Teaching geography through fieldwork: exploring sensory approaches for more environmental awareness.
Topics: Geography Education
, Field Methods
, Qualitative Research
Keywords: Geography education, environmental education, fieldwork, sensory methods, awareness
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 08:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 09:20 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 45
Authors:
Suzy Blondin, Haute Ecole Pédagogique de Fribourg, Switzerland
Justine Letouzey-Pasquier, Haute Ecole Pédagogique de Fribourg, Switzerland
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Abstract
Some studies have framed the current ecological crisis as a crisis of sensibility to the living
environment, which could be defined as “an impoverishment of what we can feel, perceive,
and understand, and the relationships we can develop with living things” (Zhong Mengual
and Morizot 2018, 87). Other studies have brought forward some ways we could enrich our
sensibilities by increasing our sensory awareness (Thibaud 2020). In the
field of geography education, doing fieldwork has been recognized as a particularly useful way
for students to interact with, practice, and sense the biophysical environment (Kent et al
1997). Learning through experience and in a state of sensory awareness enables to access new
forms or knowledge and to reach a new ecology of learning by exploring how humans, nonhumans,
and things relate to one another. This could help students develop their creativity
and critical thinking towards complex human-environment issues and problem-solving skills.
This communication will be based on a literature review on the topics of sensory geographies
and fieldwork education, and on preliminary results from our ongoing research on geography
teaching through fieldwork in Fribourg, Switzerland. The two authors of this communication,
one Master’s student, and 7 primary teachers with their 5- to 7-year-old students participate
in the collaborative research project. We aim to discuss the role of fieldwork in renewing the
students and teachers’ regimes of attention towards their environment and the way our
project may help the primary teachers understand the value of fieldwork and incorporate it in
their teaching.
Teaching geography through fieldwork: exploring sensory approaches for more environmental awareness.
Category
Virtual Paper Abstract
Description
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