The global polycrisis, particularly ecological degradation and humans' estrangement from nature, ... more The global polycrisis, particularly ecological degradation and humans' estrangement from nature, is an epistemological crisis that has been created by an industrial, mechanistic and reductionist way of knowledge creation. As our knowing informs our way of being and acting in the world, this study attempts to answer the call for urgent educational reform in promoting a critical complexity approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Using the South African Life Sciences curriculum and a theoretical framework developed through literature on complexity theory, systems theory, ecoliteracy and ESD, a teaching and learning experience entitled the Working with Nature (WWN) project was developed. Six diversely different secondary schools from the Western Cape of South Africa participated in this project which through participatory action research (PAR), explored the effect that it had on the thinking, values and knowledge of both teachers and learners. From a thematic analysis on the emergent narratives, it was found that that the learning experience did promote integrative thinking and value tendencies and that there was growth in both the explicit-formal and explicit-informal knowledge typologies of the participants. Other key themes that emerged from the experience were diversity values, grit and resilience and contextual thinking. Themes that emerged that were more teacher specific were around process rather than product learning and learner-centeredness. The implications of this research are vast, however mainly suggest that mainstreaming a critical complexity learning experience is possible and that perhaps this may be the start of a transitioning towards a "new moment" in Life Sciences education, which translates not only into ESD, but also a complexity ethic-creating mindful teachers and learners who engage and participate in the world sustainably. Further studies are necessary in developing strategies for reform and transformation within all education levels towards effectively implementing ESD. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Eve Annecke, for your mindful and gentle guidance throughout my journey. Conversations with you were therapeutic for my mind and soul. To Robin Murray, my co-supervisor and hands-on supporter, thank you for our numerous meetings and discussions. You prepared me thoroughly for all the technical hurdles that I had to overcome and provided me with thorough critique during this process. My editor and colleague Nella Freund. I am in huge gratitude to you for all the support, time and conscientious reading and editing you have done for this thesis. Thank you with all my heart. To my support structures-family, friends, Bishops Diocesan College, the Bishops Biology Department, my colleagues. So much of what I am about and what emerged from this paper was due to your involvement, care and love. To the incredible learners and teachers from the six schools who were involved in this project. Thank you for allowing yourselves and your voices to be brought into this journey. Gratitude must be given to Lindie Buirski from the City of Cape Town's Environmental Resource Management department and Teaching Biology Project for making the workshops possible. To the Sustainability Institute, Beatrix, Jess and Shima. My personal transformation over the past three years is owed to you all. Thank you for opening up my eyes, mind, hands and heart to the interconnectedness of life and the beauty and necessity of the mess. I need to pay special acknowledgement to my colleague, co-facilitator and friend Cheryl Douglas. Your love and passion for education in its entirety is always inspiring. Thank you for always being there to hear out my philosophical waffle and making everything seem possible. This thesis is dedicated to you for your lifelong contribution to the thousands of teachers and learners who you have guided. To the Earth, for being the most valuable classroom and teacher that there is.
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