Children's environmental identity and the elementary science classroom

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research explores children's environmental identity by describing how fifth grade children view their relationship with the natural world alongside their experience of elementary school science. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 17 grade 5 children was supported with a survey that included responses to open-ended survey items. Analyses convey that children recognize and describe their own environmental identity, but that identity is often unacknowledged in the science classroom. This lack of acknowledgment may limit connections of school science to children's interests and emotional attachment to the natural world.

KEYWORDS:

• education
• elementary
• environmental identity
• science