ERIC Number: EJ1380290
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-4622
EISSN: EISSN-1469-5871
Humor and Humility for Inclusive Nature Education
Environmental Education Research, v29 n4 p624-637 2023
Humor can facilitate relationship-building and comfort in new experiences, essential elements for nature education programs prioritizing inclusive practices. This article presents insights on using humor in outdoor educational settings from a qualitative case study of an equity-driven nature education program. I present four key elements of instructors' uses of humor. The program instructors used humor to (1) foster students' emotional safety and comfort with novelty or physical risk; (2) subvert students' expectations of "normal" behavior (for students and adults alike) and of possible program experiences; and (3) bond among themselves and mitigate tensions between their and visiting teachers' practices. Additionally, (4) the instructors consciously discussed and set positionally-aware norms for their most common uses of and responses to humor. Through these four elements, I suggest that the program instructors used humor to create "provisional safe spaces" for themselves and their students--spaces that normalize engaging with novelty, discomfort, and continuous learning. To close, I offer suggestions for nature educators wishing to facilitate cross-cultural inclusivity through humor in their programs.
Descriptors: Humor, Outdoor Education, Natural Resources, Teaching Methods, Psychological Patterns, Expectation, Student Attitudes, Behavior, Interpersonal Relationship, Social Behavior, Behavior Standards, Educational Environment, Inclusion, Culturally Relevant Education, Safety, Preadolescents, Minority Group Students, Grade 5
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California (San Francisco)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A