An autoethnographic exploration of family-based emergent nature learning
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Issue Date
2017-04-04
Editor
Authors
Corcoran, Rita Marie
License
Subject
autoethnography
education
emergent
environment
family-based
nature
education
emergent
environment
family-based
nature
Abstract
Through autoethonography, I explored emergent nature learning in a family context. I facilitated and journaled about eighty-five family-based nature experiences with my own family, ten of which included other families. I created the term enthusiastic nature learning (ENL) as an indication of whether my children both enjoyed the nature experiences and either (1) took notice of the non-human life surrounding them, (2) made biological observations, (3) engaged in discussions regarding the natural surroundings, (4) used their natural surroundings in play, (5) or expressed interest in returning to the natural location. Variability among the three broad factors of Leadership, Participants and Place affected how ENL emerged. In addition, the explicit design of the experiences, called Active Design, the Relationships among participants, and the Modality of learning of each participant also affected the emergence of ENL.