Integrating Eco-Art Across the Ontario Elementary Curriculum by Erica Collinge a Research Paper Submitted in Conformity with Th
Integrating Eco-Art across the Ontario Elementary Curriculum
By
Erica Collinge
A research paper submitted in conformity with the requirements For the Degree of Master of Teaching Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
Copyright Erica Collinge, April 2017
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Abstract
This study explores how a sample of Ontario elementary teachers integrate eco-art education into
all subject areas of the curriculum. It situates itself within the current research, focusing on the benefits and challenges of the integration of environmental education, art education, and eco-art
education. It also explores the current Ontario policy and curriculum which call for the
integration of both arts and environmental education. This study provides examples of how teachers are interpreting these documents and bringing the policy into their own daily practice. It
adds to the existing literature, as it provides support to teachers about how to implement
integrated eco-art in their elementary classrooms and provides further research in the areas of integrated learning, art education, EE, and eco-art education. This qualitative research study uses
semi-structured interviews to learn from a sample of Ontario teachers about the ways eco-art is
being integrated in elementary classrooms. Findings indicate that the teachers are integrating eco-art with many subject areas, not all of which have been explored in previous literature. The
teachers also indicate that integrating eco-art can lead to a sense of activism in students and provide meaningful learning experiences. Finally, this study outlines recommendations for how
to support the integration of eco-art for policy makers, schools and teachers.
Key Words: Eco-art education, Environmental education, Arts education, Integrated
curriculum, Cross-curricular
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Acknowledgements
I wish to acknowledge and thank my family for supporting me throughout my entire educational process. It has been a long journey to make it this far, and I couldn’t have asked for more support. I will always remember the challenges I faced, which have pushed me to become a stronger more determined person.
I also wish to thank the wonderful teachers who agreed to be interviewed. Their commitment to the field of eco-art education continues to provide inspiration for me now and in my further practice. Meeting with them was a privilege and I am glad to know such inspiring individuals are working within the field of teaching.
I am also thankful for my professors at OISE for assisting me in the development of this research project and encouraging me to become a life-long learner, teacher, and researcher. Dr.
Angela MacDonald, Dr. Hilary Inwood and Dr. Sarah Cashmore have been incredibly supportive and provided such valuable feedback throughout the entire process. 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Abstract 2
Acknowledgements 3
Chapter 1: Introduction 8
1.0 Research Context 8
1.1 Research Problem 10
1.2 Purpose of the Study 10
1.3 Research Questions 11
1.4 Background of the Researcher/Reflexive Positioning Statement 11
1.5 Preview of the Whole 13
Chapter 2: Literature Review 14
2.0 Introduction to the Chapter 14
2.1 Integrating Curriculum 14
2.1.1 Challenges and of an integrated curriculum 15
2.1.2 Teacher benefits and student outcomes of integrated learning 17
2.2 Art Education 19
2.2.1 The benefits and student outcomes of integrating the arts 20
2.2.2 Challenges of integrating arts education 21
2.3 Environmental Education 22
2.3.1 The challenges of integrating EE 23
2.3.2 The benefits and student outcomes of integrating EE 25
2.4 Eco-Art Education 26 5
2.4.1 The benefits of integrating eco-art education 27
2.4.2 Student outcomes of eco-art education 29
2.4.3 Resources available 31
2.4.3 The challenges of eco-art education 32
2.5 Missing From the Literature 33
2.6 Conclusion 34
Chapter 3: Research Methodology 35
3.0 Introduction 35
3.1 Research Approach and Procedures 35
3.2 Instruments of Data Collection 36
3.3 Participants 37
3.3.1 Sampling criteria 37
3.3.2 Participant recruitment 38
3.3.3 Participant biographies 39
3.4 Data Analysis 40
3.5 Ethical Review Procedures 41
3.6 Methodological Limitations and Strengths 42
3.7 Conclusion 42
Chapter 4: Research Findings 44
4.0 Introduction 44
4.1 Teachers Recognise That Their Own Experiences and the Environment
Around Them Have Influenced Their Decisions to Include Integrated
Eco-art Education in Their Classroom 44 6
4.1.1 Teachers indicated that personal and professional backgrounds
supported confidence in integrating eco-art education in the classroom 45
4.1.2 Teachers expressed that a supportive school climate provides
opportunities for integrating eco-art education 47
4.2 Teachers Establish Various Classroom Supports Which Allow Them to
Integrate Eco-art Across the Curriculum and These Are Supported by the
Larger Educational Community 49
4.2.1 Teachers indicated that they had successfully integrated eco-art
across all/most curriculum areas 49
4.2.2 Teachers highlighted planning as an essential support for
integrating eco-art within the classroom 52
4.3 Teachers Indicated They Faced Curricular and Administrative Challenges
When Integrating Eco-art Education and How They Manage These Problems 55
4.3.1 Teachers addressed the limitations of the curriculum structure for
supporting integrating eco-art education 56
4.3.2 Teachers spoke to the lack of time available for teachers to
integrated eco-art 57
4.3.3 The teachers spoke about funding and classroom budgets as a
challenge for integrating eco-art 58
4.4 Teachers Observed Personal and Academic Growth as a Result of Integrated
Eco-art Education 59
4.4.1 Teachers noted that integrating eco-art education provides an
accessible way for students to access the curriculum 60 7
4.4.2 Teachers observed students engaging with deep learning through
integrated eco-art education 61
4.4.3 The teachers noted that students developed a sense of activism and
connection to the environment through their experiences with integrated
eco-art education 62
4.5 Conclusion 65
Chapter 5: Discussion 67
5.0 Introduction 67
5.1 Overview of Key Findings and Significance 67
5.2 Implications 69
5.2.1 The educational research community 70
5.2.3 My own practice as a teacher 70
5.3 Recommendations 72
5.3.1 Policy makers 72
5.3.2 Schools 73
5.3.3 Teachers 74
5.4 Areas of Further Research 75
5.5 Concluding Comments 76
References 78
Appendix A: Letter of Consent 86
Appendix B: Interview Protocol and Questions 88
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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.0 Research Context
Our world currently faces some challenging prospects in regards to the environment: changing climate, depletion of resources, a lack of clean water, and the list goes on. We as a species need to realise the problems and begin to enact change so that future generations can continue. As an educator I believe it to be important that we help students to develop a connection with the environment in order to begin developing ideas to support the much needed change. These ideas will require an understanding of the issues as well as creative solutions.
Eco-art provides students with meaningful opportunities to learn about and for the environment while using creative thinking skills to share and express their understandings.
Ontario education policy and curriculum is beginning to address environmental issues more strongly, stressing the importance for all students to become environmentally active and responsible. Research shows that environmental education (EE) increases not only environmental literacy, but also overall academic achievement (Canadian Council on Learning,
2009; Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009a; Ontario Ministry of Education, 2011). Finding solutions for environmental issues and helping students to become more environmentally engaged, requires that they develop strong skills in creativity. Art education has been shown to support student’s creative thought, social/emotional growth, and academics in other subjects
(Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, 2012; Ruppert, 2006). Therefore, integration of the arts and EE will provide students with the opportunity to learn to think creatively about environmental issues facing our world.
In recent years, the arts has had reduced prominence in the classroom as it faces funding cuts to programming, as well as the removal of arts specialists in schools (ETFO, 2012). 9
Environmental education also faces the challenge of receiving classroom time as it is not considered one of the main six subjects of the Ontario curriculum (Ontario Ministry of
Education, 2016). Integrated learning involves combining elements from more than one subject in the curriculum, in a unit or lesson (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009b). It provides subjects which typically receive less learning time, to have a place within the classroom. It also helps teachers to fulfill expectations from more than one area, leading to more classroom time for learning (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009b). Research shows integrated learning gives students the opportunity to learn in different and meaningful ways, make connections across discipline boundaries, increase knowledge complexity, and connect learning to their own lives
(Barry, 2008; Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000)
Eco-art education is a developing field which utilizes the advantages developed through integrated learning by combining the two subjects of EE and art education (Blandy, & Hoffman,
1993; Inwood, 2013; Inwood & Taylor, 2012). Eco-art enables educators to combine the skills developed in EE such as environmental responsibility, with the creative power and social/emotional benefits of art education (Inwood & Taylor, 2012). The field of educational research focused on eco-art has continued to expand over the past few decades with recent studies focused on the advantages of its inclusion in the classroom, noting the positive outcomes particularly in regards to developing a connection with the environment (Blandy, & Hoffman,
1993; Chiarotto, 2011; Holmes, 2002; Inwood, 2003; 2010; 2013; Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Song,
2010; 2012) Students need to be provided with the skills to make a difference in the world by developing creative solutions to environmental issues.
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1.1 Research Problem
Despite Ontario’s commitment to EE, the arts, and integrated learning, as demonstrated in various policies and documents; research suggests that these things are not occurring due to lack of specialized knowledge (Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997; Inwood & Taylor, 2012) and teacher time constraints (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Carrier, 2011; Chiarotto, 2011;
Hamblen, 1987; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000; Lankford, 1997; People for Education, 2013).
Developing an integrated curriculum requires time to plan, develop resources and make curriculum links which may not be immediately obvious, require time from teachers (Inwood &
Taylor, 2012; Lankford, 1997; Thorburn & Allison, 2010; Ham & Sewing, 1988). Research also suggests that teachers do not have the appropriate knowledge or expertise to provide students with the information within these two fields (Carrier, 2011; Chiarotto, 2011; Inwood & Taylor,
2012; People for Education, 2013; Ontario Arts Council, 1997; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). However, simply disregarding them from elementary classrooms is detrimental to the development of the whole learner. Given what is known in the research and policy documents available, EE and arts education provide students with a number of positive outcomes including developing their creative thinking, fostering a relationship with the world and environment, connecting their learning in meaningful ways, and much more which will be explored in Chapter 2. It is therefore important to consider the possibilities EE and arts education have when integrated and integrated within the rest of the curriculum.
1.2 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative research is to determine how a sample of Ontario elementary teachers are integrating eco-art education across curriculum subject areas and to learn what outcomes they observe from their students. Ontario curriculum documents in the areas of 11
EE and art education state the unique possibilities to improve student learning through integrating each of these subjects across the curriculum (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009a;
2009b; 2011). This study will provide examples of how teachers are interpreting these documents and bringing the policy into their own daily practice. This study adds to the existing literature, as it provides support to teachers on how to implement integrated eco-art in their elementary classrooms and provides further research in the areas of integrated learning, art education, EE, and eco-art education.
1.3 Research Questions
The guiding question of this research study is: How is a sample of elementary teachers integrating eco-art education across curriculum subjects?
In support of the main research question, the following subsidiary questions will be used:
What has influenced teacher’s decisions to integrate eco-art within their classrooms?
How are teachers using specific practices and supports to integrate eco-art across the
curriculum?
What challenges do teachers encounter when integrating eco-art education and how do
they respond to those challenges?
What are the benefits or outcomes they observe in students who engage in integrated eco-
art education?
1.4 Reflexive Positioning Statement
My interest in the area of art has been a passion throughout my schooling. I have always found I learn best when I had the opportunity to engage with content in a creative way. I believe my engagement with the arts allows me to express myself in a multitude of ways and enables me to be an overall creative thinker. Bringing arts education into the classroom has always been an 12 important aspect of teaching for me, and as I continue to develop as a teacher, my interests and beliefs in the importance of the subject grow with it. Watching students develop ideas and express themselves through the arts has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my placements as a teacher candidate.
My interest in EE stemmed from working in the outdoors at children’s summer camps for a number of years. I began to think more deeply about the importance of environmental responsibility through my love of the outdoors. Throughout my schooling, I do not remember learning about environmental issues. Recalling my teachers, I believe that many of them did not have any particular passion for EE and therefore did not make time for it in the school day. I believe that the lack of EE was a missed opportunity, as I believe I would have grown up with much more awareness of and responsibility for the environment. With that in mind, I am becoming more conscious of the ways in which I work to bring EE into the classroom and continue to work towards developing a strong relationship between students and the environment.
I am also a strong believer in the importance of integrated learning. I feel that learning occurs in a much deeper way when we are able to make connections to prior knowledge and across subject areas. Making connections between curriculum objectives and subjects has been an important aspect of lesson planning throughout my time as a teacher candidate and I believe it has helped students to make stronger connections with the content and fostered their own sense of inquiry.
I became aware of the concept of “eco-art” while studying in my first year of my Master of Teaching at the University of Toronto – OISE. Eco-art encompasses many things which I feel passionate about in my personal life and has allowed me to bring it into my professional life by 13 way of research. I also believe that it provides strong learning opportunities for students as it allows them to make connections with the environment in a creative way.
Creativity and responsibility are skills which I believe to be vitally important for the students of today. My teaching philosophy surrounds these ideas and aims to develop students as whole learners who are aware of and feel responsible for the world around them.
