The Mutants’ CircleThe Mutants’ CircleProject ResultsProject Results

Littoral et vie Research GroupLittoral et vie Research GroupUniversité de MonctonUniversité de Moncton

Pruneau, D., Doyon, A., Langis, J., Vasseur, Pruneau, D., Doyon, A., Langis, J., Vasseur, L., Ouellet, E., McLaughlin, É., Martin, G. et L., Ouellet, E., McLaughlin, É., Martin, G. et

Boudreau, G., September 2003Boudreau, G., September 2003

The Mutants’ CircleThe Mutants’ Circle Project objectives:

To train teachers throughout the Atlantic provinces to climate change

Build a circle of people helping to mitigate climate change: teachers and students adopting new environmental behaviours

Number of participants: ● Teachers: 300 trained and 52 participated in the research

● Students: 1 300 trained and 75 participated in the research

The Mutants’ CircleThe Mutants’ Circle

Collaborative Research Objectives:Collaborative Research Objectives: Teachers were asked to try 1-2 environmental Teachers were asked to try 1-2 environmental

behaviour andbehaviour and describe the process of change during describe the process of change during their attempts their attempts : : adopted behaviours, facilitating adopted behaviours, facilitating factors, limiting factors, feelings…factors, limiting factors, feelings…Teachers reflected on the process of change and Teachers reflected on the process of change and created their own model for climate change education created their own model for climate change education to use in the classroom.to use in the classroom.

Describe the process of change amongst students Describe the process of change amongst students trying to adopt new environmental behaviours.trying to adopt new environmental behaviours.

Teacher interventions in the classroomTeacher interventions in the classroom

Information and research on climate changeInformation and research on climate change Observations and solos in natureObservations and solos in nature Individual and group projects to help the climate or the environment: Individual and group projects to help the climate or the environment:

recycling, picking trash…recycling, picking trash… Discussions during new behaviour trialsDiscussions during new behaviour trials Writing and presenting a playWriting and presenting a play Reflective journalReflective journal ContinuumContinuum Story readingStory reading Presentations to younger students Presentations to younger students Inquiry in school garbage productionInquiry in school garbage production Songs, etc.Songs, etc.

ResultsResults

Teachers and students reduced reduced their consumption of electricity their consumption of electricity and paper towels, reduced and paper towels, reduced packaging in their lunches, packaging in their lunches, walked more, saved water , etc. walked more, saved water , etc.

TheThe teachers werewere motivated to motivated to do so by knowledge building do so by knowledge building activities, the solo in nature, the activities, the solo in nature, the continuum, group discussions…continuum, group discussions…

TheThe students did it did it to save the to save the earth (animals, trees…), earth (animals, trees…), because of the solo and forest because of the solo and forest walk, because of the perceived walk, because of the perceived consequences of climate change consequences of climate change and because it was a group and because it was a group project.project.

FacilitatingFacilitating and and limiting limiting factorsfactors

Being part of a Being part of a community of changecommunity of change

Easiness of the chosen Easiness of the chosen behaviourbehaviour

Using reminders Using reminders (memos…) or sense of (memos…) or sense of organization to succeedorganization to succeed

Family or other person as Family or other person as a role model or a role model or encouragementencouragement

Lack of timeLack of time Difficulty in asserting Difficulty in asserting

one’s differencesone’s differences Family not aware or not Family not aware or not

convinced or does not convinced or does not approve of the actionapprove of the action

Forgetting to do the taskForgetting to do the task

FeelingsFeelings

Joy, pride, fatigue, Joy, pride, fatigue, relief, impression of relief, impression of being a hero, being a hero, frustration when frustration when unable to convince unable to convince others, hope, others, hope, discouragement discouragement sometimes, profound sometimes, profound desire to convince desire to convince others…others…

Reflections from teachersReflections from teachers

Importance of frequent discussions on the Importance of frequent discussions on the new actions with students: reminds them new actions with students: reminds them of the actions, encourages those that have of the actions, encourages those that have not started. not started.

Students love to share on what they are Students love to share on what they are doing and this is a good opportunity to doing and this is a good opportunity to listen and encourage them. listen and encourage them.

Difficulties must be worked out as a group. Difficulties must be worked out as a group. The group finds ways of succeeding. The group finds ways of succeeding.

