Part one

In the introductory chapter, Shapiro warmly signposts the reader to the overarching purpose of this volume: to explore ways of understanding knowledge construction and meaning-making through valuing lived experience and highlighting the need for learning to be self-directed and non-uniform in its approach. Shapiro demonstrates this through the vignette of Melody, an examplar of this messy, authentic learning approach. This form of learning is deeply valuable and allowing of intense conceptual growth and understanding, despite the seeming ‘failings’ within the confines of the educational system. Shapiro identifies the patterns that Melody was, in effect, trapped within, and their influence on her ability to achieve successful results against the norm. To this end, Shapiro welcomes the reader into the context of this volume that challenges the status quo of teaching and learning practices.

Hart and Hart adopt a critical approach to exploring research methodologies in Chapter 2. They identify the significance of the role of the researcher as an agentic being in taking action and becoming an activist through research methodologies, approaches and theories in environmental education (EE). Drawing on contemporary and emergent educational theories, Hart and Hart capture the need for EE to break out of traditional research methodologies and open up to the rhizomic, relational contexts that enable worldview perspectives to be adopted and explored. This chapter practically maps possible assemblages of reconceptualising EE to disrupt traditional research paradigms. Hart and Hart call researchers to challenge their current paradigms and step into the new prospects that these methodologies provide through applying novel research approaches to their practice.

White adopts an intimate, reflective approach to changing her ecological footprint and describes how this process of ‘transformative embodied change’ can be applied to her practice as a preservice teacher educator in Chapter 3. White demonstrates an acute awareness of the ‘whole’ — humanity, society, community, and others (human and non-human). She critically explores the taken-for-grantedness of Western culture and presents some hidden truths that are behind the choices we adopt ‘when we are home alone and no-one is looking’ (p. 43). White questions the trust we hold in the systems that should be supporting the health of the others — human and non-human — through a brief outline of her research. She identifies five areas for consideration in lifestyle change and shares her experiences through the changes she implemented in reducing her ecological footprint. White finishes with a game-changer: What if we are first facing a social crisis that enables participation in an environmental crisis? Despite critique about one person’s ability to make changes, White demonstrates that through the powerful combination of activism, autoethnography and pedagogy, the embodiment of this individual act of transformation can, and has, changed her ability and influence as an educator.

In Chapter 4, Carruthers Den Hoed embodies transformative learning through transformational journeys. He questions the purpose and role of parks: Do they reinforce dualisms? Carruthers Den Hoed touches on posthuman ponderings as part of his growth that unfolds along with the chapter. As his openness becomes greater, the learning becomes deeper, and more honesty and rawness is exposed. Carruthers Den Hoed explores his challenges and those he perceives in transformative learning through this intimate storying of the behind-the-scenes life of a park ranger. From late night learnings of indigenous perspectives lying in a national park parking lot to licking a bear skull, Carruthers Den Hoed’s ponderings provide rich insight into the two-way language of pedagogy that is often overlooked due to the naturalness of the interaction. He proposes five values that could underpin relationships and steps readers through his transformative process. Carruthers Den Hoed has deeply embodied all he communicates through this transformational learning experience reflection.

Part two

In the current era of decreasing student engagement, particularly in the STEM-based disciplines, Towers and Martin provide a refreshing look at a Year 10 mathematics classroom example in Chapter 5. Based on research findings, this theory reconfigures how classrooms are conceptualised, as ‘understanding classrooms as collectives is the severing of an attachment to the individual and a commitment to understanding what constitutes learning in groups’ (p. 88). Towers and Martin present some powerful themes through the research story, including how students can authentically and actively take responsibility, communicate, articulate, have agency, and own their space. The classroom space is alive through the culture of no right or wrong, using note-taking as a learning event through questions and answers, and identifying the changing nature of knowledge and that it is a public resource. The learning of the collective effectively becomes embodied through their transformational experience of working together.

Chapter 6 explores the relationship that educators and students have with student questioning through the example of a preservice teacher science education unit focusing on physics for primary-aged students. Hanke Van Zee journeys the reader through the exploration of a unit that allows preservice teachers to undergo the learning process that their future students will go through: enabling the act of questioning as an action of their own to learn. Hanke Van Zee cleverly narrates this chapter such that her voice is not explicitly telling in the chapter, but enabling the voice of the research — of the participants — to be dominant through telling their story. She honestly shares the moments when ‘as course instructor, [she] chose not to intervene in their plans’ (p. 112) even when she could foresee potential errors in experimental designs, to allow for students to experience their mistakes, work out the errors and learn from them. Drawing on the work of Dewey in experiential learning by ‘doing’, Hanke Van Zee successfully demonstrates how questioning can be used to enable learners by reminding them how to learn.

