Extensions of place through environmental and multicultural project-based learning

This thesis was completed and submitted at Nipissing University, and is made freely accessible through the University of Toronto’s TSpace repositoryIn an interconnected world, global citizenship has become a goal of the Ontario Curriculum requiring an expansion of students' sense of place from the local to global. However, little is known about the best methods to achieve this goal. Advocates of place-based education believe students should focus on the local, using it as a grounding point for larger issues (Greenwood, 2013; Smith& Sobel, 2010). Yet local places are becoming blurred in an interconnected world. Thus, begging the question, how can educators effectively situate students on a global landscape and with a global sense of place? Project-based learning is a teaching strategy that has seen a variety of benefits.This qualitative case study of a private elementary school in Southwestern Ontario explores what effects project-based learning has on students' sense of place, particularly when utilizing multicultural and biodiversity themes. Qualitative data was collected through parent/guardian and teacher interviews, teacher anecdotal notes, and student projects over the period of two project-based learning assignments. Findings from this study identify implications for professional practice, offer recommendations for stakeholders, and recommendations for further research. Identifying what strategies best facilitate the expansion of students' sense of place, not only benefits educators, but provides insight for parents, ultimately allowing students to better tackle the future interconnected world they inherit.M.Ed