1.5 Preview of the Whole
To respond to the research questions, I will be conducting a qualitative research study using purposeful sampling to interview three teachers about their implementation of integrating eco-art education into the curriculum. In Chapter 2, I review the literature in the areas of integrated curriculum, arts education, environmental education, and eco-art education. Chapter 3 elaborates on the research design techniques. In Chapter 4 research findings will be reported and discussed based on the existing literature. Chapter 5 identifies the implications of the findings for myself as a beginning teacher and the educational research community as a whole, as well as stating a number of questions raised through the research, leading to areas for future research.
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.0 Introduction to the Chapter
In this Chapter, I review the literature in the areas of integrated curriculum, arts education, environmental education (EE), eco-art, and the missing literature within these areas.
More specifically I review the themes related to the challenges, benefits, and student outcomes in each area. I start by reviewing the literature in the area of integrated curriculums overall and consider the Ontario context in regards to policies and curriculum documents. I will also focus on the challenges of integrated curriculum and subject specific curriculum, the benefits to teachers and student outcomes of integrating curriculum. Next, I review research on arts education and look at the Ontario Arts curriculum, integration of the arts, the challenges and finally the benefits and student outcomes of integrating the arts. I then explore the importance of
EE in the classroom focusing on the Ontario context, the integration of EE, the challenges, benefits, and student outcomes. Subsequently, I look at the existing knowledge surrounding the integration of EE and the arts, also referred to as “eco-art”, more specifically, the implementation process, the challenges, benefits and student outcomes. Finally, I explore what is missing from the literature including eco-art as it relates to the other arts, student outcomes of EE, and the integration of eco-art within other subjects.
2.1 Integrating Curriculum
Integrated curriculum has been called a variety of things by different authors, such as multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, cross-curricular, integrated learning and many more, each to help specify more closely what aspect of integration each author is referring to (Carrier, 2011).
Subject integration, skills integration, strand integration, and perspective integration are each specific aspects of the curriculum that can also help to specify how integration will occur 15
(Chiarotto, 2011). For the purposes of this paper, I refer to integrated curriculum to mean learning which crosses disciplinary boundaries and incorporates elements from multiple subject areas (Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000; Ministry of Education, 2009b).
This study focuses on Ontario classroom teachers and therefore it is important to situate this paper within the Ontario context. The Ontario Ministry of Education has released a multitude of documents, including each of the subject specific curriculum documents, which outline the importance of integration within and across the curriculum (Ministry of Education,
2009a; Ministry of Education, 2009b; Ministry of Education, 2011). Integrating the curriculum is seen as a best practice for many curriculum areas. The Ministry has explicitly said that EE should be integrated “in all Grades and in all subjects of the Ontario curriculum” (Ministry of
Education, 2009a, 12; Ministry of Education, 2011, 3). The Ontario Arts curriculum also expresses the importance of integrated learning and its ability to support other subject areas
(Ministry of Education, 2009b).
This section looks closely at the integration of curriculum. It will begin by looking at the challenges of integrated curriculums, followed by looking comparatively at the challenges of subject specific teaching. It will then look at the teacher benefits and student outcomes in regards to integrated curriculum.
2.1.1 Challenges of an integrated curriculum
Although curriculum integration has been put forward as best practice in Ontario, research has determined that is does have some downfalls. One issue outlined in the literature is teacher knowledge (Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Thorburn & Allison, 2010). Specific knowledge in areas of the curriculum is necessary to feel confident in teaching the content to students.
Teachers who do not feel confident in teaching certain subjects, are less likely to integrate them 16
(Carrier, 2011; Chiarotto, 2011; Inwood & Taylor, 2012; People for Education, 2013; Ontario
Arts Council, 1997; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). They need to feel that they understand the complex issues in order to make connections across disciplines (Inwood &Taylor, 2012). Some teachers find certain subjects have obvious connections, for example science and EE, while other subjects can prove to be more challenging to connect (Parker, Heywood & Jolley, 2012; Thorburn &
Allison, 2010). Teachers without a deep knowledge of some subject areas are not as likely to make connections in an attempt to integrate them in new ways (Chiarotto, 2011; Inwood &
Taylor, 2012)
A second issue is the lack of resources available to teachers to develop an integrated approach. The Ministry of Education promotes the use of curriculum integration however; they do not specifically provide resources for teachers to use in their daily practice. Teachers must be willing to take time planning, as well as creating materials, and lesson plans in order to integrate subjects (Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Ham & Sewing, 1988).
Another challenge is teacher time for planning. Lankford (1997) speaks to the importance of whole school support, especially in regards to administration, in order to allow teachers to have proper planning time and provide resources for them to use. A number of sources also point to the importance of teacher collaboration in planning for integrated curriculum as it provides opportunities for teachers with differencing knowledge to come together (Krug, & Cohen-Evron,
2000; Drake & Reid, 2010). While this may give opportunity for lessons to be strong it also requires teachers have planning time together, requiring administrative support.
Curriculum integration has also received some criticism in the literature as to its actual effectiveness in teaching to specific expectations within subject areas (Brewer, 2002; Drake, &
Reid, 2010; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000). Krug and Cohen (2000) raise the question as to how 17 much specific knowledge students are actually able to receive from integration among subjects.
Brewer (2002) also speaks to the challenge of supporting the learning of both disciplines equally.
There is also an argument that students need to have initial knowledge of a specific problem in order to establish understanding of problem solving and asking specific kinds of questions prior to being able to apply their knowledge in other fields of study (Chairotto, 2011).
Overall, the challenges of integrating the curriculum focus mainly on issues teachers face such as planning time as well as the possible need for subject specific knowledge. However, there are also a number of challenges to discipline specific learning as outlined in the subsequent section.
2.1.2 Teacher benefits and student outcomes of integrated learning
Teachers are given the responsibility of ensuring that all students gain the knowledge that they need to push them forward in their future. Arrendondo and Rucinski (1997) interviewed principals on their perceptions of cross-curricular learning and found that they believed that it increased “teacher interest and excitement for teaching” (293). Therefore it is important to note the positive impact that integrated curriculum provides teachers. An integrated curriculum also provides teachers opportunities to connect similar skills across disciplines, while providing students with multiple opportunities to show their knowledge (The Literacy and Numeracy
Secretariat, 2010). There are many ways to plan an integrated curriculum, which allow teachers to plan for to their own student’s strengths and needs (Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000). One way is to plan with a “big picture”, “big ideas” or “overarching idea” in mind (The Literacy and
Numeracy Secretariat, 2010; Roberts, 2005; Drake, & Reid, 2010). There is also opportunity to plan using student directed questions, subject integration, strand integration, successive 18 integration - connections between consecutive topics, and perspective integration (Chiarotto,
2011; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000).
The way that the Ontario system is currently set up promotes subject specific learning, which involves separating the curriculum by discipline. Discipline specific learning provides the opportunity to expand student knowledge, but only within that specific subject area (Birt, Krug,
& Sheridan, 1997). By teaching within discrete discipline boundaries, learning does not occur organically and students do not necessarily make meaningful connections across their learning
(Ivanitaskaya, Clarke, Montgomery, & Primeau, 2002). Standardized testing has furthered the push for subject specific learning (Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000). Standarized testing has led to a much greater focus on Math and Literacy, leaving less time in the classroom for other subjects
(Carrier, 2011). Integrated learning provides opportunity to utilise classroom time in ways that benefit more than one subject and ensure that untested areas are given similar importance.
Classroom teachers have a unique opportunity within their own classrooms to utilise integrated learning in order to make the classroom environment more conducive to student learning.
There are also a number of positive student outcomes to an integrated curriculum.
Students are given the opportunity to make connections between different disciplines as well as to their own life (Chiarotto, 2011). This allows them to make deeper connections with their personal knowledge and understanding as well as form more complex thoughts surrounding topics (Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997; Ivanitaskaya, et al., 2002). Students are able to explore topics through multiple perspectives so that learning is more meaningful (Chiarotto, 2011). This is because learning is able to take place in a more natural way, as life is not separated into subject areas (Arrendondo & Rucinski, 1997; Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997). 19
Integrated learning provides a number of more specific student outcomes related to skill development. Ivanitaskaya, et al. (2002) showed in their study with adult learners that critical thinking, higher order thinking, factual knowledge and procedural knowledge, were improved when students were enrolled in an interdisciplinary program in comparison to those in traditional, single subject courses. There is also evidence that students are more able to use knowledge in different situations more easily (Barry, 2008). Integrated learning has also been shown to support student problem solving skills, inquiry, and make knowledge more meaningful
(Arrendondo & Rucinski, 1997).
An integrated curriculum provides students with the opportunity to gain meaningful knowledge across subject areas in order to avoid compartmentalizing their knowledge (Krug &
Cohen-Evron, 2000). It helps students to be able to draw on skills and content from different disciplines and apply across discipline boundaries as well as in their own lives (Chiarotto, 2011).
It offers teachers a way in which to tie curriculum strands together and ensure that students are receiving the information expected within each Grade through a variety of experiences.
Integrated curriculum provides students and teachers with a number of benefits as outlined above. However, it is still important to recognise the challenges of it, such as teacher time and knowledge. The next section will focus on art education and how it benefits from being integrated in the curriculum.
2.2 Art Education
Art education has long been considered a core subject in the curriculum. The Ontario
Ministry of Education produces six core subject area curriculum documents, of which the arts is one (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016). However, as previously stated, because it is not a subject present in standardized testing, many teachers limit the amount of time and focus placed 20 on it in the classroom (Hamblen, 1987). In 2012, the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario released a report on cuts to funding in arts education of more than $66 million over three years. It brought forward some of the realities in the Ministry of Education, including cuts to programming budgets and specialist teachers in art education. The lack of specialists and program funding limits the amount that teachers can collaborate with more knowledgeable peers in order to gain more knowledge in the specific subject area (Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997).
They must rely instead on skill development mainly through outside sources, such as Additional
Qualifications and Professional Development Workshops (Ontario Arts Council, 1997). Due to the funding cuts and lack of specialist knowledge, art education could benefit deeply from integrating into other parts of the curriculum to ensure that students continue to receive a strong art background throughout their schooling.
It is important that the arts continue to receive the time and focus that it deserves in order to provide students with a well-rounded education. An integrated curriculum provides teachers with the ability to include elements and skills from the arts which are valuable to young learners.
2.2.1 The benefits and student outcomes of integrating the arts
Creativity is considered a required skill in today’s job market and arts education supports students in developing these creative thinking skills (ETFO, 2012; Ontario Arts Council, 1997;
People for Education, 2013). By integrating the arts throughout the curriculum, students are supported in developing creative thinking in a variety of situations and subject fields. The arts encourage students to think with more complexity by encouraging them to think about content in a conceptual or abstract way, rather than just about the facts (Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000). By integrating visual art throughout the curriculum, teachers are able to clarify material by making 21 content more concrete and simplifying complex topics in a more visual way (Krug & Cohen-
Evron, 2000).
The arts empower students to connect with the surrounding world and express their own values and beliefs through their own creation (Blandy & Hoffman, 1993; Taieb, Hammami,
Msahli & Sakli, 2010). Students who are not typically able to connect with curriculum content are supported because they are able to connect with their own personal thoughts and feelings when engaging in visual art making (UNESCO, 2006). Arts education has also been shown to increase concentration, problem solving abilities, confidence, motivation, abstract thinking skills, as well as overall social and emotional development (Ontario Arts Council, 1997; People for
Education, 2012; Taieb et al., 2010). Arts education has also been associated with high levels of student achievement in a number of areas (Ontario Arts Council, 1997).
Visual art also has the power to reflect the concerns of society and support change in the world (Ulbricht, 1998). It also provides a way for students to communicate their own thoughts and share information with the surrounding world (Collins, 2003). Art education supports many positive student outcomes, particularity when integrated into other subject areas throughout the curriculum. However, there are some challenges faced when the arts are integrated which will be highlighted in the following section.
2.2.2 Challenges of integrating arts education
One of the main challenges facing the integration of art throughout the rest of the curriculum is teacher knowledge and confidence in the area. Many educators express that they feel they need to be strong role models in regards to their own artistic ability in order to teach art in a meaningful way (Hamblen, 1987; Ontario Arts Council, 1997; UNESCO, 2006). This makes art into a much more daunting subject than others because it is often associated with talent: either 22 you have it, or you do not. Teaching the arts requires teachers develop an interest in order to gain the specialized knowledge in the area and feel comfortable teaching it.
A second challenge is that often when art is integrated with other subjects; it takes on a secondary role (Barry, 2008). For example, although a project may have some artistic or creative elements, it may not have specific curriculum skills and therefore some of the more specific knowledge and content can be lost. This has led to questions of its validity in providing students with actual information and deep understanding in the arts.
This section has outlined the importance of integrating art within the rest of the curriculum. It is clear that art education has many beneficial student outcomes, and integration of the arts can lead to more creativity and overall academic success. However, art may also face some challenges such as loss of content when it is integrated. The next section will shift the focus towards the integration of environmental education. It will look at the benefits and concerns, in order to begin to understand the ways in which art and EE can be integrated.
