FOREST SCHOOLS, ECOFEMINISM, THE GENDER BINARY, AND ANDROCENTRISM

Abstract

Gender in forest schools is a topic that should be at the forefront of discussion when creating a forest school, its pedagogy, curriculum, and principles. Gender is a large part of who we are as humans and having teachers aware of its complexities, presentation, and presence in the forest school setting is imperative. This study consists of interviews and focus group data collected at a midwest United States public forest preschool and an eastern United States private forest preschool. The teachers at these schools were cisgender, as were the students ages three through five who were observed. This paper analyzes gender dualism, performative behavior, gestures, and expressions, decolonization, and anthropocentrism with an ecofeminist lens in the forest school setting. The framework used to develop this research and analysis is ecofeminist, critical systems thinking, transformative theory, and constructivist theory.