Transcript Project results, The Mutants` Circle

The Mutants’ Circle
Project Results
Littoral et vie Research Group
Université de Moncton
Pruneau, D., Doyon, A., Langis, J., Vasseur,
L., Ouellet, E., McLaughlin, É., Martin, G. et
Boudreau, G., September 2003
The Mutants’ Circle
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Project objectives:
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To train teachers throughout
the Atlantic provinces to
climate change
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Build a circle of people helping
to mitigate climate change:
teachers and students
adopting new environmental
behaviours
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Number of participants:
● Teachers: 300 trained and 52
participated in the research
● Students: 1 300 trained and
75 participated in the
research
The Mutants’ Circle
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Collaborative Research Objectives:
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Teachers were asked to try 1-2 environmental
behaviour and describe the process of change during
their attempts : adopted behaviours, facilitating
factors, limiting factors, feelings…
Teachers reflected on the process of change and
created their own model for climate change education
to use in the classroom.
Describe the process of change amongst students
trying to adopt new environmental behaviours.
Teacher interventions in the classroom
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Information and research on climate change
Observations and solos in nature
Individual and group projects to help the climate or the environment:
recycling, picking trash…
Discussions during new behaviour trials
Writing and presenting a play
Reflective journal
Continuum
Story reading
Presentations to younger students
Inquiry in school garbage production
Songs, etc.
Results
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Teachers and students reduced
their consumption of electricity
and paper towels, reduced
packaging in their lunches,
walked more, saved water , etc.
The teachers were motivated to
do so by knowledge building
activities, the solo in nature, the
continuum, group discussions…
The students did it to save the
earth (animals, trees…),
because of the solo and forest
walk, because of the perceived
consequences of climate change
and because it was a group
project.
Facilitating and limiting factors
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Being part of a
community of change
Easiness of the chosen
behaviour
Using reminders
(memos…) or sense of
organization to succeed
Family or other person as
a role model or
encouragement
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Lack of time
Difficulty in asserting
one’s differences
Family not aware or not
convinced or does not
approve of the action
Forgetting to do the task
Feelings
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Joy, pride, fatigue,
relief, impression of
being a hero,
frustration when
unable to convince
others, hope,
discouragement
sometimes, profound
desire to convince
others…
Reflections from teachers
 Importance
of frequent discussions on the
new actions with students: reminds them
of the actions, encourages those that have
not started.
 Students love to share on what they are
doing and this is a good opportunity to
listen and encourage them.
 Difficulties must be worked out as a group.
The group finds ways of succeeding.
More reflections from teachers
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Works best with students with a good self-esteem.
Some students said they would keep doing their actions for a long
time, others were not sure.
Most students were really convinced and engaged, but others did it
to please their teacher.
The solo, the observation of environmental problems in the field
and other affective activities (theatre, songs) motivate to action.
It works best when the class decides of the group project to be
undertaken
Students find very important to help others with their actions
(especially adults). This helps them with their own process of
change.
Importance of reflection (reflective journal).
Other elements of their experience
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Some of them said that trying new actions encouraged
them to convince close relatives to do the same
The success with their behaviour encouraged them to try
other behaviours
Living out this type of experience made some
participants more conscious of all the gestures that they
make and of the environmental impacts of these
gestures
New in this research – The impact of
the course activities
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The solo gave the feeling of
being part of nature. This belief
certainly played an important
role in the participants’
commitment.
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The continuum activity (the
participants positioned
themselves and reflected on
their own behaviour and to
what they can do to help the
environment) was significant.
This resulted in an awareness
which can lead to action.
New findings in this research!
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Participation in a community highly encourages
efforts to succeed the attempts
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The community allowed:
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an exchange of ideas on what can be done
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reinforcement of the idea that individual
behaviours can make a difference
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to make participants responsible of their
engagement to an action because it was made
before a group
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encourage participants to imitate people after
hearing about actions that they do
? Suggestions for the One Tonne Challenge ?
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Invite people to try the Challenge in
groups of two.
Show that Canadians (the
Ecosage) have started to take
action.
Encourage youth to start with easy
actions. Plan steps in the One
Tonne Challenge. Example : level
1 : 1 kilogram Challenge; level 2 : 5
kilograms Challenge…
Invite people to take action to help a
precise element of nature get better
air quality: an aunt who is
asthmatic…
? Suggestions for the One Tonne Challenge ?
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Plan regular discussions with the
students during their trials: to talk
about the advantages of the actions, to
share ways to succeed and ways to
reduce family barriers, to encourage
them and to act as a model for them.
Encourage the expression of pride
after the actions.
Use affective pedagogical activities
(solo, outdoor excursions, play,
song…) to invite them to take action.
Discuss with them on the local
consequences of climate change and
invite them to predict possible impacts
in their own life.
Let the students choose their own
action.