Exploring the Potential and Complexity of a Critical Pedagogy of Place in Urban Science Education

What does it mean to engage in critical pedagogy of place in formal science education? Although Gruenewald's (2003a) theoretical construct of a critical pedagogy of place has been heavily cited, there is nonetheless a lack of empirical research on critical pedagogy of place, particularly within formal science education. This paper provides a case study that explores the potential for critical pedagogy of place in an urban high school environmental science classroom. Drawing upon the voices of youth, the paper highlights how urban park restoration learning provided a context for reinhabitation and critical consciousness in which youth utilized deep understandings of local ecology to restore the parks and transform dominant cultural ideas and practices. Ultimately, I explore the potential and complexity of engaging in a critical pedagogy of place within the context of formal, urban science education and consider the intended outcomes of critical pedagogy of place in light of the case study.