Shapiro addresses some important considerations in Chapter 7 though identifying the reasons that inhibit students from seeking assistance during their learning journey. Educators, researchers and psychologists agree that seeking assistance is one of the most important skills to address in becoming a learner; however, it could be argued that it is one that is rarely given space and opportunity to develop. Through using three case studies as an example of the methodological approach, Shapiro explores and uncovers some of the ‘hidden’ reasons behind students’ choices when it comes to help-seeking in an offering to support educators in understanding the importance of this skill both within and outside the formal learning environment. Moreover, through greater understanding and awareness of the inhibitors, educators can be aware of the processes and dynamics that students are constantly going through when help-seeking. This allows greater consideration of opportunities to empower students to develop their capacity and behaviour as help-seekers through learning design and instruction. This chapter provides an offering through shared experience and a focus on the importance of relationships, supportive learning environments and the intrinsic enjoyment of learning to support students to take actions of their own to learn through help seeking, a necessary skill for life.

Peacock, in Chapter 8, illustrates the possibilities for education when common and traditional learning structures are disrupted, through the example of the Wroxham School in the outskirts of London, England. The approach adopts some simple practices that enable many of the binaries and reductionist practices that are deeply embedded in schooling traditions to be dismissed. In particular, Peacock highlights the importance of sharing circles in listening to student voice, actioning student requests, giving students choices for their learning, and providing students with personal individual learning best achievement goals rather than encouraging them to compete against each other with test scores. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of the seven leadership dispositions that underpin the whole-school approach to learning; a positive, powerful and practical example of the possibilities for enabling agency and confidence in students within the current education system.

In Chapter 9, Melrose investigates ways that ‘affirm students’ own efforts to learn and to support them towards constructing relevant, meaningful new knowledge’ (p. 159) through autonomy support in online learning with health professionals upgrading their qualifications at Athabasca University. The chapter explores the stories of three students to examine and illustrate how this approach has been adopted. Melrose identifies many interesting, novel and practical approaches that can be implemented in online learning environments to: (a) promote greater understanding of students’ lives and situations; (b) create meaningful, supportive online learning spaces and communities; and (c) develop deeper understanding of students’ learning ‘strengths, needs and barriers’ (p. 164) to initiate authentic and personalised autonomy support.

Part three

In Chapter 10, Bencze analyses science and technology education pedagogical practices; in particular, inquiry-based activities. Bencze discusses the limitations of inquiry-based empirical activities and suggests alternatives based on the purpose of the activity. Bencze provides rich conceptual models grounded in research and practical application that interpret the nature of student-directed and open-ended inquiry, including a model of ‘control-of-learning’ that identifies the differences between teacher and student decision-making practices in science education and a model for student-led, research-informed and negotiated action (RiNA) projects. Bencze presents many relevant and thought-provoking points in the modern science and technology education landscape, notably proposing that ‘a teacher’s job should involve efforts to make their work with students obsolete — to bring students to the point that they don’t need a teacher (at least at a certain level of expertise)’ (p. 193); one of many ideas presented here for further discussion. In this chapter, Bencze argues for pedagogical practices that incite altruistic actions in students, the future citizens, for greater social justice and environmental sustainability through learning critically about the world.

Kowch presents a rich and insightful approach to troubling education system practices that emerged from the industrial revolution through using participatory teaching and learning (PTL) environments in Chapter 13. Kowch cleverly uses the metaphor of a garden in demonstrating how authentic PTL environments can be applied to create interdisciplinary communities. Kowch provides examples of how PTL network patterns can address some of the limiting and reductionist principles of the education system through generative, collaborative practices designed for growth. Kowch’s passion to provoke and see change is very apparent in this chapter, and the potential of the PTL approach for educational practices is highlighted through his research findings. The PTL approach is founded on turning the education system into one that supports people through establishing structures, systems and networks to foster strong and resilient learning communities. This chapter concludes with some practical, procedural principles for adopting PTL in school environments and learning communities.

Shapiro concludes this book with a heartfelt, personal reflective and summative chapter (Chapter 14) to analyse approaches to behavioural and cultural change in supporting learners with actions of their own to learn. Shapiro draws on educational theories and philosophies, including Bandura and Vygotsky, to propose the approaches that provide most benefit and impact for learning. Shapiro suggests how the model of a growth mindset can contribute to empowering learner agency and she further describes the importance of parents in recognising and valuing their children’s ideas. The aims of this book in (1) promoting the tenets of agency and (2) redefining traditional research and learning paradigms are echoed throughout this closing chapter.

Overall, this book delivers an unpretentious, accessible, humble, progressive, impactful collection of works. It unimposingly suggests, rather than enforcing a list of how-tos or should-dos for education. Through the sharing of research and learning stories, readers are invited to consider different ways of approaching their practice, and from this are offered a different perspective of what learners and researchers need to take actions of their own to learn.