Department of Applied Environmental Science
ENSTU Assistant Professor Publishes Three Research Papers on Contributions to Environmental Education
Three recently published research papers by CSUMB assistant professor Dr. Victoria Derr highlights the latest contributions to environmental education. These papers are a reflection of Derr’s mission to advocate for diversity in environmental education.
“A review of photovoice applications in environment, sustainability, and conservation contexts: is the method maintaining its emancipatory intents?” was published in Environmental Education Research in November 2019. This paper assesses whether “photovoice”, a Participatory Action Research method that uses images and discussion, is actually successful at maintaining its goals to include less heard populations in the environmental decision making process. This paper was co-authored by CSUMB alumna Jordin Simons.
Derr’s next paper, titled “And it made me feel good inside”: Initial Evidence and Future Methods for Evaluating Nature School Effectiveness”, was published in Children, Youth and Environments in December 2019 and is co-authored with CSUMB alumna Mahala Volpe and Assistant Professor Steven Kim. This paper advances Volpe's capstone research, which studied and effectively evaluated the benefits of nature schools.
“Diverse perspectives on action for positive social and environmental change” explores the motivations for commitment to community in environmental advocates from diverse populations. Derr’s research shows what motivates and sustains diverse individuals to engage in and contribute to environmental education. This paper was published in Environmental Education Research in January 2020.
“All these link together even though they are quite different papers. They are focused on how we might effectively engage and rethink education so that people have a connection to the environment, care about it, find ways to express themselves in relation to it, and find ways to make positive change,” says Derr. “I see my primary contribution to environmental education as amplifying lesser heard voices and promoting effective tools for doing so, so that we can diversify the profession and have greater impact for social and environmental good.”
To learn more about Dr. Victoria Derr’s research, check out The Engagement Lab website.