Action Competence

Within the context of this study, the data allowed me to view the children’s behaviours, knowledge and actions over a period of time and from different perspectives. Therefore I was able to discern aspects of action competence that appeared to emerge over time. Jensen and Schnack (1997), in an attempt to define action competence, suggested that:

Competence is associated with being able, and willing, to be a qualified participant. Action needs to be interpreted in relation to the whole range of distinctions concerning behaviour, activities, movements, habits, and, then, actions (p. 165).

All primary school teachers described evidence of children displaying aspects of developing action competence. Although they have not used this term directly, as the researcher, I have identified these aspects and characteristics from the teacher’s stories.

Half of the student participants, 3/6, demonstrated through their own data that they had developed some aspects of action competence and were able to articulate in some depth the functionality of the Bokashi, the wormery, the paper brick- maker or/and the care and the purpose of the garden. Some evidence for this is described above Section 4.3. This evidence suggested that three of the student participants have developed competence over time and have transferred this competence from the early childhood centre and home environments and are

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beginning to demonstrate this competence at school. One primary teacher, Alys, highlighted the passion of one of the student participants, Angus, in saying:

Just the enthusiasm. Because Angus was really enthusiastic, anything to do with growth, because he was part of the growth with the buddy thing as well. And if I said we had buddy time, he would say, “Will we be doing some more planting?” You know he was always really keyed into that type of thing. Because he has quite an analytical mind.

This is an example of the type of development of action competence that was evident amongst these students. There was also evidence of knowledge development, reflective capacity and empowerment. Overall, this evidence potentially demonstrated a willingness to take action for the environment, although this conclusion is tentative due to a lack of detailed evidence around the intentions of the students, which is a key feature of action competence. Jensen and Schnack (1997) have suggested that the components of action competence are: knowledge/insight, commitment, visions and action experiences (p. 173). To further analyse this development, I have used an example of the data drawn from one participant, Ben, and his knowledge of the Bokashi. The following section provides this as a case study as an example of developing action competence.

4.4.1 Ben and the Bokashi – a case study

I have chosen one student participant, Ben, and his journey and connection with the Bokashi composting system as a case study to highlight evidence of one child’s emerging action competence. The journey begins with the reflection of Kyla, Ben’s early childhood teacher, when she recalled Ben’s intense interest in the Bokashi and the composting process when he attended the early childhood centre.

The Bokashi, Ben, he is very involved in that, and a group of his friends were really involved, as they learnt to make Bokashi as well, so in their learning journals they have lots and lots of stories with [the man] from the council, he came in and we organised what kind of food can go in the Bokashi and what can go in the worm farm and all the ingredients for in the Bokashi too.

In the early childhood centre, the Bokashi became a tool for teaching and learning around EfS with teachers and children learning new skills alongside one another.

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Primary school teacher, Kim, didn’t refer directly to the Bokashi, but she offered an insight into Ben in saying,

Ben is very environmentally aware and he is a thoughtful wee man. They [Ben’s family] are very interested in gardening and growing their own gardens and eating what they grow...In our inquiry topics, he was always very interested in whatever was coming. He has an inquiring approach to stuff, and he is very good at asking questions to find the information he needs.

Through this evidence, primary teacher Kim explained an insight into Ben’s history and allowed me to begin to understand how his intense interest and knowledge was developed over time.

During the focus group interview for this particular study, Ben demonstrated his in-depth knowledge of the operation of the Bokashi to me. He listed food waste that can be composted, and those that can’t. Ben then explained how you “squash it down”. When we went on the photograph tour of the school, both Ben and Maddy went immediately to the Bokashi buckets in their respective classrooms to photograph. Ben also insisted that he took photographs of the instructions on the packet of the Bokashi enzyme (See Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4 ‘Student on Tour’ Bokashi instructions

I then questioned Ben further to see if he would make any further links between the early childhood centre, school and home. He responded:

We have Bokashi buckets in our house. And once the Bokashi is filled, we take it to the garden and make a big line and put it in there. And then bury it back up, so all the worms can have a nibble.

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This demonstrated not only Ben’s understanding of the cycle of the Bokashi composting, but of its purpose, to act sustainably about food waste, to then feed the worms and nurture the garden.

Ben’s Bokashi story was collated from different perspectives and is articulated by himself as narrator of the cycle of the Bokashi. This is evidence of emerging action competence where one child has developed an intense interest and gained expert knowledge over time and space and is now able to act and articulate his knowledge and expertise to others. His engagement with inquiry learning was highlighted by his teacher and is evident in his actions. From Kim’s description and Ben’s reflection, it is evident that Ben’s family are engaged in gardening and composting and have involved Ben in this process. This encompassing approach has allowed Ben the opportunity to develop a rich, intense knowledge of the Bokashi.

In exploring another activity, gardening, Ben was able to articulate the economics of the garden. Ben explained to me the cycle of the garden and the connection with the wormery by selling worm fertiliser and plants to re-invest into a fund to raise money to build more gardens. Ben had been exposed to this process at the early childhood centre where worm juice (produced from the wormery) had been sold to raise funds for garden projects, and then again at school where plants had been sold to the community outside the school office and funds reinvested into the EfS programme (See Figure 4.5).

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Ben had taken a keen interest in the rudiments of economics. The following dialogue between Ben and I illustrated his understanding of the school project of reinvesting funds from products sold at school:

Researcher: So what did you do with the worm wee? Ben: We’ve got it to sell.

Researcher: And what would you do with the money? Ben: We use it for the school garden.

Researcher: Fantastic, is that at school or preschool? Ben: Pre-school and school.

Ben goes on to give another example of his expert knowledge that demonstrated his intense interest in the economics of the garden when I ask him about the plants for sale at school:

Ben: These [plants] get sold. People just usually buy them. Researcher: And where do they put the money?

Ben: In the office.

Researcher: And what happens to the money? Does Mr Principal put it in his piggy bank?

Ben: (Laughs) No ahh, we use it for the school garden. Researcher: For the school garden?

Ben: Yep.

Researcher: Have we seen the school garden? Ben: No, the school garden is not made yet.

Primary school teacher, Kim, also affirmed Ben’s interest in economics when she shared that, “he was very involved in our market day and our enterprise. Nothing to do with growing anything but very involved in that. Just whatever is happening, he takes an interest”. Kim also confirmed that the garden was a work in progress.

This section has provided key evidence of one participant’s story of developing action competence. Ben’s ability to demonstrate his knowledge development, display his reflective capacity and empowerment are all aspects of developing action competence. A key connection in this case study is the opportunity of the student participant to impart prior knowledge that he had developed over time and then apply this knowledge to his current setting, in this case Ben’s knowledge of the Bokashi in his classroom. This development in Ben is linked to teacher pedagogy in the early childhood and primary school settings. Many factors have

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influenced this and these are examined in the following section on pedagogical approaches.