Thinking Outside the Circle: Reflections on Theory and Methods for School-Based Garden Research

Abstract

School-based gardens (SBGs) are contributing to improvements in many areas of education, including nutrition, health, connectedness and engagement of students. While considerable research has been conducted in other parts of the world, research in Australia provides limited understanding of the impact of SBGs. The aim of this paper is to give a reflective viewpoint on the impact of SBGs in Australia from the perspective of an Aboriginal philosophical approach called Dadirri. The philosophy highlights an Australian Aboriginal concept, which exists but has different meanings across Aboriginal language groups. This approach describes the processes of deep and respectful listening. The study uses photovoice as a medium to engage students to become researchers in their own right. Using this methodology, students have control over how they report what is significant to them. The use of photovoice as a data collection method is contextualised within the Aboriginal philosophical approach to deep listening. For the first author, an Aboriginal researcher (Clague), the journey is to find a research process that maintains cultural integrity and resonates with the participants by affirming that a culturally sensitive approach to learning is important.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Higher Education Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1

“…As Fleer, (2019) found that play-way pedagogy in science is the best method to develop and understand science concepts. Many other researcher (Clague, Harrison, Stewart, & Atkinson, 2018;Rogers, Livstrom, Roiger, & Smith, 2019;Williams, Brule, Kelley, & Skinner, 2018) found that garden-based activities show promise for supporting students' engagement and learning in science classes and in fostering students' interest in pursuing science long-term impacts on basic scientific concepts to upgrade knowledge.…”

Basket weaving as an Aboriginal methodology and theoretical framework

“…To hear a voice requires a person to listen, to listen deeply. Deep listening is also referred to as dadirri (Clague et al, 2018). Dadirri derives from the Ngangikurungkurr language of the MalakMalak people of the Daly River region of the Northern Territory.…”

Ethics as first method: Reframing geographies at an(other) ending-of-the-world as co-motion

“…And Bundjalung scholar and educator Leisa Clague and her colleagues note thatWhile Dadirri comes from Nauiyu Country, other language groups have equivalent words to describe a similar process, such as Gan’na from the Bundjalung people (North Coast, New South Wales) is to hear, listen, feel, think and understand. (Clague et al, 2018: 141)…”