Abstract
This ecofeminist-inspired research study, influenced by an ethic of care, engaged the participants in photo-elicitation and interviews. Ecofeminism originated as a theory and movement related to women and the environment (Estévez-Saá & Lorenzo-Modia, 2018), while an ethic of care stems from relational ethics that assumes human connectedness in context (Clement, 1996; Noddings, 2013). Thematic and visual narrative analysis of collected data supported the establishment of findings. The study aimed to contribute to the idea that a place-based approach can be taken to developing a holistic, meaningful and balanced local curriculum – one that privileges a ‘sense of place’ and the relationship between humans and their environments as co-habitors.
Highlights
Place can be defined as space that matters to humans, exposing their subjective and emotional attachment, transforming space into a site of human significance
This study demonstrated that the LEOTC educators had access to place knowledge and recognised their critical role in sharing and gifting place knowledge
Schools are enjoined by the Ministry of Education to “strengthen [their] local curriculum, respond to progress, and reinforce learning partnerships with parents and whanau” (2021, “Leading local curriculum guide series”)
Summary
Place can be defined as space that matters to humans, exposing their subjective and emotional attachment, transforming space into a site of human significance. At a more complex level, how LEOTC educators make sense of their spatial realities, it becomes feasible to (re)imagine ‘place’ and what it could mean for local school curriculum design. The process of this study, which was attuned to Thirdspace, can be applied to any school community as a means of informing its local school curriculum.
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