Learning in Places: An Analysis of Young Children's Complex Socio-Ecological Reasoning

• In Event: Caring for Social-Ecological Systems through Science, Engineering, and Environmental Education: Models, Tensions, Affordances
  In Structured Poster Session: Caring for Social-Ecological Systems Through Science, Engineering, and Environmental Education: Models, Tensions, Affordances

Abstract

Purpose: This presentation is part of a larger NSF funded project that engages young children in K-3 grade in an NGSS-aligned “field-based seasonal storyline” that was co-design with educators, families, and community-based organizations. The model seeks to cultivate equitable and culturally-based complex socio-ecological systems (SES) learning and sustainable decision-making through the use of field-based science education in outdoor places, including gardens and parks. During instruction children are engage in forms of decision-making, exploring multiple roles humans can play in helping or harming the natural world. We present and overview of the model and then findings from students learning. We explored the following question: How does students reasoning about complex socio-ecological systems, including humans helping and harming relations, change pre to post engagement in the storyline?

Theoretical Framework: Understanding SES, including the relationships and interactions between humans and natural systems, is increasingly urgent, and challenging (NRC, 2012, Author et al., 2015, Authors et al., 2018). Research has demonstrated there is cultural variation in how people understand SES (Author et al., 2007) and that with supports learning environments can foster and support complex systems thinking and decisioning making (Author et al., 2019). To this end, this study focuses on the role of field-based learning environments designed to engage cultural variation and place towards caring relationships with the natural world.

Data Sources/Analysis: The data from this talk focuses on 2nd and 3rd graders and is drawn from 167 pre and post photo interviews with students that focused on ecological reasoning. The task aimed to surface students’ mental models about socio-ecological phenomena, and their reasoning about systems dynamics, including the role of humans and how they may help or harm the natural world. Interviews were video and audiotaped and then transcribed. We coded transcripts in Dedoose using a coding scheme developed both deductively and inductively (e.g., Saldaña, 2016). Transcripts were coded along four dimensions: (1) observations, (2) explanations, (3) human relationships in and with the natural world, and (4) complex systems reasoning.

Results: We focus on two high level findings. First, there are significant changes in the form and density of complexity in the post-interviews. Students were significantly more likely attended to phenomena across multiple spatial, temporal, and relational scales. Second, we detail the ways in which students drew from the classroom storyline experience in their post interviews. This included: (a) a shift in the use of science practices like observation and explanation, including an explicit shift in language markers such as “evidence”, “observe”, or “biodiversity”; (b) an increase in student agency when asked how they would learn more about a particular phenomenon.

Significance: This work extends research on the role of observations as a key component of scientific thinking (e.g. Eberbach & Crowley, 2009) and supports students coming to understand the complex relationships between human and more-than-human systems. Our findings suggest that not only can young students develop more robust forms of reasoning about SES but learning environments can also cultivate an ethic of care and deliberation needed in the 21st century.

Authors

• Priya Pugh, IslandWood

• Megan Bang, Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy Learning Sciences

• Carrie T. Tzou, University of Washington - Bothell

• Leah A. Bricker, The Spencer Foundation