2.3 Environmental Education
Environmental education provides students with information surrounding the environment, focusing on appreciation, responsibility, and sustainability issues (Ministry of
Education, 2009). Including environmental education in the classroom, for many years, seemed to be almost exclusively based on teacher interests as there were no specific expectations surrounding its implementation. In 2009, the Ontario Ministry of Education recognised the need for change in regards to EE and developed the document Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow: A
Policy Framework for Environmental Education in Ontario Schools which, in 2011, was followed by a curriculum document Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of
Expectations, which developed actual curriculum connection. These documents highlighted the 23 importance of ensuring students have EE throughout their schooling. Both documents focus on the importance of integrating EE throughout all Grades and all subjects (Ministry of Education,
2009; 2011).
Although EE has been recognised at the policy level as important, it is still not considered a core subject and is not evaluated (Canadian Council for Learning, 2009). Therefore, its inclusion in classrooms may still be limited by teacher interest in the area. Having said this, this is why it is an optimal subject to integrate throughout the curriculum. Teachers are able to utilise
EE in the curriculum as a lens through which they can teach and organise the curriculum, and can integrate it within other subjects (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009). This section will look at the challenges as well as benefits and student outcomes seen when integrating EE into the curriculum.
2.3.1 The challenges of integrating EE
There are a number of challenges teachers express encountering when integrating EE into the curriculum. The first issue most commonly cited challenge in the literature is a lack of time.
Teachers have been shown to express that it is challenging to find the time to teach EE and to plan for it (Ham, & Sewing, 1988; Canadian Council on Learning, 2009). With emphasis more often being placed on subjects present in standardized testing, EE can be seen as an “extra” subject (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). EE is then taught less in order to make time for the other parts of the curriculum (Tan & Pedretti, 2010).
Not only is time stated to be a challenge to integrating EE, but also a number of
“logistical barriers” (Ham, & Sewing, 1988). These barriers include the lack of resources, funding, support from colleagues, and administration (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009;
Ham, & Sewing, 1988; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). They pose challenges to teaching EE as teachers 24 do not feel well supported in their endeavors. The literature states that many teachers have a challenge with finding useful curriculum resources to support the teaching of EE (Canadian
Council on Learning, 2009; Ham, & Sewing, 1988).
Another issue is a lack of teacher content knowledge. Ham and Sewing (1988) express that major challenges teachers face are “conceptual barriers” and “educational barriers” which focus on teachers lack of understanding of the “scope and content of EE” (p. 17) and lack of personal education in the specific area of EE. Elementary teachers are generalists who do not necessarily have a background in science learning. when EE is viewed as a purely science based subject, many teachers shy away from teaching it because they feel that they do not have the understanding and education to do so properly (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Tan &
Pedretti, 2010).
The reality is environmental issues are a large and daunting field which many educators do not feel comfortable addressing due to the massive scale and content within the areas.
Environmental issues can often be rather complex and therefore the challenge is to make content attainable for themselves and their students (Lankford, 1997). Teachers feel that if they teach to environmental sustainability, they are expected to live as role models in the area (Tan & Pedretti,
2010). For example, a lesson in waste management may force teachers to revaluate their own classroom practices, for which they may not feel prepared and therefore avoid all together
(Blandy & Hoffman, 1993). Many worry about the amount that they themselves will need to learn about environmental issues in order to teach it well and express the challenge of adding another subject to the curriculum load (Chairotto, 2011; Tan & Pedretti, 2010).
Similar to the challenges that teachers face, students also feel a lack of connection to the content. Often times EE can be presented in a way that make things far too simplistic or overly 25 bleak (Tan & Pedretti, 2010). When EE is taught through a purely scientific lens, teaching tends to focus on the problems and issues in a detached and disciplined way making EE difficult for students to relate to (Song, 2008; Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Canadian Council on Learning, 2009).
This can lead to students feeling powerless and they may therefore have reduced interest (Song,
2008). This makes it challenging for teachers to want to include environmental concepts in other parts of the curriculum, because it becomes a struggle with student interest, and therefore integrating EE becomes more of a challenge. If teachers do not have a personal interest in the subject, it has been shown that they are less likely to focus on it in their teaching (Canadian
Council on Learning, 2009; Ham, & Sewing, 1988; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). Although there are a number of challenges associated with integrating EE in the classroom, a number of important benefits have been reported in the literature as well.
2.3.2 The benefits and student outcomes of integrating EE
Environmental education is an important part of our future, as students will need to understand the challenges being faced in order to take action against environmental issues
(Ministry of Education, 2009a). There are also some benefits for students as individuals which integrating EE provides. For example, a number of government documents have addressed that
EE increases overall academic performance in many subject areas (Canadian Council on
Learning, 2009; Ministry of Education 2009a; State Education and Environment Roundtable,
1998).
One of the major advantages of integrating EE, is that it opens possibilities for students to learn more deeply about the environment (Birt, Krug & Sheridan, 1997; Chiarotto, 2011).
Students are able to learn more deeply about the relationships between the environment, themselves, and other school subjects when it is integrated into their daily learning (Chiarotto, 26
2011). They are able to connect their learning to prior knowledge and connect it with their personal thoughts and feelings, thus developing a deeper understanding for the environment.
They are able to understand the deeper importance of environmental impacts and develop a stronger relationship with the world.
Patterson (2010), explored how integrating environmental education in a high school would affect the students. Outcomes showed improved standardized test scores and the students expressed that they learned deeply about society’s environmental issues and felt more motivation to make a difference in the environment (Patterson, 2010). Volk and Cheak (2003) also conducted a study which looked at the impact of an EE program on elementary age children in
Hawaii. Their finding indicated that students who participated in the program showed higher levels of critical thinking, environmental literacy, knowledge of environmental issues, self- esteem, and autonomy than the control group (Volk & Cheak, 2003). These are just two examples of studies which have linked EE programs with positive outcomes for students.
Another advantage to integrating EE with other curriculum subjects is that it can allow for it to be included more often in the classroom (Ham & Sewing, 1988). By incorporating it with other subjects that have a heavy focus due to standardized testing, it can be included more often in the general classroom (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009). This can limit teachers feeling of being ill prepared to teach EE, because it has a broader scope and is incorporated with other learning goals (Ham & Sewing, 1988). This is why it is important that EE is integrated throughout the curriculum, instead of it just being considered an add-on (Chiarotto, 2011).
2.4 Eco-Art Education
Eco-Art is a term that has been developing in recent years which combines EE with visual art education in order to develop deeper understanding and engagement with the 27 environment (Inwood, 2013). It is art which helps the public connect with the natural world by developing understanding of the environment through creative expression (greenmuseum, 2010).
It moves beyond simply the study of nature, to develop a deep awareness of and for the environment (Ulbricht, 1998). Eco-art is defined not only by its purpose, but may also be by the materials used which are typically natural or limit wastefulness and also may take place outdoors
(Inwood, 2013).
Eco-art is not only an educational term however; it is an entire field of art practiced by many professional visual artists. These artists use their pieces to inform the general public about environmental issues and generate solutions in a creative way (Inwood, 2010). Eco-art serves the purpose of informing the general public about environmental issues that are being faced in the world.
Eco-art education provides teachers with the opportunity to integrate art education and
EE in order to make EE more accessible for students. This section will explore the challenges, benefits and student outcomes, teacher resources, and previous research in order to highlight how eco-art is used within the education context.
2.4.1 The benefits of integrating eco-art
The integration of EE and art education provides such a vast amount of opportunities to change the way the EE is thought about. Environmental education can often be presented in such a way that makes children feel powerless to change it (Song, 2008). However, by integrating visual art with EE, children are able to feel empowered because they become change makers by expressing what they know and creating something physical (Song, 2008). Art has the power to bring about social change because of its unique ability to take the complex issues being faced in 28 the world and make them more relatable and understandable for students (Blandy & Hoffman,
1993; Inwood, 2008; Inwood, 2010).
Traditionally, EE is integrated within the science curriculum due to the number of topics and concepts which overlap. However, the challenge with this is many students do not think in a traditional way and find it challenging to express their learnings about EE (Inwood & Taylor,
2012; Turner & Freedman, 2004). By integrating the arts, EE is accessible to more students as it provides them with a different way of learning (Holmes, 2002). Inwood (2008) states that eco-art provides opportunity for balance of the traditional aspects of cognitive learning with more creative and sensory approaches to learning. It provides opportunity for more children to become actively engaged with EE, as it can lack accessibility due to the complexities of these larger issues.
EE also faces the challenge of being taught in such a way that makes it seem “doom and gloom”. While it is true that the world faces a lot of saddening issues, by confronting children with them, it makes them feel immediately powerless to change anything (Song, 2008). Teachers need to balance the negatives and positives to avoid the feeling of paralysis toward action that people often feel when confronted with such a large crises (Song, 2008; Wallen, 2012). It presents these topics in a way that leads children to see hope for the future (Wallen, 2012).
Creating their own eco-art as well as viewing others, enables students to deal with complex topics in a much more simplistic yet powerful way, as it limits the amount of information they are processing at one time (Branagan, 2005). People are very resistant to changing their thoughts and emotions; however the arts allow people to experience it in a less aggressive way (Branagan,
2005). 29
A study conducted by Song (2008) explored preservice teacher experiences with creating an eco-art project after researching a specific topic, and found that it allowed students to feel empowered as they were able to work through environmental issues using their own creative skill. It allowed them to take action on an issue that they were passionate about and show their thoughts and feelings (Song, 2008). Graham (2007) also found that drawing natural objects provides students with an opportunity to learn through direct exploration, by attending to the small details in nature. Making art opens students to completely new ways of thinking and understanding the natural world (Anderson & Guyas, 2012).
2.4.2 The student outcomes of eco-art education
There are a number of positive outcomes which have been proven to be associated with eco-art for students. A major student outcome when students engage in eco-art is increased creativity (Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Inwood, 2008; Inwood, 2010, Lankford, 1997). More specifically, students display “purposeful creativity [which is] creativity directed toward increasing awareness, expressing ideas, feelings, and values, and problem solving related to local and global ecologies” (Lankford, 1997, 50). Purposeful creativity, when situated within learning about eco-art, leads to the development of problem solving creatively about environmental and sustainability issues.
Another student outcome is strong critical thinking skills (Graham, 2007; Inwood, 2008;
Song, 2008). Eco-art supports students in developing a critical view of environmental issues through the lens of an artist. It permits them to think about the complexities of environmental issues and apply them to the arts in order to make meaning. Critical thinking skills developed through eco-art education contribute to students thinking in new ways about the environment, and seeing new patterns within the environment (Song, 20108; Song 2012). 30
Eco-art also opens up possibilities for students to connect in a more emotional way to the environment (Holmes, 2002; Anderson & Guyas, 2012). Integrating art education in EE is important because “the arts expose viewers to new ways of seeing, feeling, and thinking about nature; this can lead to greater awareness of and motivation to act on behalf of nature” (Song,
2010, 96). Eco-art provides a concrete way for students to connect with the environment, which helps to develop their relationship with the environment (Song, 2008). Emotional investment into what students are learning often helps them to have better understanding because students think less about themselves and more about others (Holmes, 2002; Anderson & Guyas, 2012). A deep emotional connection to nature allows students to feel personally invested in environmental issues and therefore engage more with their learning (Celedonia & Rosenthal, 2001; Inwood,
2008; Lankford, 1997; Song, 2008).
There is a need for children to reconnect with nature in order to deemphasise the individualistic way in which they see the world (Anderson & Guyas, 2012; Celedonia &
Rosenthal, 2001). Eco-art provides students with the opportunity to expand their understanding of self and explore the world around them by emphasising the importance of emotionally connecting with the earth around them (Celedonia & Rosenthal, 2001). An emotional connection to the earth creates opportunity for students to develop respect and care for the world (Wallen,
2012). Students are also able to begin to understand their place in the world and develop a sense of interconnectedness and therefore responsibility for the world (Inwood, 2010).
Through eco-art students also explore their thoughts about the future and begin to develop ideas around sustainability. Song speaks to the direct impact that engaging with eco-art has on student understanding as they are able to make a direct impact on the environment or on peoples thoughts about the environment (2008; 2012). Eco-art can provide students with 31 examples of direct impact that they can have on their own community and the people within it
(Ulbricht, 1998). Wallen states that ecological art will continue to shape our future as eco-artists continue to develop meaningful ideas surrounding environmental sustainability around the world
(2012). “If our concern is for the future, we cannot help but develop a socially responsible environmental art education curriculum in which values and aesthetics are combined in an instrumental manner for the benefit of all” (Ulbicht, 1998). Therefore, it is important as educators to recognise the power of eco-art education and utilise it in a meaningful way to support our students learning and prepare them for the future.
