Mid Sweden University

This presentation builds on the assumptions that today's crises, be they environmental, social or political (e.g., the failing confidence in democracy), need to be, and would benefit from being, confronted together (Orr, 2024). With education as a necessary partner in this eco-social-cultural change work (Fettes & Blenkinsop, 2023) and the desire to enable eco-democracy in practice (Blenkinsop & Wilhelmsson, 2025), we draw on research recently done at an outdoor school in Canada. Our focus here will be on how location, curriculum, and various ‘media’ considerations interact to ‘help or hinder’ the project. We start with a brief overview of the eco-school itself. Then we move to a description of our method, narrative inquiry (Clandinin, Pushor, & Orr, 2007). This research followed a single teacher of grades 1-2 over the course of several weeks, through various teaching and learning locations. We then present the findings, drawn from observational and interview-based data, but with a theoretical twist. This is because our analysis has been aided by a theoretical frame and thought-provoking heuristic that rests on the work of media theorist Harold Innes (1950) and outdoor educator/theorist Devin Mustic. The presentation will end with a shared discussion about the possibilities and implications of this ‘theory of media’ and its significance for outdoor educators and researchers who are interested in the ideas of both eco-democracy andeco-social-cultural change.

References:

Blenkinsop, S. & Wilhelmsson, L. (2025). In search of eco-democracy: education for mutually beneficial flourishing.Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 41 (2), 325-337.Clandinin, D. J., Pushor, D., & Orr, A. (2007). Navigating sites for narrative inquiry. Journal of Teacher Education, 58(1),21–38.Fettes, M., & Blenkinsop, S. (2023). Education as practice of eco-social-cultural change. Palgrave-MacMillan.Innis, Harold. (1950) Empire and communications. Oxford UniversityOrr, D. W. (2024). The missing politics in environmental education, revisited. Australian Journal of EnvironmentalEducation, 40(3), 382–389.