Place-Based Education and the Land Ethic: The Influence of Field Science Education on Students' Ethical Development and Awareness of the Land

Abstract

This research- and text-based project examined the influence of place-based field science education courses on the ethical development and awareness of land on participants through the lens of Aldo Leopold’s “The Land Ethic.” Literature pertinent to the topic was scrutinized, with particular attention to: Aldo Leopold’s life and influences, “The Land Ethic” and supporting texts, ethical philosophy, place-based education, experiential education, and conservation psychology. Five people were selected for interviews based on their standing as experts in their respective fields, representing the various pertinent underlying topics. Interviewees were asked questions surrounding the thesis question. Interview transcripts were qualitatively coded and analyzed for emergent themes and ideas and compared against the texts from the literature review. Though the literature and the research participants found value in place-based field science education in improving the academic skills of participants, they did not find that place-based field education courses would have a significant influence on the ethical development and awareness of participants due to the limited time of most courses. However, the findings of this thesis do not discount the value of place-based field education courses as transformative experiences that might still have a place within the ethical and educational development of some students.