2.4.3 Resources available
There are a number of resources available to teachers including texts books, storybooks and many internet websites which provide activity ideas and inspiration for eco-art projects. The challenge is that the ministry itself does not provide resources for teachers for eco-art. Therefore eco-art must be teacher initiated in order for it to be included in the classroom. Eco-art resources for teachers include The Jumbo Book of Outdoor Art (Luxbacher, 2006), Nature’s Art Box
(Martin & Cain, 2003), Good Earth Art: Environmental Art for Kids (Kohl & Gainer, 1991),
Arty facts: Planet earth & art activities (Crabtree Publishing Company, 2002), as well as
Fantastic Recycled Plastic (Edgar & Edgar, 2009), and Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the
Recycling Bin (Taylor, 2009) which provides more craft-based projects.
Some school boards offer occasional workshops for teachers to learn about eco-art but overall the commitment to the topic is lacking. The Toronto District School Board promotes eco- art through their outdoor education centre “Island Natural Science School” as well as a few schools with the designation of “eco-school” such as Runnymede Junior and Senior Public
School. There is also brief mention of including eco-art in the eco-schools Best Practices 32 document (Fisk & Wood, 2015, 70). However, overall eco-art does not make its way into every classroom in a meaningful way and therefore the possible positive of impact is lost.
2.4.3 The challenges of eco-art education
One of the major challenges to implementing eco-art education is teacher knowledge. As stated in the previous section, Professional Development is available but only on occasion.
Inwood (2008, 2012) calls for a stronger focus on teacher development as well as support for the
College of Teachers in the area of EE and eco-art education. The current problem is that teachers need to be willing to learn about environmental issues on their own due to the lack of support at the training level, including preservice and in-service (Birt, Krug & Sheridan, 1997).
Teachers also face personal challenges with implementation such as the feeling of making more garbage rather than simply leaving the materials in the natural environment; however, it is still less impact than traditional art materials (Blandy & Hoffman, 1993; Inwood, 2013). Teachers also struggle to face the reality that their teaching practices may need to change to become more environmentally friendly (Blandy & Hoffman, 1993).
Another challenge is one which affects the students themselves. Some teachers worry that students do not learn deeply about the issues or the eco-friendly behaviours when engaged in integrated learning (Inwood, 2013; Inwood & Taylor, 2012). However the reality is we know that students learn more deeply about one topic in EE through eco-art and that they have many positive outcomes (Inwood, 2013; Inwood & Taylor, 2012). Teachers also worry about the ability to classroom manage (Holmes, 2002). This is often a challenge posed when outdoor education or when the class schedule is changed for a program. However, I believe if you have strong classroom management inside during normal circumstances, you will likely have similar 33 skills in different environments. Being clear with the rules and purpose of curriculum is vital to the success of eco-art.
2.5 Missing From the Literature
This final section in the literature review will speak to what is missing from the current literature in the fields of integrated learning, arts education, environmental education and eco-art education. There is extensive knowledge available in each of these areas however, through my research I noticed that some specific areas were missing from the literature.
The definition of eco-art as it currently stands deals mainly with the visual arts. Although there is a lot of research into the area of visual art integration with EE, there is very little research into the fields of music, drama and dance. The arts curriculum provides a vast number of benefits which could easily be utilised in supporting the EE curriculum, similar to the way of visual arts.
Research into integration of all arts and EE should be looked at in the future in order to expand the possibilities for student learning.
Another area I found to be lacking in research is the direct student outcomes and benefits of EE. Much of the literature surrounding EE was based in the challenges that teachers face in implementation. Government sources appeared to have some research conducted in the area which they included in resource packs and documents, but overall the academic community appears to have low numbers of articles pertaining directly to student outcomes. It is important that the academic community expands research in this area in order to develop deeper understanding of the importance of including EE in the classroom for all children.
The final missing piece in the literature is the ways in which eco-art is being integrated within other subjects. EE and arts education each have a number of articles pertaining to their individual integration within other subjects, but the combination of both has not yet been 34 researched. It is important to explore how it is integrated within other subjects in order to develop a deeper understanding of the possibilities that eco-art holds for students. This will be the main area of research that I look to expand upon in my own research.
2.6 Conclusion
This section has outlined the previous literature surrounding integrated curriculum, EE, arts education and eco-art. This review shows the benefits of integrated curriculums and the challenges teachers face with implementation. It also raises questions about the diminishing funding support in the area of art education and therefore the benefits that can come from integrating it throughout the curriculum. It also illuminates the importance that policy is placing on EE and the lack of direct support available to ensuring teachers feel confident in implementing it. Finally, the research indicates that eco-art allows students and teachers to feel more connected to environmental issues and increases their interest in learning. In light of this, the purpose of my research is to learn how teachers are integrating eco-art into the rest of the curriculum so that teachers are provided with positive examples in the area and research in the field can continue to expand. I will conduct semi-structured interviews with three Ontario teachers in order to develop findings which I will further explain in the research methodology section that follows.
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Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.0 Introduction
In this Chapter I describe the research methodology used in this study. I will begin by reviewing the overall general approach, procedures, and data collection instruments. I then elaborate more specifically on participant sampling, recruitment, and participant biographies.
Next, I explain data analysis procedures and the ethical considerations relevant to my study. I then identify the limitations and strengths of my methodology. Finally, I summarize my methodological decisions and my rationale given the research purpose and questions.
3.1 Research procedures
This research study will use a qualitative research approach involving a literature review and semi-structured interviews with Ontario teachers. Qualitative research is open-ended, takes place in the natural environment of participants, is descriptive, and leaves room for interpretation
(Creswell, 2003; Bogdan & Biklen, 1998). A qualitative approach is important to this study because it will best help me to answer the research questions of “what” and “how” teachers are integrating eco-art. Quantitative methods would not provide me with the detailed explanations or experiences that I require to find the answer to this research question (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998).
Qualitative research also provides opportunity for continued exploration throughout the research process as it allows protocol to be adapted and questions which arise to be answered which is not an option in quantitative methods (Creswell, 2003). Qualitative research also prioritizes creating a sense of trust between the researcher and participant as it typically occurs face-to-face (Jackson
II, Drummond, & Camara, 1007). The qualitative method allows for this study to look deeply into integrating eco-art and provides descriptive examples of how it is being done within the classroom. 36
3.2 Instrument
Data will be collected using a semi-structured interview protocol (See Appendix B).
Semi-structured interviews fall between structured and unstructured interviews as they provide predetermined questions for the researcher to follow, while also allowing for flexibility and to follow the direction the conversation leads (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998; DiCicco-Bloom, &
Crabtree, 2006; Jackson II, Drummond, & Camara, 2007; Leavy, 2014). This format provides the researcher with insight into the individual participant’s thoughts about the subject at hand and how they make meaning of their experiences with the issue (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998; DiCicco-
Bloom, & Crabtree, 2006; Leavy, 2014; Seidman, 2013). It also provides researchers with the opportunity for asking probing questions and to respond to themes which develop (Jackson II,
Drummond & Camara, 2007). Semi-structured interviews also allow for participants to be very descriptive in the answers they provide (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998; Jackson II, Drummond &
Camara, 2007). The interview protocol will provide me with an outline of important questions to include in order to ensure that all relevant information is collected and common themes amongst the participants can be drawn.
Using a semi-structured interview process is important to this study because I am looking to determine how teachers are integrating eco-art throughout the curriculum. Participants need to be able to provide very detailed responses to questions and be able to direct the conversation as they make connections to their own practice. It is important that I am able to ask questions which emerge in order to further develop my understanding of how the participants experience teaching integrated eco-art and help them to think about previous experiences they may have had.
37
3.3 Participants
In this section I review the sampling criteria used in selecting participants. I will then review the process of participant recruitment and how I came in contact with them. Finally, I will include a section dedicated to participant biographies detailing their professional histories.
3.3.1 Sampling criteria
Here I review the sampling criteria I established for participant recruitment. I used purposeful sampling in this study because it is important that the participants selected are able to make contributions about their specific experiences with integrating eco-art in their classrooms
(Cleary, Horsfall & Hayter, 2014). Purposeful sampling is the specific selection of individuals who will be able to contribute to the knowledge of the topic (Bogdan & Biklen, 1998).
Purposeful sampling will allow me to best answer the research question because participants have specific information and experiences regarding the topic as opposed to broad general knowledge (Creswell, 2003; Jackson II, Drummond & Camara, 2007; Marshall, 1996). I will be selecting two to three participants for the study so that I am able to draw comparisons between individuals and observe patterns in order to best help me answer the research question (Marshall,
1996).
In order to be considered for this study I developed sampling criteria to ensure that the teachers I spoke to would be able to contribute experiences in the field of study. My first criterion looked specifically for teachers who have a minimum of one year experience teaching in a full time contract. I included this criterion because I did not want to discount teachers who may be recent graduates, as this field of study is newly developing and therefore may hold more interest with young teachers. However, I believe that a one year minimum contract is important 38 because supply and long term occasional teachers may not be given the same freedom to interpret the curriculum as those with their own classrooms.
The second criterion is related to an interest in integrating different curriculum subject areas throughout lessons. This is important because teachers must see the value of cross- curricular learning and the benefits it can bring to each subject, such as making connections between subjects (Chairotto, 2011; Ivanitaskaya, et. al, 2002), applying learning in different contexts (Chiarotto, 2011; Ivanitaskaya, et. al, 2002 ), increased higher-order and critical thinking skills (Ivanitaskaya, et. al, 2002), and authentic learning experiences (Arrendondo &
Rucinski, 1997).
The third and final criterion refers to proven leadership in environmental and art education. This could be through professional development, school-wide projects, academic research, etc. This is important because they should be an advocate for and share with their colleagues the use of eco-art in the classroom. It is important that the teachers involved in this study see the value of integrating eco-art and utilize them in their teaching. Teachers will be able to explain ways in which they have used eco-art in their classroom and be able to explain its links to the curriculum. They should be able to articulate the importance they place on using eco-art in order to show that they believe strongly in its functions within the classroom, in order to answer the research questions.
3.3.2 Recruitment
For recruitment I will use purposeful sampling as it is important that participants are able to contribute in a meaningful way to the study based on their own expertise (Marshall, 1996;
Cleary, Horsfall, & Hayter, 2014, 473). I will also be using convenience sampling as I will be working from my own existing network of teachers, mentors and fellow teacher candidate 39 colleagues to recruit participants. The first avenue I will explore is the connections made with teachers in the field through practicums, seeking out those I know that use eco-art in their teaching. I will also be working with an OISE professor who has done numerous studies in the field of eco-art. She will be putting me in contact with a number of teachers she has worked with in the past to implement research projects and whom she knows have used eco-art on their own. I will then continue to explore other avenues such as sharing with other teacher candidates and acquaintances my research topic.
I will contact individual teachers and provide them with an overview of my research study. I will provide the participant criteria to these teachers as well and ask them to share my information with other teachers they believe may fit the criteria. I will provide my information to potential participants to help ensure that the teachers are volunteering for the study rather than feeling obligated to participate.
3.3.3 Participant biographies
For this study three interviews were conducted with Ontario teachers. All three of the teachers taught in the elementary years. All of the teachers work in eco schools in the Toronto area. I met two of them at an eco schools conference held at OISE and third while volunteering in her school for a large scale eco-art project.
Anne is a Grade three/ four teacher at an alternative public school which is “inspired by
Waldorf”. The school is in downtown Toronto and has a “mixed demographic”. She has been teaching for a total of seven years in a variety of Grades ranging from Grade three to eight. She is also a part of the gold level Eco schools team at her school. She utilises the schools focus on
Waldorf philosophy to inspire her teaching to include “oral literacy, environmental education, 40 and art”. She has a personal interest in the environment and sees incorporating nature as a natural fit with her teaching.
In her fifth year of teaching, Sarah is a Grade one, two split teacher. She works at a
Toronto public elementary and middle school, with mixed demographics. She has mainly taught in the primary Grades throughout her teaching career, teaching at both an alternative school and public school. She is the Eco school team leader of her school which is gold level and organises large scale whole school art projects. Her school community is supportive of the work she does to bring environmental education and art education into the classroom and whole school.
A teacher for twenty-five years, Todd’s current role is at an arts focused school in
Toronto is as the artistic director. He also teaches two or three rotary classes of science or drama each year, with students between Grades four to eight. He runs a number of clubs at the school including leading the three Eco clubs. The school also has three gardens he runs which contribute to the schools platinum Eco school level. He enjoys bringing his environmental interests into the classroom and integrating them with the arts focus of the school.
3.4 Data analysis
The interviews were complied and transcribed in order to be used for data analysis. In qualitative research, data analysis provides the opportunity to develop meaningful findings by analysing the data in a methodological way (Attride-Stirling, 2001). The data collected through the interview process was analysed through coding techniques to find important information regarding each subsidiary research question. Codes were developed using a short phrase or word to summarize and describe what participants said (Saldana, 2009). Highlighting information related to each interview question helped to develop primary codes which were used to identify patterns and trends throughout the participants interviews (Saldana, 2009). Data analysis also 41 looked for divergences from the themes. It looked for what the participants did not speak to or the “null data”. This was important as it allowed for patterns and themes to emerge. Based on the data collected through codes, themes emerged and were separated into basic, organising, and global themes (Attride-Stirling, 2001). These themes allowed for the development of the findings section and helped to point out key points from the transcripts which supported the claims being made.
