Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher
Western contemporary educational systems tend to re-produce, and thus maintain, the existent non-sustainable social structures, failing to live up to the present critical times. Their aim is confined to preparation for financial “success,” whereas they disregard the imminence of environmental crises...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S081406262500014X/type/journal_article |
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| author | Zoe Theodosaki Alexandros Georgopoulos Costas Gavrilakis |
| author_facet | Zoe Theodosaki Alexandros Georgopoulos Costas Gavrilakis |
| author_sort | Zoe Theodosaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Western contemporary educational systems tend to re-produce, and thus maintain, the existent non-sustainable social structures, failing to live up to the present critical times. Their aim is confined to preparation for financial “success,” whereas they disregard the imminence of environmental crises and global social shifts and are rooted in the human sense of superiority over nature, that is, anthropocentrism. The present article acknowledges the need for reconsideration of humans’ place and role in the ecosystem and focuses on the importance of a more ecocentric pedagogy. A holistic in-service teacher training was designed and implemented in Greece, inspired by the wild pedagogies touchstones, mainly the notion of nature as co-teacher. Twelve participants met for the course of a year to immerse themselves in nature-centred, affective, relational, “wild” experiences. Changes were recorded using pre/post-semi-structured interviews to inquire into participants’ perceptions of self versus Self (i.e. acknowledging oneself as part of a larger whole) and perceptions of (environmental) education. It appears that deep, relational nature experiences (a) can shift the perception of individualised self towards Self, (b) can shift the perception of teacher identity towards that of a change agent and (c) can set ethics and values education as a priority among trainee-teacher participants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f61a84967494842bc4ac42b5ca7a930 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0814-0626 2049-775X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian Journal of Environmental Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f61a84967494842bc4ac42b5ca7a9302025-08-20T04:02:37ZengCambridge University PressAustralian Journal of Environmental Education0814-06262049-775X2025-05-014120021210.1017/aee.2025.14Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-TeacherZoe Theodosaki0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5433-7132Alexandros Georgopoulos1https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5861-1170Costas Gavrilakis2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0421-9021Department of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GreeceSchool of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GreeceWestern contemporary educational systems tend to re-produce, and thus maintain, the existent non-sustainable social structures, failing to live up to the present critical times. Their aim is confined to preparation for financial “success,” whereas they disregard the imminence of environmental crises and global social shifts and are rooted in the human sense of superiority over nature, that is, anthropocentrism. The present article acknowledges the need for reconsideration of humans’ place and role in the ecosystem and focuses on the importance of a more ecocentric pedagogy. A holistic in-service teacher training was designed and implemented in Greece, inspired by the wild pedagogies touchstones, mainly the notion of nature as co-teacher. Twelve participants met for the course of a year to immerse themselves in nature-centred, affective, relational, “wild” experiences. Changes were recorded using pre/post-semi-structured interviews to inquire into participants’ perceptions of self versus Self (i.e. acknowledging oneself as part of a larger whole) and perceptions of (environmental) education. It appears that deep, relational nature experiences (a) can shift the perception of individualised self towards Self, (b) can shift the perception of teacher identity towards that of a change agent and (c) can set ethics and values education as a priority among trainee-teacher participants.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S081406262500014X/type/journal_articleDeep ecologyecocentricholistic approachin-service trainingteacherswild pedagogies |
| spellingShingle | Zoe Theodosaki Alexandros Georgopoulos Costas Gavrilakis Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher Australian Journal of Environmental Education Deep ecology ecocentric holistic approach in-service training teachers wild pedagogies |
| title | Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher |
| title_full | Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher |
| title_fullStr | Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher |
| title_short | Wilding Pedagogies: Impact of an In-Service Teacher Training in Greece with Nature as Co-Teacher |
| title_sort | wilding pedagogies impact of an in service teacher training in greece with nature as co teacher |
| topic | Deep ecology ecocentric holistic approach in-service training teachers wild pedagogies |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S081406262500014X/type/journal_article |
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