Buzzing about bees: Exploring action-based storytelling as a tool for children’s environmental engagement and agency

Portus, Rosamund; Williams, Sara-Jayne; Peklanska, Erika; Portus, Ruby; Walmsley, Tom

Abstract

This article considers innovative research in neuroscience and psychology showing that we need to transform environmental storytelling, moving away from stories focused on awareness raising, to ones which develop people’s capacity for action. We investigate how this knowledge might be applied in an environmental education context, developing a model for action-based storytelling in the classroom and examining how this supports children’s engagement in and sense of agency over environmental issues.
To examine how children experience action-based storytelling approaches, we ran nine workshops in primary schools. The workshop design brings developments in psychology and neuroscience into conversation with educational theory, intersecting storytelling experiences with active and experiential learning activities. Following the workshops, children completed surveys and participated in group discussions.
Findings show that, having participated in the workshops, children expressed enthusiasm for further environmental learning, and reported increased levels of agency and intentions to engage with pro-environmental actions. We also provide insight regarding issues of interest to children, aiming to assist practitioners and researchers developing learning strategies.
We advocate that environmental education needs to centre stories which support children to engage with relevant actions. Linked to this, we outline a model for action-based storytelling which might be adapted by educators.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 5, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 6, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 9, 2025
• Print ISSN: 1350-4622
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-5871
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1048-1068
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2478430
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13914784