A social-ecological systems view on learning in community gardens

Background/Question/Methods

Jordan et al. (2009) have defined a framework for ecological literacy that encompasses key ecological concepts, scientific habits of mind, and human actions-environmental linkages. They leave open questions about promoting environmental behaviors, and do not address pedagogy. In this paper, I expand on ongoing work in ecological literacy to encompass: (1) environmental behaviors, (2) a coupled systems approach; and (3) a pedagogical approach rooted in social learning theory. I use the context of Garden Mosaics– an intergenerational, science learning program taking place in urban community gardens—as a context to address these three elements. Youth in Garden Mosaics learn through interactions with elder community gardeners and from science curriculum materials designed by Cornell University scientists for use in informal and multi-cultural contexts.

Results/Conclusions

Environmental behaviors. By virtue of participation in Garden Mosaics, students engage in environmental behaviors related to gardening and more broadly urban environmental stewardship. Additional environmental behaviors evolve out of interactions with gardeners, and could include advocacy for open space in cities.

Coupled systems approach. In Garden Mosaics, science is presented within a multi-cultural context similar to what one would find in many community gardens; for example vegetables and herbs planted by immigrants and by African-Americans in US cities are featured, along with stories about how the plants are used in their respective cultures. However, we did not specifically address lessons about sustainability, resilience, or other coupled systems conceptual frameworks. Ideas about how this could be done will be presented.

Social learning. Social learning refers to a broad group of learning theories that focus on learning as situated in and through interaction with the biophysical and social environment. It presents an alternative to knowledge acquisition theories, which focus on how knowledge is acquired, for example through classroom lectures. We contend that social learning approaches are particularly appropriate for designing and understanding learning experiences in community gardens and other civic ecology settings.

Most people in today’s urban world learn about the environment through their interactions with nature in cities. Further much science learning occurs outside school classrooms in informal settings. Thus, community gardens provide a particularly important means for addressing ecological literacy among a large segment of our population.

Jordan R., Singer F., Vaughan J. & Berkowitz A. (2009). What should every citizen know about ecology? Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7.