The Transformative Activist Stance and Environmental Education: An Educator Case Study

• In Event: Critical Teachers and Teacher Educators: Lessons From the Resisters

Abstract

This paper examines the connection between environmental education (EE) and cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) using the transformative activist stance to align the transformative power of individual contributions to existing patterns of practice with the field’s commitment to transforming the actions of individuals toward the environment. The transformative activist stance of an award-winning environmental educator is examined to help explore these theoretical connections. The goal of this paper is to apply CHAT to a real-life context in order to examine how this theoretical approach can support the continuing development of the field of EE. A transformative activist stance approach to environmental education demonstrates the transformational power of individual educator practice to reach the goals of the field EE.

Author

• Christine Coughlin Robertson, Southern New Hampshire University