Spatial Indexing: An Interactional, Conceptual, and Mediational Analysis

Abstract

Understanding ecological systems is an increasingly important skill as we are faced with rapid global climate shifts. This endeavor is commonly taken up in science education, which asserts that it is necessary for both students and scientists alike to be able to understand how systems work in order to comprehend the complexity of the natural world. However, teaching and learning about complex systems has been a challenge. This dissertation addresses this challenge by advocating for and exploring two (interrelated) avenues of research about complex ecological systems thinking: 1) how cultural mediates knowledge development and organization, and 2) how context mediates knowledge development and organization. More specifically, I use and further develop a framework called spatial indexing to examine the interactional, conceptual, and mediational nature of sense making in two contexts: an informal STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) camp for Indigenous youth, and family forest walks with primarily European-American parents and children witnessing a seasonal salmon run. By studying these two contexts in the same urban forested park, I build out a theory of learning that demonstrates how place, culture, and cognition are interrelated. Implications of this work include the equitable and transformative possibilities of field based learning opportunities for teaching and learning about complex ecological systems.