3.5 Ethical review procedures
Through the University of Toronto I was granted ethical permission to conduct this study.
There are no known risks associated with the participation in this study. All participants had the right to withdraw from the study at any stage of the research study as their participation is completely voluntary. They also had the right to refuse any question during the interview process. Participants were asked to provide their consent to be interviewed as well as audio- recorded by signing a consent letter (Appendix A). The consent letter provided an overview of the study, addressed ethical implications, and expectations of participation. Interviews each consisted of one 45-60 minute semi-structured interview, following the interview protocol
(Appendix B).
All transcripts, audio recordings, and raw data were stored on a password protected computer that only I and the course instructor had access to. The data will be stored for up to five years within which I may be publishing and presenting at conferences. After those five years all data will be destroyed.
Privacy of the participants is of great importance and therefore participant identities remain confidential as they were assigned a pseudonym. Confidential information related to their 42 schools and students were excluded. Participants had the right to review the transcripts and clarify or retract any statements prior to the data analysis.
3.6 Methodological limitations and strengths
Based on the parameters of the MTRP and the approval I have been given, there are a number of limitations to this study. I am only able to conduct in person interviews with two to three teachers outside of their classroom. This study would have benefited from the inclusion of classroom observation accompanying the interviews. This would have allowed for teachers to support their statements with physical evidence such as previous projects conducted in the classroom as well as current lessons. Observations are important because they allow for the observer to see the participants in action rather than relying only on responses to interview questions.
Another methodological limitation is due to the limited number of participants in this study, there may be limited generalizations to be made (Jackson II, Drummond & Camara, 2007;
Marshall, 1996). However, the semi-structured interview allows for far more depth than a quantitative survey study as participants are able to provide more detailed responses (Bogdan &
Biklen, 1998; Jackson II, Drummond & Camara, 2007). The personal connection between researcher and participant also permits teachers to speak openly about the topic and provides the option for further probing (Creswell, 2003; Jackson II, Drummond & Camara, 2007). Interviews also provide teachers with the opportunity to reflect on their own practices and communicate their beliefs more clearly.
3.7 Conclusion
This Chapter has outlined the research methodology that this study will take. I will be conducting a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with three full time teachers. The 43 participants will be collected using purposeful and convenience sampling. The sampling criteria included teachers who have held a contract teaching position for more than one year, have a commitment to integrated cross-curricular teaching, and have proven leadership in eco-art education. Data analysis will include coding in order to help determine categories and themes that emerged throughout the interviews. Ethical permission was reviewed with regards to participant rights and privacy. Finally, the methodological limitations have been reviewed and reflect an understanding of the possible challenges associated generalizability of the findings and the lack of classroom observation. It also looks at the methodological strengths due to the environment of a semi-structures interview, as participants feel more comfortable connecting and sharing with the interviewer. In the next Chapter, I report on the research findings developed through the interview process.
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Chapter 4: Findings
4.0 Introduction
In this Chapter, I present and discuss the findings developed based on interviews conducted with 3 Ontario elementary teachers who integrate eco-art in their classrooms. This
Chapter will answer the question “how is a sample of elementary teachers integrating eco-art education across curriculum subjects?” This is important because it will provide important information about the practice of integrating eco-art. The themes that emerged from the data include:
4.1 Teachers recognised that their own experiences and the environment around them
have influenced their decisions to include integrated eco-art education in their classroom.
4.2 Teachers established various classroom supports which allow them to integrate eco-
art across the curriculum and these are supported by the larger educational community.
4.3 Teachers indicated they faced curricular and administrative challenges when
integrating eco-art education and how they manage these problems.
4.4 Teachers observed personal and academic growth as a result of integrated eco-art
education.
Each theme is further explained in each subtheme and provides examples of the practices as well as supports the teachers experience when integrating eco-art. In each theme I will report on the data from the interviews and situate it within the existing literature. Finally, I will summarize the findings of each theme and discuss their significance.
4.1 Teachers Recognise That Their Own Experiences and the Environment Around Them
Have Influenced Their Decisions to Include Integrated Eco-Art Education in Their
Classroom 45
In this section I will discuss how teachers own experiences have assisted them in integrating eco-art into the curriculum. Teachers’ personal and professional backgrounds play an important part in developing confidence in integrating the complex topics of environmental education, the unique skills required for teaching art, as well as the ability to see connections across curriculum subject areas. The participants indicated that a supportive school climate is also an important aspect of their ability to integrate eco-art as they feel comfortable taking risks.
4.1.1 Teachers indicated that personal and professional backgrounds supported confidence in integrating eco-art education in the classroom
The teachers each provided a definition of their understanding of eco-art education, showing that they each had a deep understanding of it. Anne stated, “it’s being inspired by the natural world”, “incorporating the natural world” and “using natural materials”. Sarah explained,
“like a product of all your learning coming together [… it] is not just ‘here paint a picture of a bug,’ it’s that there is a lot of learning behind their actual finished piece” and it’s “working visually and artistically on environmental topics”. Todd said, “it could be a lot of things. It could be the environment being your inspiration, your muse, what you like to create from. It could be, you know, using things from the environment, in a new recycled way”. Each of the teachers also included dance, drama and music as a part of their understanding of eco-art. Some examples of integrated eco-art lessons they provided included drama, dance and music as the art component.
The students also included outdoor learning as a part of their definition. Having students participate in lessons in the outdoors was also considered a part of the eco component.
Each of the teachers acknowledged that they have had previous and ongoing learning in the areas of art and environmental education. Anne has had previous experiences teaching outdoors, considers herself an artist, and has taken the environmental education additional 46 qualification part one. Sarah has an undergraduate degree in art history with a focus on public art and has taken the Environmental Education Additional Qualification Part One. Todd considers himself an artist, has an undergraduate degree in Design, a Masters in Art Education, and has taken the Environmental Education Additional Qualification Part One. Each of them also indicated that they have expanded their own knowledge of environmental issues through continued reading and personal research into the topic.
All three participants spoke about their childhood as playing an important role in their commitment to the environment. They pointed to their experiences in the outdoors in developing a connection with the environment and how that has led them to want to provide similar experiences for the students in their classrooms. Sarah described “I have a strong connection with the environment, a lot of happy childhood memories. […] you want to sort of extend that, teach that sort of close relationship.” All of the teachers also expressly stated that they have continued to cultivate an active relationship with environmental issues in their personal lives.
They expressed their consciousness of their own “eco” behaviour both in and outside of the classroom.
Eco-art definitions range in the literature, focused mainly on the concept of art which supports a relationship with the natural world (Greenmuseum.org, 2010). Inwood (2013) states
“Eco-art education integrates knowledge skills, values and pedagogy from the visual arts, art education and environmental education as a means of developing awareness of and engagement with environmental concepts and issues” (p. 130). The teachers provided very open-ended definitions which focus on using the environment as inspiration, using natural materials and as a learning tool for both the arts and EE, which hold similar properties to current literature. They also extended on the literature because typically the literature focuses on visual art as a main 47 component of eco-art, however the teachers included drama, dance and music as a part of their definition.
The teacher’s personal and educational backgrounds have led them to develop a strong knowledge in the areas of art and EE. It has been noted in the literature that positive childhood memories of outdoor experiences are linked with adults becoming environmental stewards, which aligns with these teachers’ experiences (Chiarotto, 2011). This paper also expands on current literature which states that teachers without specific subject knowledge are less likely to integrate subject areas (Chiarotto, 2011; Ham and Sewing, 1988; Ontario Arts Council, 1997).
All three participants have the specific subject knowledge required to feel confident in finding those curriculum links and developing units which utilise their knowledge. This suggests that gaining specific content knowledge aid in developing confidence in integrating eco-art education.
4.1.2 Teachers expressed that a supportive school climate provides opportunities for integrating eco-art education
Overall the teachers acknowledged the importance of the school climate towards the integration of eco-art in their classrooms. Each of their school communities place importance on environmental education, as each is a gold or platinum level Ecoschool. All three of the teacher participants are a part of their Ecoschool’s team. Todd said that his school has three Ecoschools teams which he oversees. Anne’s school has also made a conscious effort to include more outdoor learning in the daily curriculum, moving the science program completely outdoors. Her school also encourages teachers to integrate all of the subject areas and makes the arts a priority.
Sarah has organised a number of large scale mural projects focused on environmental concepts in her school and is an active staff member on the eco team. 48
All three teachers also shared that the parents and surrounding community are very supportive of both the arts and EE. Anne spoke about how she often has parents volunteer to come in to the classroom for “handwork” where the students learn to knit, weave, and other such activities. She explained that she incorporated EE concepts into these sessions and that the parents are very supportive. Sarah also spoke about parent volunteers who have joined her class in EE projects.
Each of the teachers also shared that they had a positive relationship with the school administration. Sarah explained “I feel that the admin trusts me and that I have quite a bit of freedom, with what I’m able to do”. Todd also indicated that in his role as creative director, he is often working to support more teachers in developing an interest in integrating EE. The teachers also expressed that the other teachers in the school often share their interest in promoting the arts and EE for example by taking part in the whole school initiatives, such as Ecoschools. Sarah indicated that she has often co-planned with other teachers in order to develop integrated lessons which involve eco-art. Another important aspect that the teachers indicated is support from other teachers in the school. Todd and Sarah both addressed that they had worked with other teachers within the school in order to support planning and inclusion of eco-art within the classroom
Research supports the idea that whole school support is important, particularly in regards to administrative support, as they can provide planning time and resources for teachers in order to make integrated learning possible (Lankford, 1997). Research tends to focus on how when teachers do not have access to a positive school climate with supportive colleagues and administration, that they tend not to integrate subjects such as EE and the arts (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Ham & Sewing, 1988). However, these findings expand on the current 49 research because teachers were able to share examples of the positive school supports they received and how it enabled them to include integrated eco-art in their classrooms.
4.2 Teachers Establish Various Classroom Supports Which Allow Them to Integrate Eco-
Art Across the Curriculum and These Are Supported By the Larger Educational
Community
Although participants acknowledge that their own experiences are important factors to begin integrating eco-art education, they also spoke to the importance to classroom supports. In this section I will discuss the ways the teachers addressed these classroom supports. The teachers indicated that they have successfully implemented eco-art in most curriculum areas in their classrooms in the past. They also described planning strategies important to the practice, and finally highlighted the ways that they use assessment when integrating eco-art.
4.2.1 Teachers indicated that they had successfully integrated eco-art across all/most curriculum areas
Each of the teachers provided a wide variety of examples of the various ways that they have integrated eco-art into other curriculum areas in their classrooms. All spoke of using social studies, science and literacy, while Todd and Sarah also shared examples of using math as well.
Additionally, the teachers each shared examples of not only visual art integration, but also drama, dance and music in their examples of eco-art. Anne pointed to her use of indigenous studies, social studies, language, music and drama. Anne shared examples of using drama in the outdoors to explore environmental concepts:
I’ve been teaching about the north all year, I teach a lot with an Indigenous perspective as
well […] we went outside and they dramatically re-enacted some pieces from a book that 50
we had been learning and what it is to be out on an ice flow and it be that cold and to
have to do things over and over again. So they can feel the elements.
She also shared how she uses singing as a means for students to express their understandings of the natural environment. She highlighted that she regularly uses social studies when integrating eco art, especially to determine “big ideas”. She indicated that she incorporates literacy by having students use nature journals to draw and write about the environment they are in, write poetry focused on the environment, and does read alouds which connect with what they are learning in the rest of the curriculum. She has used a prominent eco-artist Andy Goldsworthy’s book for students to use as inspiration, and in each season she had the students make art works in nature from natural materials and take photos of their work.
Sarah identified language, math, science, social studies, visual arts, and drama and dance as curriculum areas she most often integrated with eco-art. As she is a primary teacher, she provided examples of how she has used eco-art as an alternative to writing or as a step before writing to reduce anxiety. She also explained how students used procedural writing when they designed a bee garden. In the same bee garden project, she explained how the students used mathematics including measurement, budgeting of money, and data management to poll students about the most important issue bees faced. She spoke about looking at the social studies and science curriculum through an “environmental lens” and how she uses them as her “big idea” for eco-art projects.
Todd described some of the subjects he integrated including language, math, science, social studies, drama, music, film and photography. For math and science he spoke about building aesthetically-appealing structures out of recycled materials using measurement and science concepts. Additionally, he described how he has integrated photography and film in his 51 lessons on nature. He broadly indicated that he used photography and film in his science class, and, more specifically, incorporated literacy skills by having students create poems based on photos they had taken of the outdoors. He also expressed that he utilizes the outdoors when teaching science, particularly their school garden and local parks to talk about ecosystems as well as flora and fauna. He described a number of drama activities such as:
I’ve done puppetry units on environmental issues, we’ve done tableau work on them
environmental issues. So drama kind of is one of those topics or subjects that you can
kind of bring in a topic and explore and it gives them a safe way, and it gives them a way
to talk about things that they may never have experienced.
