School/Community Gardens: The Need to Cultivate Communities of Practice for Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 71
  In Roundtable Session: Various Perspectives About Science Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study examines the factors that affect teachers’ ability to use school/community gardens as meaningful locations to integrate the curriculum and create bridges to a broader community. Teachers’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge and school cultures that focus them on high stakes accountability are identified as some of the barriers that prevent the effective use of school/community gardens as a space for integrating the curriculum. The development of communities of practice focused on democratic collaborative efforts are explored as a means of addressing these barriers.

Author

• Christopher Burke, University of Michigan - Dearborn