| Description |
The purpose of this action research project is to explore the effects of place-based environmental sustainability education (ESE) as taught to students within a lower elementary Montessori classroom. ESE aims to create future citizens who are ecologically literate and willing to take action to solve the problems caused by a drastically changing global climate. Participants were students between the ages of six and nine who attended a private inclusive program in the Mountain West. Effects of ESE were explored through student perceptions as recorded during focused lessons in the classroom and surrounding community. The study gauges students' prior knowledge and current attitudes toward their natural environment and collected new data by analyzing actions taken in response to formal experiences as well as informal, Montessori curriculum integration. Data was collected through forms of student work, photography, video-audio recordings, student-created artifacts and displays. Evidence supports Montessori pedagogy aligning with the sustainable aims of ESE. Through the findings, the study revealed many aspects of the research question which effect and are affected by environmental appreciation, the Montessori ecosystem, place, and critical role modeling. |
