The "Thalweg" of Currents: "Naturalist" Environmental Education

• In Event: 68.061 - Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 68.061-22 - Theoretical (Re)Considerations

Abstract

This paper aims to “(re)-consider environmental education” (EE) through the lens of a knowledge/mystery continuum. It proposes to do this by revisiting the currents of EE identified by Luci Sauvé and juxtaposing these with our typology of the senses of mystery. Philosophically and theoretically informed, the paper concludes that a ‘naturalist current of EE’ optimally invokes a skeptical-sacred sense of mystery, where knowledge is in relation with mystery. A ‘naturalistic current of EE’ offers up a distinct way of considering reality, with distinct implications for environmental education and its constituents of knowledge, thinking, pedagogy, learning, and curriculum. Of the fifteen established currents of EE, we argue that a ‘naturalist current’ should be the “thalweg” or valley-way of all EE currents.

Authors

• Douglas David Karrow, Brock University

• Sharon Harvey, Arizona State University