Children's digitally mediated perezhivanie/enchantment in backyard excursions to "nature"

Authors

  • Peter D Renshaw University of Queensland, Australia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2052-2055
  • Kirsty Jackson The School of Education The University of Queensland
  • Harriet Mortlock Harriet Mortlock is a teacher at Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre at Pullenvale Queensland
  • Ron Tooth Dr Ron Tooth is Principal of Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30557/QW000046

Keywords:

Enchantment, Perezhivanie, Pedagogy, Digitally Mediated Agency, Nature

Abstract

We examine children's digitally mediated excursions to "nature" in their backyards when Covid-19 prevented environmental excursions. The data consists of young children's accounts of their backyard excursions recorded on digital devices and posted online to Seesaw. We use sociocultural theory to analyse the co-agency of child and the digital device, the unit of analysis being "a child-using-a-digital-device". To theorise experience, we deploy Vygotsky's concept of perezhivanie and Bennett's notion of enchantment. The analysis of posts to Seesaw revealed children's experience of vivid, emotionally engaging moments with "nature", and evidence of an ethic of care. We conclude that emotionally engaging pedagogies based on perezhivanie/enchantment are important in addressing current environmental crises.

Author Biographies

Peter D Renshaw, University of Queensland, Australia

I am Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Queensland.

Kirsty Jackson, The School of Education The University of Queensland

Kirsty Jackson is a doctoral student at the University of Queensland

Harriet Mortlock, Harriet Mortlock is a teacher at Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre at Pullenvale Queensland

Harriet is an environmental educator and part of a research project conducted at the University of Queensland led by Professor Peter Renshaw

Ron Tooth, Dr Ron Tooth is Principal of Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of Queensland

Dr Ron Tooth is Principal of Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of Queensland

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Published

2021-12-23