Research overview

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Research overview

Time to Act is a research project, meaning that we are trying to add to humanity’s understanding of the world. Specifically, we are exploring:

How do teachers currently feel about climate change education?

What strategies are teachers currently using to engage with climate justice in the classroom?

How can engaging with peers in a participatory workshop and post-workshop mentor sessions build teachers’ capacity to work effectively and creatively with students in this critical area of education?

Put simply, we want to help teachers develop teaching and learning approaches that build students’ awareness, understanding and empathy, but avoid increasing eco-anxiety in young people. We believe that the arts, and especially drama, are powerful educational approaches to climate change education and climate justice for all ages.

Time to Act as a community of practice includes a series of professional learning workshops, mentoring and peer networking, and resource sharing. All aspects of this community of practice are of interest to the researchers, but you do not have to participate in the research to be part of the community.

If you are a teacher who is not currently involved in the research aspects of Time to Act, and would like to participate, please register for a professional learning workshop, and/or fill in the expression of interest form below:

Like any research project, we have a research paradigm and methodology. We have strategies for collecting and analysing data and sharing our research findings. We have also considered risks and benefits associated with our research. To find out more, click on the drop-down boxes below.

Research paradigm: How do we currently understand the world?

We understand the world as supercomplex. We believe that

  • reality is complex and dynamic, or always changing.
  • people’s views of and ideas about the world are also shifting.
  • therefore, we need to embrace and cherish things like uncertainty, fragility, the unknown, and feeling insecure or strange.
  • even though we’re trying to understand the world a bit better, we know that any understandings we reach will be
    • constructed (created based on the evidence we have, not necessarily true)
    • multiple (we might have different understandings)
    • shifting (our understandings might change)
    • contested (someone else might challenge us)

But that’s part of the fun!

Supercomplexity as a way of understanding the world was developed by Professor Ronald Barnett. You can learn more about Professor Barnett’s ideas here.

Methodology: What are we doing to further our understand of the world?

We are using a research strategy known as participatory action research, using arts-based research methods. This means we work alongside teachers to better understand how you can be engaged and empowered. We are working in cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection to evolve and address the research questions and issues.

  • Planning: First, we identified the problem and developed our research focus and questions. We developed professional learning workshops that we think will support you to work effectively and creatively with students on climate change education and climate justice. We reached out to expert teachers to share curriculum materials, mentor participants, and co-lead workshops.
  • Action: We advertise and facilitate professional learning workshops, which teachers seek out to improve practice and develop supportive networks (Stage 1). At the end of each workshop, new teachers are invited to join the Time to Act community of practice (Stage 2). Stage 2 teachers are connected with a Stage 3 mentor teacher. The mentor will support you to develop and implement a project in your school engaging with climate change education through drama/arts-based practices. If you are interested, you may go on to become an expert teacher yourself (Stage 3)! Stage 3 teachers mentor others in the community, share resources from their school projects, and/or co-lead professional learning workshops. Teachers in Stages 2 and 3 may be invited to co-author research papers if opportunities arise.
  • Observation: Throughout the stages, our researchers will be observing and documenting what occurs. You can join a Stage 1 professional learning workshop without participating in the research. However, those who choose to participate will be asked to complete pre- and post-workshop surveys. Photos will be taken of research participants during the workshops. Researchers will also note observations and reflections on participants. If you continue through Stages 2 and 3, you will participate more actively in observing your progress, as well as participating in interviews and reflective sessions.
  • Reflection: Throughout the stages, you will be invited to reflect on your experiences through surveys, arts-based approaches (drama, drawing, writing, etc.), and interviews. The researchers will also be reflecting on what occurs. We use our reflections to further and share our understanding of the world, and also to plan for new cycles of this project! As time passes, the Time to Act workshops and mentoring processes will evolve, and the curriculum library on this website will develop, as we understand better how to help teachers work effectively and creatively with students in this critical area of education.
Data collection and analysis: What are we basing our developing understandings on?

Stage 1: Professional Learning Workshops

You will be asked to complete an anonymous pre-workshop survey. This survey will ask questions about your thoughts and feelings about climate change education and climate justice, what approaches you currently take, and what questions or concerns you currently have.

During the workshop you will be asked to reflect on the process, the drama activities, new learning, and how you might apply that learning in your educational context. These reflections may be written, visual, physical, digital, and/or recorded. Some photographs will be taken during the workshop. We hope to use these images in reporting on this research, but will only do so if you provide consent.

After the workshop you will be asked to complete an anonymous post-workshop survey. This survey will ask questions about your experiences and observations of the workshop, your responses to using drama as a pedagogy, and what you feel you can take back to your school and use to teach climate change education and climate justice.

Later in the year, after you have had time to reflect and possibly implement some of the activities, you will be invited to attend an optional focus group interview on Zoom with other participants.

Stage 2: Implementing Your Own Project

After you connect with your mentor, you will be invited to complete a brief written reflection on your experience.

Depending on how you develop and implement your own project, you may be invited to participate in further research through interviews, surveys, and other methods.

Stage 3: Becoming an Expert Teacher

Expert teachers have the opportunity to shape aspects of the Time to Act research project. You will be invited to participate in interviews and surveys as appropriate. You may also work with us to collect other forms of data (e.g., observations, examples of students’ work, etc.).

Research findings: How are we going to share our developing understandings with the world?

The findings from this research will be published in academic journals and presented at conferences. At the conclusion of the project a summary of the findings will be provided to participants.

Do we foresee any risks or benefits to being involved in this research?

Teachers’ safety and well-being is our top priority in this project. We anticipate minimal risks and numerous benefits for participants.

Risks:

Pseudonyms will be used in any research outputs. No schools or workplaces will be identified. If you feel uncomfortable responding to any questions on the surveys or in the focus group, you are not obliged to respond.

If you consent to the use of your images, these may mean that you can be identified as having participated in the workshops. However, images will not be linked in any way to other data.

You may feel a sense of anxiety discussing climate change education, climate justice and related issues. We anticipate that airing concerns with others who are also proactively seeking approaches to climate change education may reduce anxiety. If anyone does express anxiety, we will manage this directly with the participant and offer strategies for stepping out and/or receiving support

Benefits:

You will become part of a community of practice with teachers who work creatively and collaboratively using drama pedagogies to effectively turn the climate concern experienced by students into a productive response.

The Time to Act project has a strong partnership between Drama Victoria, an established professional teaching association with over 50 years of experience and Deakin University’s Centre for Regenerating Futures involving interdisciplinary researchers responding to the human and more than human world. By working with educators across sectors, it is designed to have growing but sustainable impact as a quality climate change education research study.