Growing Democratic Citizenship Competencies Through Inquiry Learning in the Preschool Garden

• In Event: 66.082 - Creating a Continual Cycle of Justice-Oriented Citizens: Examining the Use of Inquiry Learning in Pre-K–16

Abstract

According to the National Council for the Social Studies, or NCSS, the goal of public education is “to prepare students to be engaged and effective citizens” (2001, p. 319).  However, Macedo et al. (2005) posit that schools “often teach about citizenship and government without teaching students the skills that are necessary to become active citizens themselves” (p. 33). Younger students, in particular, are not always given opportunities to participate in activities which will enhance their civic awareness that “may plant the seeds for civic participation later in life” (Journell, 2010, p. 357).  We believe that skills and attitudes necessary for active citizenship should be cultivated beginning as early as prekindergarten. Challenges to this position are the de-emphasis of social studies at all levels (Finchett, Heafner, & Lambert, 2014), and teachers’ uncertainty about what active social studies experiences should be in early childhood (Neill, 2015). Theory from Piaget, Montessori, and the Reggio Emilia Philosophic Approach states children should learn through active, hands-on inquiry which serves children’s natural curiosity (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998; Mooney, 2000). Thus, this study explored if three and four-year olds could be inadvertently yet actively engaged in citizenship behaviors through the use of inquiry in a school garden setting. Eleven pre-kindergarteners (8 white, 3 African American) were able to openly conduct investigations daily in the garden located on their playground over nine months. No specific citizenship curriculum was used, and children’s investigations were self-driven and organic. Our research questions were: (a) Can inquiry learning in the preschool garden help foster active citizenship behaviors? (b) If so, which types of citizenship can be fostered as framed by Westheimer and Kahne’s citizenship typologies (2004b)?
Analyses of interviews with children, teacher observation notes, and lesson plans about garden inquiries were conducted through the constant comparison method of qualitative research to determine if children’s inquiries promoted the use of active citizenship behaviors. Using Westheimer and Kahne’s (2004b) citizenship typologies as a framework, we concluded that the majority of children’s inquiries naturally engaged them in citizenship behaviors. Personally responsible and participatory citizenship behaviors abounded as children desired and continually completed jobs taking care of the garden, documented plant growth, contributed to cooking food using plants, and voted on their favorite herbs. Justice-oriented citizenship behaviors existed as children recognized the need for everyone to be present to share in the eating of ripe crops and in their insistence on learning about and protecting the insects which lived in the garden. Results are significant because they show young children are naturally inclined to not only engage in inquiry learning but also to engage in all types of citizenship, even ones which lead towards solving social problems and improve conditions for others as a part of justice-oriented citizenship. These inclinations should be recognized and built upon as soon as possible through practices so that students will be excited about learning and be more “prepared to challenge injustice and promote the common good” as they learn tenets of citizenship (NCSS, 2001, p. 319).  

Authors

• Erin Casey, University of Oklahoma

• Cynthia Fontcuberta DiCarlo, Louisiana State University