Engaging Students Eco-Philosophies in Research and Teaching

Abstract

This paper interprets student teachers' responses to open-ended interview probes concerning the relationship of humans to the non-human natural world, complementing outcomes presented earlier (Robertson, 1993). Outcomes are presented as conceptualisations: humans and nonhumans sharing common processes of origin, and humans becoming alienated from nature. A third category describes four intrinsic value-based conceptualisations: awareness-, life-, ecosystem-, and God's purpose-based, followed by an inherent value-based conceptualisation of aesthetic experience of natural settings. Finally, an instrumental conceptualisation of therapeutic value is presented. The outcomes are used to support the argument for incorporating students' eco-philosophies within instruction in environmental education.