He also explained examples of using pollution and endangered animals as topics of exploration in drama. In music he provided an example of using the Orff approach to allow students to showcase their learning about environmental issues by using the instruments to represent the sounds of water.
The literature has often identified science and social studies as the two subject areas most often integrated with environmental education (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Inwood &
Taylor, 2012; Ham & Sewing, 1998). However, this research overlooks the other possible subject areas that could be utilized in eco-art which are not as prominent. These findings expand on previous research because the teachers identified a number of other areas that they have integrated with EE in their classrooms, including indigenous studies, math and language.
Another prominent issue is that although some literature has also looked at integrating music and
EE (Allen, 2012; Turner & Freedman, 2004), most research has focused on the visual arts as a part of the main definition of eco-art (Inwood & Taylor, 2012; Ulbricht, 1998). The teachers in 52 this study challenge this definition as many of them include drama, dance and music as a part of their definition of eco-art in their classrooms.
4.2.2 Teachers highlighted planning as an essential support for integrating eco-art within the classroom
All of the teachers emphasised that in order for integrated eco-art to be successful, it needs to be done regularly and become a “practice”. Anne stated that “it is a practice you have to do regularly [… it is] not a one off, [but] deeply layered”. Todd also emphasised the importance of integrating eco-art regularly as it is important that principals also understand and can observe the benefits of it over time.
All of the teachers agreed that they often start with a “big idea” or “overarching theme” from the social studies or science curriculum and then work to integrate other areas of the curriculum when planning. Anne pointed to specific examples of using big ideas, such as
Canada’s regions from the social studies curriculum, and shared ways she has integrated eco-art within the topic.
[In] Social studies […] I’ve been teaching a lot about Canada so we focus really on eco
zones, and what are the land, the plants, the topography, the everything that is natural, the
animals from that region. So, really talking about that environmental piece. So then,
depending on what we’re learning, because I integrate arts, they might do something
that’s drama related, they might do drawing, we do a lot of drawing in our class, so they
will do something that is creative.
Todd shared a number of examples of units which centred on one topic, such as the school garden, and the ways he incorporated many subject areas. 53
I do a lot about eco systems, especially in the Grade Seven unit where we actually get out
and use our gardens, our own school garden. So being able to do mapping, being able to
isolate an eco-system by throwing it out on a piece of paper or actually you know taking
a piece of string and surrounding it and identifying the different flora and fauna in a
particular space.
All three of the teachers also spoke about the importance of student-centred learning.
Sarah said she likes to “start with their idea” when planning. “It’s always coming from them”
Anne also identified. Todd stated that his planning always “comes from the kids”. They also spoke about using student inquiries to drive lessons. Todd described the importance of being adaptable and using student inquiries to find teachable moments, even if they disrupt what has been planned. Sarah and Todd also identified the importance of making sure that the environmental issues spoken about are at the student’s level of understanding.
The teachers shared that they use an “environmental lens” when planning all lessons.
However, these environmental considerations were described as part of the classroom overall, rather than planned for specific lessons. For example, Anne spoke of how she includes environmental materials regularly in her classroom, such as a worm composter and having plants available to care for. Both participants indicated their belief that the curriculum was made more accessible and relevant by using this environmental lens/focus. Sarah explained that this focus is relevant because the environment is part of their lives, both now and in the future.
As Anne identified, the research has reflected the fact that teachers can often feel overwhelmed because there are a lot of curriculum expectations to cover (Drake and Reid, 2010).
She acknowledged integrating curriculum as an important way to combat that. The teachers also spoke to using “big ideas” in order to plan, which is reflected in the literature as providing 54 students with the opportunity to meet many curriculum expectations and connect in a more meaningful way to the content (Drake & Reid, 2010; Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2010;
Roberts, 2005).
Natural Curiosity (Chiarotto, 2011) supports the idea that planning with an environmental lens is one way to assist teachers in developing integrated lessons. It also addresses inquiry learning as an important aspect of EE and speaks to the importance of making the inquiry student centred so that it is more meaningful to them (Arrendondo & Rucinski, 1997;
Chiarotto, 2011). Which the teachers addressed as they explicitly stated that they use an environmental lens when planning lessons and incorporate student centred inquiry-based learning.
4.2.3 Teachers pointed to assessment strategies which supported their ability to integrate eco-art education
The teachers provided a wide variety of ways in which they use assessment in order to support their integration of eco-art in the classroom. Anne and Todd focused heavily on speaking about the assessment of learning skills such as “perseverance”, “collaboration”, and “process”.
All of the teachers emphasised that eco-art is not about the product created, but the learning acquired through that process. For example, Sarah spoke about a large scale mural project recently completed at her school. She used the topic of local insects and integrated it within a number of other subject areas including language, science, technology, and social studies in order to familiarize the students with the subject. When the students were nearing the end of the unit she had them create paintings of their insects which allowed them to show their knowledge they acquired throughout the process of creating the mural, which she then used for assessment. 55
Anne and Todd spoke about how challenging they find it to assess the arts outside of the learning skills. Anne spoke briefly about using the nature journals her students create as a portfolio of their learning and Todd spoke mainly about peer assessment as a tool he uses to get students thinking about their work. However, Sarah explained a number of ways that she uses assessment in order to develop an understanding of her students’ understanding such as formative assessment, peer assessment, co-constructing assessments, checklists, anecdotal observations and conferences so students can talk about their work.
Assessment is not often addressed in eco-art research; however, it has been identified as both a benefit and challenge of integrated learning in the literature. It has been shown that it can be challenging to design integrated assessments, but they provide students with an opportunity to show their learning in multiple areas through one assessment (Drake & Reid, 2010). The teachers also address the importance of the learning process in assessment. The literature speaks to the value of process-based learning to make learning more meaningful, extending beyond the subject itself to develop emotional and personal connections as well (Arrendondo & Rucinski, 1997;
Song, 2012). Additionally, the Ontario Arts curriculum speaks to the importance of process in art, specifically noting that the final product isn’t the most important part of creativity, but that the creative process is where meaningful learning happens (Ontario Ministry of Education,
2009b). The teachers provide examples of how integrated eco-art provides opportunities for students to show their learning throughout the creative learning process.
4.3 Teachers Shared That They Faced Curricular as Well as Administrative Challenges
When Integrating Eco-Art Education and Indicated the Ways They Work to Manage
Them 56
The teachers each provided examples of challenges they had faced in integrating eco-art education in their classrooms. This provides useful information about why integrating eco-art may not be included in all classrooms. First I will discuss the teachers’ thoughts on the limitations of the curriculum structure. I will then discuss the lack of teacher time for planning and classroom instruction. Finally, the teachers addressed the challenge of funding and how that can affect their ability to integrate eco-art in the classroom.
4.3.1 Teachers addressed the limitations of the curriculum structure for supporting the integration of eco-art education
Anne and Sarah each expressed the challenges they faced in regards to the structure of the curriculum. Anne stated that with the “the mandated curriculum […] you can’t possibly teach everything they are talking about without integrating, it’s meant to be integrated.” She explained that it can often feel like a checklist “which can drive you to do nothing particularly well”. Sarah also shared that she has often felt pressured by the amount of curriculum that teachers need to cover in one year. Both teachers expressed that having the curriculum divided by year can also make it challenging to integrate environmental concepts because their students’ learning is not continuous throughout each Grade.
Sarah also addressed how she finds the curriculum to be very focused success in core subject areas such as literacy. This does not provide as much opportunity to integrate eco-art as the majority of time is spent on literacy skills. Todd spoke about how standardized testing can affect the amount of focus teachers place on eco-art because they spend more time teaching to prepared students for those subjects focused on in the testing. He also addressed the need to have administration understand the benefit of eco-art learning so that teachers can include it and not be seen as taking away from other subject areas. 57
The literature has supported the notion of the curriculum being “overloaded” with little time for EE and the arts (Canadian Council on Learning, 2009; Chiarotto, 2011; Drake & Reid,
2010; Tan & Pedretti, 2010). Literacy and numeracy are often viewed as the most important subject areas, and therefore are given the most class time, as they are the ones assessed in standardized testing (Ham & Sewing, 1988; Hamblen, 1987; Krug, & Cohen-Evron, 2000).
However, despite their being some limitations due to the curriculum structure, these teachers have recognised these barriers and work past them in order to include integrated eco-art in their classrooms. This demonstrates that although “overloaded” curriculum is a concern, participants have shown that it can be overcome.
4.3.2 Teachers spoke to the lack of time available for teachers to integrate eco-art
Sarah and Todd both shared that they believed that time is a barrier for teachers when planning eco-art. Sarah stated that she often feels pressure when report cards are coming up to ensure she has covered all the curriculum necessary and “the planning time sort of gets in the way [of planning integrated lessons] and sometimes it’s just easier to you know, just do like a little pocket of a unit”. However, she spoke about the benefit of using one lesson to fulfil multiple curriculum expectations. Sarah also found that because some of her students take part in withdrawal programs for additional support, they have less classroom time to participate in all aspects of integrated lessons.
Todd and Anne each stated that planning occurs in a more natural way in their classrooms. Todd stated that he plans organically and allows for student interest to take the lead.
Anne agreed that she tries to plan with the students in mind, making planning decisions based on their interests and needs. 58
All of the teachers also expressed that taking part in the Ecoschools team also requires a lot of additional time commitment from them. Todd explained how the work to rule had affected their Ecoschool status because teachers were unable to give the time it required. Sarah also shared that the large scale mural projects required planning time outside of the school day.
Time constraints have been addressed in the literature, as Ham & Sewing (1988) addressed the challenge of limited class time as well as the time required for teachers to prepare lesson plans, which Todd and Sarah addressed. Sarah noted that although integrated lessons can take time for planning, it provides teachers with the benefit of accomplishing multiple curriculum expectations in the lesson (The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, 2010). Most of current literature pertains strictly to the classroom and planning, however it does not address additional considerations that teachers must keep in mind. This research has expanded on current literature because the participants addressed additional considerations such as students who require withdrawal support, as well as the time commitment of extra-curricular activities which can limit a school’s commitment to EE and the arts.
4.3.3 The teachers spoke about funding and classroom budgets as a challenge for integrating eco-art.
The teachers spoke about funding as a challenge to incorporating any program such as the arts or EE. They all addressed the fact that it is a challenge for many teacher and recognised that they all worked in schools which were able to support them financially in exploring eco-art.
Anne spoke about how the parents at her school fundraise in order to get her “Waldorf materials” which are typically made of natural materials such as wood. Sarah stated that she tends to spend a lot of her classroom budget on art materials because she places a priority on it. Sarah also shared that her school does not have as many art resources as she would like, such as a kiln or 59 printing press, due to lack of funding. All of the teachers agreed that using natural materials in art is a useful way to stretch the classroom budget while also incorporating eco-art concepts and developing an environmental awareness of waste and plastic materials in their students.
Todd and Sarah also spoke about funding as an issue for bringing in community artists and other local professionals. Todd spoke about how he spends extra time to find grants and other means for receiving funding in order to bring in arts and EE local community members to the school. Sarah has also faced challenges with funding for her large scale mural projects because she is not given a large budget to work with. However, they have both spent their own time looking for ways to support these projects.
The Literature supports the fact that the arts have often lost funding in recent years for things such as art teacher specialists (People for Education, 2013). It is also recognised that purchasing materials can also be seen as a barrier to integrating EE and art (Ham & Sewing,
1988). These findings expand on the research because the teachers also address the cost of large scale projects and visiting professionals as a barrier, although they themselves have worked to pass that barrier.
4.4 Teachers Observed Personal and Academic Growth as a Result of Integrated Eco-Art
Education
This section speaks to the personal and academic growth that the teachers have observed within their students as a result of integrating eco-art education in their own classrooms. This is important because it provides a clear link between the practice and outcomes. The teachers expressed that they believe that students were better able to access the curriculum. They also share that their students engaged in deep learning through integrated eco-art. Finally they shared 60 their observations of students developing a sense of activism towards the environment through eco-art.
4.4.1 Teachers noted that integrating eco-art education provides an accessible way for students to access the curriculum
Anne and Sarah recognised integrated eco-art as a beneficial learning tool for different kinds of learners. Anne said, “integrated learning makes it accessible to everybody” because “if you only do something in one way, then it’s only accessible to the people with those strengths”.
Sarah provided similar feedback and spoke to the fact that eco-art provides different kinds of learners with the opportunity to be successful.
The teachers also addressed integrated eco-art as a useful way for students to show what they know as an alternative to writing. Todd stated that he believe that “students often feel more comfortable using hands-on materials” to communicate their understanding. Sarah provided similar information about hands on learning and also emphasised the fact that primary students often struggle with writing. She believes that eco-art allows them to show their understanding and gain confidence in their ability to share their knowledge and take risks. She said “when they are given the opportunity to make art based on what they know it becomes clear that they have a firm understanding of what they’re doing […] because they’re thinking more visually and specially”. Anne also addressed how students who struggle with writing often find art to be a good way to show their knowledge.
