Critical caring for people and place

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhat role does caring play in environmental education? The development of caring relationships in formal school settings remains a foundational yet underexamined concept in environmental education research. This study examines the role of caring relationships between people and place in an urban high school in the United States. We draw upon theoretical lenses of caring and justice by egalitarian and feminist scholars to examine the role that authentic caring plays in a teacher's practice and in students’ experiences when engaged in urban park restoration. Findings reveal that the caring role of the environmental science teacher in this study is significant; the teacher's caring/carework mediates how students in his class relate to the environmental learning experiences. Further, through these experiences students in the study likewise initiated care both for themselves and others.