Eco-Identity: Secondary Science Teachers' Experiences that Cultivate Place-Based Teaching in a Hawaiian Cultural Context

Abstract

Eco-Identity: Secondary Science Teachers’ Experiences That Cultivate Place-Based Teaching in a Hawaiian Cultural Context This dissertation documents the lives of six science teachers whose multifaceted identities were influenced over time by Hawai‘i’s unique sociocultural and biogeographical factors. Narrative inquiry was utilized through individual interviews which spanned a five-year period. From restorying, identity narratives and maps were co-constructed and unique ecoidentities emerged from these science teachers’ lived experiences. The process of coming to know what an eco-identity looks like and why it matters unfolded through constructivist grounded theory methodology. The common threads, or narrative, characterizing eco-identity development and shaping as situated in sociocultural and biogeographical contexts of Hawai‘i were: (a) reflective environmentalism, (b) an evolving science teacher community of practice, (c) bridging knowledge systems, and (d) island biogeography. The grounded theory suggests a dynamic and multifaceted eco-identity situated in Hawai‘i that supports teachers with navigating the professional landscape, supporting their calling as science teachers. Biophilia, Hawai‘i sense of place, ‘ike Hawai‘i, and a mindset of “thinking like an island” revealed eco-identity to be the meaning making processes for teachers negotiating their professional and personal lives. Further study on science teacher eco-identity in Hawai‘i is needed to better understand how such an awareness can impact teacher practices, curriculum development, and teacher education programs in science.