The literature supports the fact that teachers need to provide multiple “pathways to knowledge” in order to support different learning styles and increase the complexity and the opportunity to be successful (Chiarotto, 2011; Holmes, 2002, p. 24; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000;
Ontario Arts Council, 1997). “Traditional cognitive approaches” do not benefit every learner and 61 therefore it is important, as these teachers point out, that knowledge is presented in multiple ways (Inwood & Taylor, 2012). A number of researchers also support the idea that eco-art can engage students to think in new ways about subject matter (Barry, 2008; Song, 2010). However, this research typically does not focus on eco-art as an alternative to writing. Instead, research simply suggests that eco-art provides hands-on opportunities to explore students’ understanding
(Song, 2008) or how process-based lessons can make learning more meaningful (Ontario, 2009).
These teachers’ experiences extend this research by suggesting that eco-art activities can be an alternative to writing in demonstrating learning.
4.4.2 Teachers observed students engaging with deep learning through integrated eco-art education
The teachers also observed the students making personally meaningful connections to subject matter through integrated eco-art lessons. Todd expressed that when students are able to connect on a personal and emotional level to learning, as students often do with the arts and EE, they are more likely to develop a deep understanding of it. He shared a story about how many of his students have come back to thank him for teaching them, and many share memories of lessons focused on eco-art. Sarah also said that she believes when learning has a clear purpose or relevance to their own lives, students are more engaged and able to talk about their learning and understanding. Similarly Anne believes that “when everything is layered and connected,
[students] have a richer learning experience”.
The participants provided examples of their students engaging in deep and meaningful learning opportunities through integrated eco-art, particularly in the arts. The teachers provided examples of how students learned more deeply in the subject of art through integrated eco-art lessons. Anne explained that it provides an opportunity for students to “step out of their comfort 62 zone”. She and Sarah both shared that as students get older, their art becomes more similar. For example they all draw “the girl with the overgrown head and the skinny body,” as Anne put it.
Eco-art invites them to create a different kind of art. Sarah stated that “there is a lot of learning behind a finished [eco-art] piece” because it asks students to show more about the content and their own feelings. Todd explained that he sees students connect more deeply with the arts when they are asked to create art with a subject with emotional connection like EE.
The research supports the idea that students need to connect to their learning on a personal and emotional level in order for it to be meaningful (Birt, Krug, & Sheridan, 1997;
Roberts, 2005; Taieb, Hammami, Msahli, & Sakli, 2010). Integrating curriculum provides students with the opportunity to make those links between subject areas and their own personal lives (Ivanitaskaya, Clarke, Montgomery, & Primeau, 2002; Krug & Cohen-Evron, 2000).
Through its practical relevance with students’ lives, in combination with the process-based learning that is central to arts-based education, eco-art education is an approach that excels in fostering personal and emotional learning. Two of the teachers spoke about eco-art extending students’ possibilities for art-making because the literature focuses almost exclusively on eco- art’s positive effect on environmental knowledge (Inwood, 2010; Song, 2012). This extends current research because it is clear that not only is it a positive way for students to develop a deeper understanding and connection with the environment, but it also provides students with a different way of approaching art.
4.4.3 The teachers noted that students developed a sense of activism and connection to the environment through their experiences with integrated eco-art education
Each of the teachers spoke about the impact of integrating eco-art had on their students.
They felt it provided an opportunity for students to become young activists. Anne stated: 63
If we are going to have students with consciousness around environmentalism and
becoming activists, they have to know why. It’s not the intellectual why, here in their
head, but it’s here in their heart, and that’s how Grade three/ four students and younger
learn about the world. It’s through exploration and making those connections. So when
they make a connection to the natural world that’s deep and you know, continuous, then
they know what it is to lose that. It’s not a “mummy told me” or you know, this is the
piece or environmental rally so that they really feel it on a deep level. That’s the activism
I can teach. It’s truly experiential.
Anne explained that art provides an avenue to support students’ learning “in their heart” and made it clear that developing a connection to nature is what supports students in becoming change makers. Sarah also spoke about how developing environmental stewardship in students allows them to become activists at a level appropriate to where they are developmentally. She described a tree planting project and how the students took on the role of caregiver for the trees through which they developed an understanding about the natural environment and began to protect it. Todd also explained how he has seen students continue their learning outside of the classroom and carry it into the community. One student of his brought an issue about tree removal to city hall, becoming a community activist.
Todd and Anne both spoke about the importance of ensuring that students internalize and develop a consciousness around the environment in order to manage the needs of the future.
“Our kids are going to have to not only learn about but internalize, if we’re going to be able to sustain, to live on this planet” as Todd indicated. All of the teachers pointed to the arts as a way for students to make connections with environmental issues. Todd shared that he believes that his 64 students “find the emotional connection [to the environment] through the arts”. Anne believes
“that’s how they relate to the world, through the arts”. Sarah stated,
When they’re given the opportunity to make art, based on what they know it becomes
clear that they have a firm understanding of what they’re doing. So when you tie that in
with environmental themes I think it makes for a very strong learning experience.
The teachers agree that integrating eco-art in the curriculum is about teaching for the environment, to develop a sense of connection and responsibility for the natural world, as well as helping students to develop a sense of connection to nature. Sarah believes that when eco-art is done through integration with another subject, students feel that they are “actually doing work for a cause, for a purpose”. Anne also believes that students begin to develop an awareness of their own impact through eco-art. She addressed the use of natural materials and how using them, as opposed to excessive plastic, makes her students much more aware of their own impact as artists.
Previous research supports the teachers’ observation that eco-art can foster activism within students (Inwood & Taylor, 2012). Stewardship is another important outcome that the teachers specified that has been addressed in the literature as an outcome of engaging in integrated eco-art education (…). As Chiarotto (2011) indicates, “students are better able to grasp the relationship between the environment and these other facets of life when EE is integrated throughout their learning, rather than ‘added on’” (p. 43). The teachers are acting in alignment with this view, as they believe that students need to internalize environmental issues and that the arts provide an avenue to do so. To them, it is important…..(Inwood, 2008; Song,
2008). 65
Finally, as Todd puts it “a lot of people are just saying ‘it’s not my problem, it’s somebody else’s problem. I don’t really see the impact’, and we have to show them the impact.
[...] School is one place where we can start to make that impact”. The teacher participants truly see the benefit of integrating eco-art across the curriculum because it provides so much opportunity for change in student thinking.
4.5 Conclusion
This study has found that teachers are integrating eco-art education in their classrooms because they are able to utilise their own experiences and establish classroom supports. Teachers also recognise the challenges they face in integrating eco-art as well as the possible personal and academic growth it can lead to within their students. This research is important because it sheds light on why and how teachers are integrating eco-art throughout the curriculum. These findings make a significant contribution to the literature because they expand on what was previously identified as the possible ways, challenges, and outcomes of integrating eco-art.
Some of the most significant findings learned in this research are that previous literature has focused on the barriers of integrating eco-art which include a lack of educational experience, personal experience and administrative support with EE and art (Canadian Council on Learning,
2009; Chiarotto, 2011; Ham & Sewing, 1988). This research shows that teachers, who do have this knowledge and support, can and do include it in their classrooms. Another finding is that eco-art can include all of the arts including drama, dance, music, and visual arts as opposed to previous definitions which tend to focus only on visual arts (Greenmuseum.org, 2010; Inwood,
2013; Ulbricht, 1998). Further still this research expands the literature because it points to the challenges of teacher time commitment outside of school for extracurricular activities as well as finding funding to bring in additional resources and community experts. Yet another finding is 66 that the teachers are able to use eco-art as an alternative to writing in order to gain a better understanding of student knowledge. Finally, this research looked at not only to how eco-art integration positively effects not only EE as the research has previously noted, but also how including eco-art allows art itself to become more meaningful for students (Inwood, 2010; Song,
2012). In the next Chapter I will look more closely at these findings and will develop recommendations in order to continue to expand the research in this field.
67
Chapter 5: Discussion
5.0 Introduction
In this Chapter I will discuss the overall significance and findings of this research study. I begin by providing an overview of the key findings about integrating eco-art throughout the curriculum. Next I review the possible implications for the educational community as well as myself as a teacher and researcher. With that in mind, I make recommendations for other educational professionals including policy makers, schools and teachers. Finally, I discuss remaining questions of this study and possibilities for future research.
5.1 Overview of Key Findings and Significance
Four main findings were outlined in the previous Chapter. The first finding indicated that teachers recognised that their own experiences and the environment around them have influenced their decisions to include integrated eco-art education in their classroom. To begin with, each of the teachers provided a definition of their understanding of eco-art education, which included using the environment as inspiration, using natural materials and as an opportunity for students to show their learning. The findings expanded on current literature because the teachers’ definitions of eco-art include more than just visual arts, placing importance on drama, dance and music as well. The teachers spoke about their own experiences, both professional and personal, and how these experiences have influenced their interest in eco-art education. Each of the teachers viewed themselves as active participants in the arts, have taken the Environmental
Education Additional Qualification Part One and spoke about their experiences as children in the outdoors as important reasons for their interest in the environment. The teachers also expressed that the environment around them provided opportunities for integrating eco art, specifically a supportive school climate. Each of the schools reached high levels in the Ontario Ecoschools 68 program, showing the commitment the whole school has towards EE. The teachers indicated that a collaborative and trusting relationship with administration, parents, and other teachers within the school was also an important factor.
The second finding found that teachers established various classroom supports which allow them to integrate eco-art across the curriculum. The teachers shared a variety of examples of curriculum areas that they have integrated with eco-art. They provided examples focused on the arts including drama, dance, music and visual arts as well as other curriculum areas such as
Science, Social Studies, Math and Language Art. The teachers also spoke about the importance of planning. The teachers identified the importance of regular implementation of integrated eco- art in order for it to become a part of the classroom. They spoke about using “big ideas” from the
Science and Social Studies curriculum when planning. They also identified the importance of student-centred learning and inquiry which helps to teach EE at a developmentally appropriate level. The teachers also shared the assessment strategies which they had established in the classroom in order to support integrating eco art.
The third finding indicated that the teachers faced curricular and administrative challenges when integrating eco-art education and how they manage these problems. Sarah and
Anne spoke about the challenges of the current curriculum in regards to content and quantity to cover. Sarah also addressed the stress placed on literacy skills in the curriculum and Todd spoke about how standardised testing can effect what is taught. Another major barrier that the teachers faced was time. Although integrating curriculum can save classroom time, it can often be time consuming for teachers to plan. It also takes time to organise and participate in extracurricular activities such as Ecoschools. Another issue faced was funding as art materials and materials 69 made without plastic can often be expensive. They also addressed a lack of funding for bringing in experts on EE and the arts from the community.
The final finding was that teachers observed personal and academic growth in their students as a result of integrated eco-art education. Sarah and Anne explained that they believe that integrated learning provides opportunity for different kinds of learners to be successful because there are different kinds of processes and products involved. All three of the teachers spoke about how “hands-on” learning can provide students with a different way to express their understanding and learning. The teachers also identified that the students engaged in meaningful learning experiences because they can make connections across what they are learning and develop a deeper understanding of the content. They also spoke about how eco-art can provide opportunity to take risks in their art. Specifically the teachers talk about forming an emotional connection to both the arts and EE as beneficial to both those and other subjects in order to make it more meaningful. Another major finding was how the teachers spoke about fostering a sense of activism, stewardship, and connection with the environment. They explain that students feel a sense of purpose and connect with the material when it is meaningful to their lives, as the environment is.
5.2 Implications
In this section I speak to the implications of this research. This study contributes to the grater body of knowledge surrounding eco-art education which has important implications for the educational research community. I will also explore how this research has influenced my own practice as a teacher.
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5.2.1 The educational research community
This study has been significant because it provides important information for the educational research community about how eco-art can be integrated across the curriculum.
Previous research in the area of eco-art education has focused mainly on its general use in the classroom. This research extends current literature to focus more on the curricular integration aspect of its implementation. More specifically, this research has explored specific ways integrated eco-art education has been done by classroom teachers. This research has also provided an extended definition of eco-art education to include music, dance, and drama, which previously was not part of the definition included in the literature. This is a significant finding as it expands the realm and possibilities of eco-art education.
The Ontario Ministry of Education has released policy documents which have acknowledged the importance of EE in the classroom such as Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow
(2009a) and Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations (2011). However, it is often unknown by many teachers specifically how to use them in a meaningful way in the classroom. Another significant implication is that integrated eco-art education provides an appropriate avenue for teachers to incorporate environmental concepts in the curriculum in a way which fosters a connection with the environment and a growing sense of activism for the environment. This is important because it means that students may be more likely to continue these behaviours in the future if they are taught these values in school, which will support our planet as it continues to grow and change.
