A Study on the Educational Meaning of an Undergraduate Student's Environmental Club Experience

대학생 환경동아리 활동의 교육적 의미

This study investigates an undergraduate student's environmental club experience by employing a biographical research method. The informant has been member of the environmental club since he is a freshman. The purpose of this study is three points. First, which theoretical framework is suitable to explain the characteristics of environmental club experience ? Second, what is the characteristics of the informant's environmental club experience analysed by means of the theoretical framework ? Finally, what is the educational meaning of environmental club experience ? As a result, I find that environmental identity is very powerful framework to explain the characteristics of environmental club experience. Also, I explain the informant's environmental club experience as the formation of environmental identity by changes in three aspects. In the informant's life, cultural world of environment/environmental movement becomes salient which is closely connected with development of agency in the world and understanding how environmental problems can be solved. It is argued that environmental club experience has educational meaning in the studies and practices of environmental education, as follows. Environmental club experience has implications of redefining the goals of environmental education, and improving environmental problem solving learning. Finally, the informant's environmental identity is considered as reflexive identity which is formed through personal reflection of his experience.