Experience drawn upon by students in post-compulsory education as they explore environmental subject matter through photography

The purpose of this thesis is to consider if and how students in post-compulsory education draw
upon their compulsory science education in a particular context whilst thinking about human
interactions with their environments. This has been conducted through a case study investigating
experiences drawn upon by students as they explore environmental subject matter with potential
links to sustainable development and content addressed in National Curriculum science. Data for
the case study were collected during and after a practical task in which students aged 16-18
years explored an environmental theme through photography. The photography project
presented a practical context in which individuals might potentially draw upon any number of
experiences in relation to subjects explored. Qualitative analysis of four individual case studies
forms the basis of findings and discussion that detail how these students acted in this particular
situation. The outcomes of the study will add to the literature examining the student experience
of environmental education where there is an emphasis on compulsory science education.
The case study design used a 6-week practical AS level photography coursework assignment as
an informal context in which students could explore an environmental theme relating to human
interactions with their environments. Data were collected through weekly records of teacherstudent classroom discussion and students’ photography work journals. Students were
interviewed on completion of the project via a semi-structured, audio-taped interview.
Categories of experiences were drawn from four individual case studies to form individual
findings and identify pattern and variation across the sample.
Two main observations emerge from the results which indicate opportunities for further
research: Firstly, the way students chose to interpret the photography brief either presented, or
limited, opportunities to have drawn upon science in this context. This action has been
characterised as interpretation and opportunity. Secondly, students have drawn upon
experiences from NC science that relate mainly to biology and the study of life processes and
living things. As such, they do not appear to recognise the relevance of physics and chemistry to
supporting environmental awareness and understanding. Therefore, I propose further research to
investigate the linkages that occur between: (i) biology, physics and chemistry; and (ii)
scientific and non-scientific content as students explore complex environmental issues. This
might perhaps go some way towards facilitating transferrable knowledge and skills to enable
interdisciplinary understanding in science that will support environmental literacy.