Innovative praxis for environmental learning in Canadian faculties of education

Abstract

This article explores innovative praxis in Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in four preservice teacher education programmes in Canada. ESE is finding its way into teacher education in a variety of innovative and interdisciplinary ways, as both part of mainstream programmes and in their co-curricular margins. Using a case study approach, each case builds on unique connections to Indigenous education, art education, cultural learning or educational gardening, which supports a variety of differing aspects in relation to ESE. These cases share a common theme of building relationships at the heart of ESE teaching and learning in the mainstream and the margins of the academy. Brought together through a Canadian network of faculty, researchers, policy-makers and community educators that was formed in 2016, these cases demonstrate a deep commitment and imaginative capacity for embedding ESE in Canada’s teacher education systems.

From the Margins to the Mainstream

“…Canada continues to establish its reputation in the international field of TESE. This modest volume, along with others (Boileau et al, 2021;Evans et al, 2021;Karrow & DiGiuseppe, 2019;Karrow & Howard, 2020;Karrow et al, 2020;Sims et al, 2021) are a testament to this. This invitation on the part of Canadian TESE researchers to work alongside an international TESE researcher such as Dr. Evans was a deliberate effort to broaden our own national perspective, strengthen our research community by considering different perspectives and pursuing further collaborations, continue to raise the profile of Canada within the international scene, and to learn from one another.…”

“…Recently, Canada has made promising gains in establishing itself as an important contributor to nurturing and advancing the field of TESE (Sims et al, 2021;Karrow & Howard, 2020;Karrow & DiGiuseppe, 2019;Harwood, 2019;Harwood, Barrat, & Collier, 2019;and Inwood & Jagger, 2014). Aligned with calls from international TESE researchers (Evans et al, 2021;Evans et al, 2017;Gough, 2016;and Pipere, Veisson & Salite, 2015), Canadian TESE research priorities have tentatively been identified as consisting of: re-defining ESE; reviewing Canadian and international TESE research literature; and examining potential Canadian and international TESE research topics including but not limited to: connecting the social and the ecological; teacher 'identity' and 'agency'; community-based TESE; teaching/student learning and belief systems; and challenges in applying research to practice (Karrow & Howard, 2020).…”