More reflections from teachersMore reflections from teachers

Works best with students with a good self-esteem.Works best with students with a good self-esteem. Some students said they would keep doing their actions for a long Some students said they would keep doing their actions for a long

time, others were not sure. time, others were not sure. Most students were really convinced and engaged, but others did it Most students were really convinced and engaged, but others did it

to please their teacher.to please their teacher. The solo, the observation of environmental problems in the field The solo, the observation of environmental problems in the field

and other affective activities (theatre, songs) motivate to action.and other affective activities (theatre, songs) motivate to action. It works best when the class decides of the group project to be It works best when the class decides of the group project to be

undertaken undertaken Students find very important to help others with their actions Students find very important to help others with their actions

(especially adults). This helps them with their own process of (especially adults). This helps them with their own process of change.change.

Importance of reflection (reflective journal).Importance of reflection (reflective journal).

Other elements of their experienceOther elements of their experience

Some of them said that trying new actions encouraged Some of them said that trying new actions encouraged them to convince close relatives to do the samethem to convince close relatives to do the same

The success with their behaviour encouraged them to try The success with their behaviour encouraged them to try other behavioursother behaviours

Living out this type of experience made some Living out this type of experience made some participants more conscious of all the gestures that they participants more conscious of all the gestures that they make and of the environmental impacts of these make and of the environmental impacts of these gesturesgestures

New in this research – The impact of New in this research – The impact of the course activitiesthe course activities

The solo gave the feeling of The solo gave the feeling of being part of nature. This belief being part of nature. This belief certainly played an important certainly played an important role in the participants’ role in the participants’ commitment.commitment.

The continuum activity (the The continuum activity (the participants positioned participants positioned themselves and reflected on themselves and reflected on their own behaviour and to their own behaviour and to what they can do to help the what they can do to help the environment) was significant. environment) was significant. This resulted in an awareness This resulted in an awareness which can lead to action.which can lead to action.

New findings in this researchNew findings in this research!!

Participation in a community highly encourages Participation in a community highly encourages efforts to succeed the attemptsefforts to succeed the attempts

The community allowed:The community allowed: an exchange of ideas on what can be donean exchange of ideas on what can be done reinforcement of the idea that individual reinforcement of the idea that individual

behaviours can make a differencebehaviours can make a difference to make participants responsible of their to make participants responsible of their

engagement to an action because it was made engagement to an action because it was made before a group before a group

encourage participants to imitate people after encourage participants to imitate people after hearing about actions that they dohearing about actions that they do

Suggestions for the One Tonne ChallengeSuggestions for the One Tonne Challenge

Invite people to try the Challenge in Invite people to try the Challenge in groups of two.groups of two.

Show that Canadians (the Show that Canadians (the Ecosage) have started to take Ecosage) have started to take action.action.

Encourage youth to start with easy Encourage youth to start with easy actions. Plan steps in the One actions. Plan steps in the One Tonne Challenge.  Example : level Tonne Challenge.  Example : level 1 : 1 kilogram Challenge; level 2 : 5 1 : 1 kilogram Challenge; level 2 : 5 kilograms Challenge…kilograms Challenge…

Invite people to take action to help a Invite people to take action to help a precise element of nature get better precise element of nature get better air quality: an aunt who is air quality: an aunt who is asthmatic…asthmatic…

? ?

Suggestions for the One Tonne ChallengeSuggestions for the One Tonne Challenge

Plan regular discussions with the Plan regular discussions with the students during their trials: to talk students during their trials: to talk about the advantages of the actions, about the advantages of the actions, to share ways to succeed and ways to to share ways to succeed and ways to reduce family barriers, to encourage reduce family barriers, to encourage them and to act as a model for them. them and to act as a model for them. Encourage the expression of pride Encourage the expression of pride after the actions.after the actions.

Use affective pedagogical activities Use affective pedagogical activities (solo, outdoor excursions, play, (solo, outdoor excursions, play, song…) to invite them to take action.song…) to invite them to take action.

Discuss with them on the local Discuss with them on the local consequences of climate change and consequences of climate change and invite them to predict possible impacts invite them to predict possible impacts in their own life. in their own life.

Let the students choose their own Let the students choose their own action.action.

??