Tamara Brooks | James Cook University (original) (raw)
Papers by Tamara Brooks
The International Journal of Arts Theory and History, 2013
It is said that children today are becoming increasingly disconnected from their environment. How... more It is said that children today are becoming increasingly disconnected from their environment. However, determining the extent of this disconnect by exploring young children's environmental perceptions, experiences and conceptualisations can be challenging, with children not always having the words to describe what they see, think or feel. To address this issue, methodologies have been developed that enable children to communicate through various art forms. Problems associated with artsbased research methods include that literate cultures place little value on visual representations, with the assumption being that language is the most appropriate representational medium to express what one thinks, feels or senses. Even now, as the amount of published visual research increases, there remain remarkably few guides on how to do visual research methods and more importantly, how to interpret the visual. This paper describes a series of studies in which young children depicted "places", through drawing, painting and collage, supplemented by stories and interviews. Their creations of "place" varied from the real (what they actually saw in their environment), to holiday spots, and hypothetical or imagined places. While children generally represented their places positively, they demonstrated a greater affinity for human made rather than natural objects within their environment.
Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers t... more Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers to the growing disconnect between children and the natural environment, there has been a growing body of research into children's perceptions of nature and understanding of sustainability. Further, educators are expected to find ways to 'reconnect' our students with the natural world. This research sought to determine and enhance students' local and global environmental understandings creatively, through postcards shared in a secure online environment, with students in another country. Using arts-based methods, students at each venue shared information about their environment and undertook activities to support their growing environmental understanding, such as researching animals from the other country and planning a trip to Australia to visit their online friends. This learning was not only engaging and motivational, but also demonstrated an increased understanding for t...
The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect betw... more The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper e...
![Research paper thumbnail of “All the places I’ve been to [in the tropics] are not really a special place”: Investigating Children’s Place Attachments through Collage and Stories](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/85838126/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 2016
At the end of his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’, Louv (2005, cited in Kellert, Heerwagen & Mado... more At the end of his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’, Louv (2005, cited in Kellert, Heerwagen & Mador, 2008, p.154) stated “it is evident that we are at a turning point in history where opportunities for children to explore the natural world, until recently taken for granted, must now be intentionally created”. This statement was intended to communicate to the general<br />public a disturbing reality – the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. Sorin (2004) explains that children, particularly young children do not always have the words to describe what they see think or feel. Collage, an arts-based methodology has been found to reflect the ways in which our worlds are experienced (Butler-Kisber & Poldma, 2009). This paper explores a researcher’s investigation of young children’s (7-9 years) ‘special places’- better known as place attachments, using a qualitative, arts-based methodology. Methods of data collection and analysis will be discussed...
The International Journal of Literacies, 2015
New, Wilson and Netting's 1986 research demonstrated that domestic animals are an integral compon... more New, Wilson and Netting's 1986 research demonstrated that domestic animals are an integral component of many people's social support network. While such animals, particularly dogs, have since been successfully used as therapy dogs in clinical situations since the 1960s, the use of dogs in the learning environment has only recently been trialled. Turner (2011) evaluated the use of dogs within the adult learning environment, ultimately concluding that dogs can be a beneficial bridge between adults and education. Jenkins (2009) and Sorin (2012) investigated the value of dogs within the primary school system, finding benefits including enhanced literacy, and improved social skills. Bassette and Taber-Doughty (2013) found that on-task behavior increased in primary school students with emotional and behavioural disabilities through a dog reading program. Increasingly, the value of dogs within a variety of learning environments, is being recognized. In Australia, the Delta Society's 'Classroom Canines' program, where children read to dogs, was developed to assist children with literacy and/or social/emotional skills. This research investigated the impact of the Classroom Canines TM program on the reading, social/emotional skills and motivation to attend school of 11 students, aged 5-11, in a primary school in Australia. All students had been identified as falling below, or being at risk of falling below, the academic benchmarks for their year level. The study used both quantitative and qualitative data, including reading scores, attendance records, classroom observations, interviews with teachers and students, and researcher journals. The study found that reading scores and attendance improved, but further that children were more motivated to learn, felt better about themselves as learners, and seemed to get along better with their peers.
ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing discon... more ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper explores ways of collecting and analysing data using drawings alongside other art forms such as drama and storytelling. We discuss methods we have trialled for both data collection and analysis in research with young children about environmental sustainability and our reasons for supporting the use of the arts as research tools.
ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing discon... more ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper explores ways of collecting and analysing data using drawings alongside other art forms such as drama and storytelling. We discuss methods we have trialled for both data collection and analysis in research with young children about environmental sustainability and our reasons for supporting the use of the arts as research tools.
Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers t... more Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers to the growing disconnect between children and the natural environment, there has been a growing body of research into children's perceptions of nature and understanding of sustainability. Further, educators are expected to find ways to 'reconnect' our students with the natural world. This research sought to determine and enhance students' local and global environmental understandings creatively, through postcards shared in a secure online environment, with students in another country. Using arts-based methods, students at each venue shared information about their environment and undertook activities to support their growing environmental understanding, such as researching animals from the other country and planning a trip to Australia to visit their online friends. This learning was not only engaging and motivational, but also demonstrated an increased understanding for t...
