alert
Lauren Madden & Jennifer Liang
Pages: 1-17 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1236185

Abstract
Many efforts have been made around the globe to advocate for and encourage environmental sustainability education (ESE). As many as 15 fields can serve as ‘currents’ on the greater field of environmental education, including environmental education and education for sustainability. We acknowledge that each is a separate and distinct field of inquiry, but choose not to limit our perspective to any one field or the other. Thus, we have elected to use the term ESE to refer to work that falls into any or all of these categories throughout this manuscript for learners of all ages. Yet, there is a dearth of information at the early childhood level, defined as toddlers through eight-year-olds. Our exploratory study focused on better describing young children’s understandings of ESE. Young children (ages three-eight) from three different suburban early childhood education settings (public school pre-kindergarten, church-based cooperative preschool, and private daycare center) participated in focus group interviews before and one week after a brief ESE learning activity. Findings revealed that children were able to describe nature in more sophisticated ways after the intervention than before, suggesting that learning in early childhood ESE is possible and fruitful.
Keywords: Early childhood, environmental education, conceptions

http://ow.ly/ckuR304KaRD
#newEERpaper

Textbooks of doubt

Textbooks of doubt: using systemic functional analysis to explore the framing of climate change in middle-school science textbooks
– paper in current issue
Diego Román & K.C. Busch
Pages: 1158-1180 | DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2015.1091878

Abstract
Middle school students are learning about climate change in large part through textbooks used in their classes. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the language employed in these materials frames this topic. To this end, we used systemic functional analysis to study the language of the chapters related to climate change in four sixth grade science textbooks adopted in the state of California. The linguistic variables investigated were: types of nominal groups; processes; circumstances; and the modality system. Our findings showed that these textbooks framed climate change as uncertain in the scientific community – both about whether it is occurring as well as about its human-causation. The implications for science education are discussed in relation to how the current political and public discourses of climate change, rather than the scientific discourse, is influencing how textbooks discuss this topic.
Keywords: systemic functional analysis, climate change, textbooks, uncertainty, framing

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2015.1091878
#EERcurrentissue