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Date Permissions Signed

5-31-2022

Date of Award

Spring 2022

Document Type

Masters Field Project

Department or Program Affiliation

Environmental Education

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

Stanger, Nicholas

Second Advisor

Myers. Gene (O. Gene)

Abstract

This study investigated the potential for somatic pedagogies to address eco-anxiety among prospective environmental educators. Although it can also have positive effects, eco-anxiety often becomes an overwhelming experience that contributes to high levels of burnout and inaction. Somatic pedagogies are those that purposefully include a sensory-reflective component. A short curricular intervention was implemented in an environmental education curriculum class of 19 undergraduate students to explore how using somatic pedagogies to reflect on eco-emotions impacted readiness to address eco-anxiety in their future teaching, and in what ways somatic pedagogies might support environmental education teacher preparation. Using grounded theory methodology to analyze participant responses revealed significant growth in ability to address eco-anxiety from the use of somatic pedagogies. This paper gives rich description of three overarching themes that emerged in participants’ experiences.

Type

Text

Keywords

eco-anxiety, somatics, embodied learning, curriculum, environmental education, teacher preparation

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1322582186

Subject – LCSH

Environmental education--Washington (State)--Bellingham; Teachers--Training of--Washington (State)--Bellingham; Senses and sensation; Anxiety

Geographic Coverage

Bellingham (Wash.)

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

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