The International Journal of Arts Theory and History, 2013
It is said that children today are becoming increasingly disconnected from their environment. How... more It is said that children today are becoming increasingly disconnected from their environment. However, determining the extent of this disconnect by exploring young children's environmental perceptions, experiences and conceptualisations can be challenging, with children not always having the words to describe what they see, think or feel. To address this issue, methodologies have been developed that enable children to communicate through various art forms. Problems associated with artsbased research methods include that literate cultures place little value on visual representations, with the assumption being that language is the most appropriate representational medium to express what one thinks, feels or senses. Even now, as the amount of published visual research increases, there remain remarkably few guides on how to do visual research methods and more importantly, how to interpret the visual. This paper describes a series of studies in which young children depicted "places", through drawing, painting and collage, supplemented by stories and interviews. Their creations of "place" varied from the real (what they actually saw in their environment), to holiday spots, and hypothetical or imagined places. While children generally represented their places positively, they demonstrated a greater affinity for human made rather than natural objects within their environment.
Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers t... more Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers to the growing disconnect between children and the natural environment, there has been a growing body of research into children's perceptions of nature and understanding of sustainability. Further, educators are expected to find ways to 'reconnect' our students with the natural world. This research sought to determine and enhance students' local and global environmental understandings creatively, through postcards shared in a secure online environment, with students in another country. Using arts-based methods, students at each venue shared information about their environment and undertook activities to support their growing environmental understanding, such as researching animals from the other country and planning a trip to Australia to visit their online friends. This learning was not only engaging and motivational, but also demonstrated an increased understanding for t...
The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect betw... more The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper e...
eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 2016
At the end of his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’, Louv (2005, cited in Kellert, Heerwagen & Mado... more At the end of his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’, Louv (2005, cited in Kellert, Heerwagen & Mador, 2008, p.154) stated “it is evident that we are at a turning point in history where opportunities for children to explore the natural world, until recently taken for granted, must now be intentionally created”. This statement was intended to communicate to the general<br />public a disturbing reality – the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. Sorin (2004) explains that children, particularly young children do not always have the words to describe what they see think or feel. Collage, an arts-based methodology has been found to reflect the ways in which our worlds are experienced (Butler-Kisber & Poldma, 2009). This paper explores a researcher’s investigation of young children’s (7-9 years) ‘special places’- better known as place attachments, using a qualitative, arts-based methodology. Methods of data collection and analysis will be discussed...
The International Journal of Literacies, 2015
New, Wilson and Netting's 1986 research demonstrated that domestic animals are an integral compon... more New, Wilson and Netting's 1986 research demonstrated that domestic animals are an integral component of many people's social support network. While such animals, particularly dogs, have since been successfully used as therapy dogs in clinical situations since the 1960s, the use of dogs in the learning environment has only recently been trialled. Turner (2011) evaluated the use of dogs within the adult learning environment, ultimately concluding that dogs can be a beneficial bridge between adults and education. Jenkins (2009) and Sorin (2012) investigated the value of dogs within the primary school system, finding benefits including enhanced literacy, and improved social skills. Bassette and Taber-Doughty (2013) found that on-task behavior increased in primary school students with emotional and behavioural disabilities through a dog reading program. Increasingly, the value of dogs within a variety of learning environments, is being recognized. In Australia, the Delta Society's 'Classroom Canines' program, where children read to dogs, was developed to assist children with literacy and/or social/emotional skills. This research investigated the impact of the Classroom Canines TM program on the reading, social/emotional skills and motivation to attend school of 11 students, aged 5-11, in a primary school in Australia. All students had been identified as falling below, or being at risk of falling below, the academic benchmarks for their year level. The study used both quantitative and qualitative data, including reading scores, attendance records, classroom observations, interviews with teachers and students, and researcher journals. The study found that reading scores and attendance improved, but further that children were more motivated to learn, felt better about themselves as learners, and seemed to get along better with their peers.
ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing discon... more ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper explores ways of collecting and analysing data using drawings alongside other art forms such as drama and storytelling. We discuss methods we have trialled for both data collection and analysis in research with young children about environmental sustainability and our reasons for supporting the use of the arts as research tools.
ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing discon... more ABSTRACT The last several decades have seen an abundance of research examining the growing disconnect between children and their local, natural environments. This divide has been labelled with terms such as 'biophobia' (Wilson, 1984), 'extinction of experience' (Pyle, 1993) and 'nature deficit disorder' (Louv, 2005, 2008). Crook (1985) argues that the content of children's drawings may provide valuable insights into their thoughts and feelings about the world (cited in Barazza, 1999). Visual mediums of data collection have often been overlooked because of traditionally favoured written and spoken modes. Indeed, the visual aspects of early literacy in particular and graphical forms of representation in general are under-valued, under-researched and under-represented (Anning, 2003: 5, cited in Kendrick & McKay, 2004, p.126). Qualitative methods have been found to capture children’s experiences in a more accurate and child-friendly manner (Benson, 2009). This paper explores ways of collecting and analysing data using drawings alongside other art forms such as drama and storytelling. We discuss methods we have trialled for both data collection and analysis in research with young children about environmental sustainability and our reasons for supporting the use of the arts as research tools.
Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers t... more Since Louv's 2005 introduction of the term, 'Nature Deficit Disorder', which refers to the growing disconnect between children and the natural environment, there has been a growing body of research into children's perceptions of nature and understanding of sustainability. Further, educators are expected to find ways to 'reconnect' our students with the natural world. This research sought to determine and enhance students' local and global environmental understandings creatively, through postcards shared in a secure online environment, with students in another country. Using arts-based methods, students at each venue shared information about their environment and undertook activities to support their growing environmental understanding, such as researching animals from the other country and planning a trip to Australia to visit their online friends. This learning was not only engaging and motivational, but also demonstrated an increased understanding for t...