Lavoie, Shayna (2025) Drawing on Ecology: Artist-Teachers Using Fieldwork to Develop Arts-Based Science Journaling. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
This place-based master’s thesis explores how arts-based inquiry can be integrated into the elementary science education curriculum through visual fieldwork journaling. The guiding question for this research is: How can artist-teachers adapt arts-based research through visual fieldwork journals to generate place-based insights in their teaching practice? This study examines how maintaining a fieldwork journal can influence artist-teachers’ perception of place and ecological awareness within their schoolyard. It demonstrates how visual journaling can serve as a pedagogical tool for interdisciplinary learning between the arts and science.Grounded in eco-pedagogy and place-based education, this research uses a self-directed four-week fieldwork process in an urban elementary schoolyard. Using weekly prompts and structured observations, this a/r/tographic approach follows a school teacher’s exploration of four topics: mapping, living versus non-living, sounds, and water. Findings from this research indicate that combining visual and written journaling deepened ecological awareness, promoted sensory engagement, and expanded interdisciplinary connections between art and science. The four-week process revealed that drawing slowed observation, fostering an experience that supported a relational connection to the space. This research suggests that visual fieldwork journaling offers a meaningful tool for teaching and experiencing ecological literacy. It has the potential to cultivate curiosity and position students as active participants in their learning and in caring for the environment they encounter.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Art Education |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Lavoie, Shayna |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. |
| Program: | Art Education |
| Date: | 15 August 2025 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | LeRue, David |
| Keywords: | Arts-based inquiry Visual journaling Fieldwork journals Artist-teacher Place-based education Eco-pedagogy Science education Interdisciplinary learning Ecological literacy Elementary education |
| ID Code: | 995996 |
| Deposited By: | Shayna Lavoie |
| Deposited On: | 04 Nov 2025 15:05 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Nov 2025 15:05 |
References:
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