Educators may expect that children's personal connections with nature will fuel their interest in science. Yet classroom science lessons can become disconnected from students' own thoughts and feelings about nature without an opportunity to directly experience the lesson's topic, making the content seem abstract and remote. The authors of this article hypothesized that educators can help improve the science classroom experience by connecting with students' environmental identities. To investigate the relationship between environmental identity and science education, the researchers interviewed 5th grade students about their relationship with nature and how that relationship influences their ideas about science.
The authors define environmental identity as how a person relates to nature and the environment, as perceived by themselves and by others. Three dimensions comprise environmental identity: experiences with nature, feelings about nature, and ways of thinking about nature. These identities depend on complex social and cultural factors, and they develop as an individual gains knowledge and experience. Although adults' environmental identities are well-researched, evidence is limited regarding how children's environmental identities relate to their classroom experiences.
The researchers explored this question in a southeastern U.S. elementary school, where they interviewed and surveyed a class of 17 5th grade students. They selected this school based on its ethnic and economic diversity, along with the teacher's willingness to participate. The 5th grade curriculum focused on ecosystems, which the researchers believed would provide a helpful background for discussing relationships with nature. The researchers interviewed 17 students and their teacher, asking about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in nature. Participants also completed a questionnaire that asked two open-ended questions about nature and science.
The study found that participant children represented a wide variety of environmental identities, from those strongly connected to the outdoors to those largely disinterested in nature, as well as a range of more neutral positions. The results suggest that—regardless of environmental identity—the children thought deeply about their relationships with the environment. When asked to talk about their relationship with nature, students most often focused on their own experiences and described how their feelings and thoughts about nature arose from those experiences. Regardless of their thoughts about nature, most students either were disinterested in science or did not find science lessons enjoyable, reporting that this was because school curriculum seldom included interactive experiences in natural spaces. The teacher and students frequently misjudged the environmental identities of others, which the authors attributed to few opportunities in the classroom for students to express their environmental identities to others.
Although the authors selected this classroom based on its diversity, the study only gathered data from a single group of students; the results may not be representative of all students or all schools. Students' connection with science topics depends on curriculum content and teaching styles, which also likely vary between schools. Additionally, more research is necessary to evaluate whether students of all age ranges experience the same relationship between environmental identity and science classroom engagement.
The authors recommend that teachers provide science lessons in outdoor settings as much as possible, as most students felt that this would make the content feel more relevant and engaging. Providing opportunities for students to discuss their feelings about nature would help teachers better understand students' environmental identities, making it possible for teachers to connect science curriculum to personal interests and experiences. Finally, the authors hypothesize that free-choice learning opportunities would augment students' engagement with science by allowing them to relate their coursework to the environmental topics that matter most to their identities.
The Bottom Line
The authors of this article sought to examine the relationship between children's environmental identities and their experiences with classroom science. The results of the study suggest that improving teachers' awareness of children's environmental identities may help educators relate science content to students on a more personal level. The researchers interviewed a class of 5th grade students and their teacher, concluding that the curriculum largely did not connect with students' environmental identities, leading even nature-loving students to feel disconnected from science. The authors recommend that—when possible—schools encourage teachers to implement free-choice learning, outdoor lessons, and opportunities for discussion and reflection.