King's College London

Heartfelt reflections on environmental education in the context of a climate crisis with unique images created by the authors.

"Rather than skirting around the hypocrisy of promoting green actions, we should confront it head on by encouraging students to think critically about the systems that we exist in.”   Tom Gatens, STEM Education MA alumni, Maths teacher, Chapter author.

Heartwood Volumes 1 & 2 are a collection of personal heartfelt reflections aimed at engaging colleagues, friends, family, and neighbours in important academic thinking on environmental education in an accessible and inspiring way.

The authors of the extended essays have previously been, or currently are, students exploring environmental education, either as part of the MA in STEM Education or as part of their PhD programme. All have participated in the 'Environment, Sustainability and the Role of Education' MA module, with the majority going on to complete their dissertation research projects in the area.

Heartwood Volume 1: Voices from environmental education: Where academic research meets head, heart and hands. Published July 2023

Download Volume 1 here

The first volume comprises of 11 chapters grouped under the themes of educators’ perspectives, young people’s perspectives, and the role of organisations. Each section comprises of two extended essays and a review. The final chapter draws out key themes and threads which were observed during the writing process and reflect on the meanings they have in our work within environmental education and beyond.

Heartwood Volume 2: More voices from environmental education: Academic research meets head, heart and hands. Published July 2024

Download Volume 2 here

The second volume comprises of 12 chapters grouped under the themes of ‘working within restrictive systems: seeking routes for action’, ‘working beyond restrictive systems: alternative practices and values, and ‘bridging the gap: working within and against restrictive systems’. The collection’s foreword beautifully links the two volumes highlighting the centrality of environmental education in the STEM education agenda at King’s.

Funders

The publications are funded by WIPRO STEM education funding, King’s College London, School of Education, Communication & Society’s Research and Impact fund (2023, 2024) and ESRC’s London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership fund (2024).