5.2.3 My own practice as a teacher
Throughout the process of this research project my knowledge and comfort in integrating eco-art education in the classroom has continuously expanded. I have striven to include eco-art 71 throughout my practicum placements as a teacher candidate, after becoming immersed in the literature. After conducting this research, I have become more aware of the ways other teachers integrate eco-art in the classroom, the challenges, and the benefits of it. I am committed to continue to include integrated eco-art in the classroom as I move forward into my career as a teacher.
After speaking with the participants in this research study, I have become more aware of the possibilities for integrating eco-art education. The teachers provided creative examples of how they have utilized eco-art in order to extend their students learning, particularly around environmental issues. As a future teacher, I plan to utilise some of the examples they provided in my own practice and to continue to think creatively about possible connections that can be made across curriculum subject areas.
As a classroom teacher I will strive to ensure my students have access to the benefits identified by these teachers as outcomes of engaging in integrated eco-art education. I am committed to this practice and to providing my future students with the opportunities to expand their thinking through integrated eco-art education. I will provide opportunities to take risks and make connections across curriculum areas in order to make their learning more meaningful. I will support students in developing a deep connection with nature in order to inspire stewardship and activism within them.
Finally, this research has enabled me to see the benefit and importance planning with a
“lens” of eco-art integration. The teachers in this study explicitly referred to using an
“environmental lens” when planning lessons. They also indicated that based on the schools at which they work and their own personal interests, the ways that they choose to integrate 72 curriculum and include the arts have been influenced. As a teacher, I will look at the curriculum using those lenses in order to make these connections and support my future students’ learning.
5.3 Recommendations
In this section I will review the recommendations that I believe have immerged throughout this study. I will review how this study has influenced what I believe should be done by the policy makers, schools and teachers.
5.3.1 Policy makers
Policy makers should further support the policy documents Acting Today, Shaping
Tomorrow (2009a) and Environmental Education: Scope and Sequence of Expectations
(2011) by developing curriculum support guides with lessons specifically supporting eco-
art education.
The teachers outlined that professional development has influenced their interest and
ability to integrate eco-art education. The Ministry should utilize this information for
future planning of professional development courses offered.
The participants addressed how the current curriculum can often limit teachers when
trying to integrate curriculum because of the specific content areas, large quantity and
heavy focus on literacy skills. Integrated eco-art should be provided as a possible
curriculum support and should be included in the documents as strategies for teaching EE
and art.
Time was a challenge faced by the educators when integrating eco-art. More planning
time should be made available to teachers. Support should also be given to those
committed to running the environmental club. 73
Funding was an issue faced by the educators and therefore more funding availability
should be made to those interested in including eco-art education in the classroom.
5.3.2 Schools
The teachers shared how they had become more comfortable integrating eco-art through
professional development opportunities such as AQs. Professional development
opportunities should be run at schools which focus on learning about integrating eco-art
education across the school.
The teachers shared that their schools had particular interest in supporting the arts which
made them more interested in integrating it. School climates should encourage staff and
student participation in the arts to assist teachers in planning with an art focus.
The teachers shared that their schools were high level Ecoschools, making it more
common to integrate EE throughout the school. School climates should encourage staff
and student participation in EE, with a focus on becoming an Ecoschool in order to
support teachers in planning with an environmental lens.
Schools should support teachers in developing integrated learning opportunities by
providing opportunities for teachers to work together and support each other in planning.
The teachers identified that their own personal interest in EE and the arts influenced their
decision to integrate eco-art. Schools should foster a school climate focused on EE, the
arts and integrated curriculum by hiring staff with a personal interest and commitment to
its inclusion in the classroom.
The teachers identified positive relationships with the school administration, parents and
other teachers as important factors for integrating eco-art in their classrooms. School
administration should create a supportive atmosphere where teachers feel that they are 74
trusted. Schools should support teachers in developing trusting relationships with families
which provides education opportunities for them to learn more about integrated eco-art in
the classroom.
The teachers identified funding as a challenge to integrating eco-art. Schools should
provide funding to teachers who seek to include integrated eco-art in the classroom in
order to provide them with the materials required as well as community experts in the arts
and EE.
5.3.3 Teachers
As the participants in the research study stated: “be persistent” and “just regularly, do it”.
Allow integrated eco-art to become a “practice” in the classroom so that students
understand its significance and can benefit from it. Provide many learning opportunities
and lessons with a focus on integrated eco-art in order to support student learning. Make
the time in the day to include it.
The teachers identified professional development as an important reason they felt
confident in integrating eco-art education. Attend professional development workshops in
order to become more aware of how to integrate eco-art in the classroom.
Plan for student-centred inquiry-based learning opportunities which focus on a “big idea”
about the environment, as the teachers identified these as important planning strategies.
Student interest is important for developing meaningful learning experiences.
Use an “environmental lens” art focus and look for integrated learning opportunities
when planning lessons and units, as the teachers suggested. Reflect on the planning
process and look for the “teachable moments” to make learning meaningful. 75
Allow students to take risks and show their alternative ways of knowing through the use
of eco-art projects.
Support your students in making personal connections with the environment. This is the
stepping stone to becoming a steward and activist for the environment.
5.4 Areas of Further Research
This section will look at the possible areas for further research based on my findings.
Previously research has found that eco-art education supports students in becoming creative problem-solvers that have a deep understanding of the environment on which they believe they can have an impact (Inwood, 2008; Ulbricht, 1998). However, these studies do not look at the long term effects of eco-art on student behaviour and thought. One area that could benefit from further research is determining the long term effects of integrated eco-art education on student outcomes. This could look into a number of aspects including future activism or stewardship for the environment or artistic engagement.
A second area that could be looked at is the student perspective. Much of the literature included in the Chapter 2 of this research study outlined outcomes as teachers and researchers viewed them in students. It would be useful to gain insight into students’ thinking in order to determine the impact eco-art integration truly had for them personally.
Although this study focused on teachers who already include eco-art integration in their classroom, it would be interesting to look at the overall prevalence of teachers who use integrated eco-art education. This could provide insight into teacher awareness of the practice and provide useful information about the need for Ministry-wide professional development on the subject. It would also be interesting to note the number of teachers who engage in integrated 76 eco-art education compared with the number that use only traditional EE to teach environmental issues.
5.5 Concluding Comments
In this Chapter I began by providing a summary of my findings on how teachers are integrating eco-art education across the curriculum. I outlined how teachers’ personal experiences have influences their interest and ability to integrate eco-art in their classrooms. For the teachers in this study, eco-art education has come to include more than just a traditional view as integrating EE with visual art; it includes the other arts, as well as many other subject areas. I revisited the classroom supports the teachers had established in order to successfully include integrated eco-art education in their classrooms. I looked at the challenges teachers had experienced in integrating eco-art education as well as the personal and academic growth that the teachers had observed in their students. Next, I outlined the implications of these findings for the educational research community and myself as an educator. I then provided possible recommendations for policy makers, schools, and teachers in order to make eco-art integration possible for more teachers to understand the benefits of and utilise in their own classrooms.
Finally, I outlined a number of possible avenues for further research in the area of eco-art integration, including a longitudinal study of outcomes, a focus on student perspective, as well as to look at the prevalence of its use among educators.
This study sought to answer the question, How is a sample of elementary teachers integrating eco-art education across curriculum subjects? This research study has revealed that teachers’ experiences and the environment around them, classroom supports, curricular and administrative challenges as well as observed student outcomes have an impact on how teachers integrate eco-art. Teachers should consistently be learning about new strategies to teach students 77 about the world we live in. By integrating eco-art across the curriculum, teachers are expanding the possibilities for students to engage with environmental issues in different ways than has been seen in the past. Through this research, I have committed myself to becoming more aware of the possible strategies available for teaching students about the environment through the lens of art and many other subject areas. Overall, this research has provided a clear connection to the importance of integrating eco-art education across the curriculum and I believe it has provided some important insight into educational practice.
78
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Appendix A: Letter of Consent
Date:______Dear ______,
My Name is Erica Collinge and I am a student in the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). A component of this degree program involves conducting a small-scale qualitative research study. My research will focus on integrating eco-art across the curriculum in Ontario elementary classrooms. I am interested in interviewing teachers who have held a contract teaching position for more than one year, have a commitment integrated cross-curricular teaching, an interest in environmental education and art education, have an understanding of “eco-art” and its uses in the classroom, and have proven leadership in eco-art education (professional development, coordinate large school projects, research, etc). I think that your knowledge and experience will provide insights into this topic. Your participation in this research will involve one 45-60 minute interview, which will be transcribed and audio-recorded. I would be grateful if you would allow me to interview you at a place and time convenient for you, outside of school. The contents of this interview will be used for my research project, which will include a final paper, as well as informal presentations to my classmates. I may also present my research findings via conference presentations and/or through publication. You will be assigned a pseudonym to maintain your anonymity and I will not use your name or any other content that might identify you in my written work, oral presentations, or publications. This information will remain confidential. Any information that identifies your school or students will also be excluded. The interview data will be stored on my password- protected computer and the only person who will have access to the research data will be my course instructor Angela MacDonald. You are free to change your mind about your participation at any time, and to withdraw even after you have consented to participate. You may also choose to decline to answer any specific question during the interview. I will destroy the audio recording after the paper has been presented and/or published, which may take up to a maximum of five years after the data has been collected. There are no known risks to participation, and I will share a copy of the transcript with you shortly after the interview to ensure accuracy. Please sign this consent form, if you agree to be interviewed. The second copy is for your records. I am very grateful for your participation. Sincerely, Erica Collinge
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Consent Form
I acknowledge that the topic of this interview has been explained to me and that any questions that I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I understand that I can withdraw from this research study at any time without penalty. I have read the letter provided to me by Erica Collinge and agree to participate in an interview for the purposes described. I agree to have the interview audio-recorded.
Signature: ______Name: (printed) ______Date: ______
88
Appendix B: Interview Protocol and Questions
Introductory Script: Thank you for agreeing to participate in this research study, and for making time to be interviewed today. This research study aims to learn about how Ontario elementary teachers are integrating the arts and environmental education (EE) within their classrooms. This interview will last approximately 45-60 minutes, and I will ask you a series of questions focused on your curriculum and how you integrate the art and EE. I want to remind you that you may refrain from answering any questions, and you have the right to withdraw your participation from the study at any time. As I explained in the consent letter, this interview will be audio- recorded. Do you have any questions before we begin?
Background Information 1. How many years have you been a teacher? 2. What is your current position? a. What grade do you teach now? b. What grades have you taught in the past? c. Do you fulfill any other roles in the school? (e.g. club advisor, resource etc.) 3. Have you always taught in the same school? 4. How many years have you taught at your current school? 5. Can you tell me more about the school you teach in? (e.g. size, demographics, program priorities) Integrated curriculum 1. What does it mean to integrate curriculum to you? 2. What does integrated curriculum look like in your classroom? Do you integrate a range of subject areas? Which ones and why? 3. In what ways do you believe that an integrated curriculum benefits student learning? 4. What barriers do you face in integrating the curriculum? Environmental education 1. Is your school an eco-school? What level eco-school? (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) 2. Can you tell me what environmental education looks like in your school? In your classroom? 3. Why do you choose to integrate environmental education across the curriculum? a. Benefits b. Challenges Eco-art education 89
1. What does the term ‘eco-art education’ mean to you? What are some key characteristics of this practice? 2. What experiences have contributed to developing your interest in teaching eco-art education? a. Personal experiences? (e.g. beliefs, interests) b. Educational experiences? (e.g. university course work, teachers college, additional qualifications, professional development) c. Professional experiences? (e.g. employment positions, teaching experience) 3. Does your school have any programming related to environmental education or the arts? 4. If I were to spend a day in your classroom, what evidence of eco-art education would I see? Can you provide me with some examples what eco-art education looks like to you? 5. Can you tell me more about how you teach eco-art? What are some of the strategies you use? 6. What other areas of the curriculum have you integrated eco-art with? Which ones and why? Please share some examples of lessons. 7. In your experience, how is integrating eco-art beneficial for students? Why is it an important practice? 8. How do you plan the lessons and units in your classroom? a. How do you come to your ideas? b. What process do you follow? c. What kinds of things do you need to consider? 9. And what about assessment? How do you design your assessment and evaluation tools for eco-art education? 10. How have your students responded to engaging in integrated eco-art education? What outcomes have you observed from your eco-art lessons? Supports and Challenges 1. What range of factors and resources support your integration of eco-art education? (e.g. school climate, leadership from admin, parent support and interest, access to materials, access to outdoor spaces etc.) 2. What challenges do you face when implementing integrated eco-art education? How do you respond to these challenges, and what would further support you?
Next Steps 1. What are your professional goals for integrating eco-art education in your classroom? How would you like to continue developing this practice? 2. What advice, if any, do you have for beginning teachers who are committed to integrating eco-art into their classroom?
Thank you for your participation in this research study.