Educating for Thinking about "A Good Quality of Life" and Qualitative Research Outcomes

Abstract

In environmental education the construction of critical ways of thinking about ecologically relevant questions is fundamental. An undoubtedly significant issue to be raised is that of "good quality of life." The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of the idea of "good quality of life" in the context of an educative process which values both firsthand experiences of nature and the engagement to think on the experiences and on one's ideas, both individually and in group discussions. I have assumed that in order to promote the evolution of ideas exerting a strong performative power on one's existence it is necessary not only to transform the class in a community of discourse, which stimulates thinking together in order to match one's opinions and beliefs and to critically evaluate them, but also to provide meaningful experiences around which we can "think together." The findings show that experiencing nature can transform our ideas when the subjects are engaged in a metaconceptual work aimed at monitoring the evolution of ideas while staying embedded in the experience.