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Articles

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2016)

Place-Conscious Pedagogy and Sackville, New Brunswick, as a Learning Community

Submitted
October 7, 2016
Published
2016-10-05

Abstract

There is growing support for the value of place-conscious pedagogy at the undergraduate level. It has found momentum in arguments that suggest regular interactions with one’s surroundings allow for knowledge to be practised while being learned. This case study investigates the delivery of Place Matters, a week-long intensive program delivered in Atlantic Canada, at Mount Allison University, that attempts to develop students’ sense of place within the university and surrounding community. Grounded in value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and the new ecological paradigm (NEP), this mixed-methods study employs questionnaires, post-program interviews, and direct observation methods. This study attempts to discover whether it is possible for students to significantly develop their sense of place during the course, to what extent students’ value and understand their sense of place, and how their developed sense of place has altered their understanding of the human relationship with the environment. It additionally proposes a link between sense of place and VBN theory, which leads to a further theoretical connection between place and the NEP.