ºìÐÓÊÓƵ

Topic

Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating School-based Environmental Education Programs that Braid Indigenous and Western Science

Social Dimensions of Health

Date & location

• Wednesday, December 18, 2024
• 9:00 A.M.
• Virtual Defence

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Carmen Rodriguez de France, Department of Indigenous Education, University of Victoria (Supervisor)
• Dr. Nancy Shackelford, School of Environmental Studies, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Nevin Harper, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, UVic (Outside Member)

External Examiner

• Dr. Kiera Brant-Birioukov, Faculty of Education, York University

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Sandra Gibbons, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, UVic

Abstract

Evaluations are valuable tools for program improvement, particularly for environmental education that integrates Indigenous and Western Science, where the goal is to enhance knowledge, skills, and awareness to encourage participation in environmental stewardship through the respectful weaving of Indigenous and Western Science practices and principles. In this dissertation, I explore the development, implementation, and evaluation of environmental education programs that integrate Indigenous and Western Science in school-based settings. The introduction outlines the research context, my positionality, and the research relationships that facilitated the studies. Each data chapter corresponds to a phase of the program lifecycle—development, implementation, and evaluation—where principles of developmental, collaborative, and culturally responsive evaluation approaches ground this work. Chapter One presents a checklist for developing programs that braid Indigenous and Western Science, written in a narrative style to synthesize my experiences and highlight key learning moments. Chapter Two presents an examination of program implementation across two distinct curricular contexts, and a discussion of strengths, challenges, and trends identified through process evaluations. In Chapter Three, I analyze program outcomes, specifically the impacts on students’ environmental knowledge and attitudes, relationships with nature, and engagement with material, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. I discuss main themes I identified from the data. I conclude by engaging in reflective exercises that explore how principles of Indigenous education and developmental evaluation appeared in my research. Through sharing my experiences in navigating program development, implementation, and evaluation in the field of environmental education, my research contributes to a growing body of literature that addresses the ecological crisis and works to dismantle colonial educational structures.