Music, dance and making things by hand are a big part of Caribbean life. Children there often make toys from things others have thrown away. Yet the arts are rarely used on purpose in environmental education. The authors also point out that when future teachers learn this way, they may pass it on to many pupils.
The researchers studied a 13-week environmental education course at a university in Jamaica, taken by 74 students over three years, many of them training to be science teachers. They looked closely at 23 pieces students made for their first assignment, along with the students' written explanations, and interviewed three students.
The researchers found:
- Students expressed their ideas in many different ways. They made board games, models, lamps, pencil holders, birdfeeders, placemats, dresses, jewelry and slippers. Others wrote storybooks, poems and websites, or made songs and videos. Materials included plastic bottles and caps, old CDs, coconut leaves, thatch, cardboard and even an old computer hard drive.
- Making things built real connections to the environment. Students saw that their pieces could reduce waste right away. They recognized the practical and money value of objects others throw out. They also saw that art can stir care for nature and bring family and community together.
- Not everyone was keen at first. Two of the three students interviewed felt anxious or hesitant. They lacked confidence in their art skills and thought "art" meant elaborate handmade objects. The third student, who had made crafts with family since childhood, felt at ease.
- Students were more engaged and proud of their work. They found the task more engaging than lectures or reading. It pushed them to research the issue themselves, and they were proud to share what they made. One student even went on to sell upcycled items.
What this means for your practice
- Widen what counts as art. Offer writing, poetry, music and video alongside making objects. That way, learners can start from skills they already have rather than worrying about what they can't do.
- Name the nerves early. Don't assume everyone will be excited. Talk openly at the start about feeling unsure, and reassure learners that the idea matters more than polish.
- Use what's already around. Everyday and discarded materials make the task easy to start and help learners see the value in things usually thrown away.
- Ask learners to explain their work. Students in this course added a one-sentence definition, a slogan and a short written explanation. Building in reflection like this helps learners connect what they made to what they learned.
- Invite families and community in. Encourage learners to make their pieces with family or community members, and give them a chance to share the finished work.
- Let future teachers try it first. If you train teachers, have them make environmental art themselves. Feeling what it's like helps them teach it with confidence.
Return to Arts-Based and Creative Approaches to Environmental Education eeRESEARCH Collection
The Bottom Line
The researchers followed a university environmental education course in Jamaica where students made something, using materials they already had, to show what they understood about the environment. Students created board games, lamps, jewelry, clothing, storybooks, songs and videos, often from plastic bottles, old CDs and coconut leaves. Making these pieces helped them see how they could cut waste, find value in discarded objects and use art to get family and community involved. Students found the task more engaging than lectures, though some felt nervous at first because they didn't see themselves as artists. For educators, the study shows that arts-based projects can deepen learning, especially when you widen what counts as art and address learners' worries from the start.