Reflecting on participatory research in environmental education : some issues for methodology

We reflect on methodological issues arising in two of our own research projects as a form of practice, as a way of engaging in a praxis of project research. The projects chosen for this purpose are themselves concerned with teacher education and curriculum development in environmental education: they include participatory “reflective practice” processes in exploring issues relating to formal education in schools and informal education in communities and are grounded in the specific contexts of developing countries.<br />We discuss issues in participatory research such as:<br />• Whose research agenda gets to be explored?<br />• The importance of project partnerships<br />• Participants’ preconceptions about the nature of research<br />• What is “rigor” in participatory research in environmental education?<br />• The Colonialist Dilemma: Avoiding the “package or perish” mentality<br />• The Bigger Picture: Technocratic Rationality and Participatory Research.<br />