Students’ connection to nature and culturally responsive teaching in early years teacher education

Abstract

The study wanted to contribute to the development of culturally responsive teaching in outdoor education. To implement culturally responsive teaching in outdoor situations, the authors wanted insight into student teachers’ contact with nature and engagement with environmental sustainability issues. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of student teacher discussions in an Erasmus course at a university in Norway. The data consisted of transcripts of student discussions in a statement game using claims borrowed from Nisbet et al.’s Nature Relatedness Scale. The analysis resulted in three main themes: 1) Contact and interaction with nature, 2) Bigger political things, and 3) We as teachers. Student teachers showed a broad interest in ethical and political topics, often expressing a sense of distance and worry concerning global climate and environmental issues. The study emphasises the importance of critical emotional awareness in heterogeneous student groups.

Keywords

• teacher education
• culturally responsive teaching
• significant nature situations
• human-nature connection