Anna/Akka Paulo Freire and other Green Heroes: How child-authors represent environmental educators in storybooks.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Anna/Akka Paulo Freire and other Green Heroes: How child-authors represent environmental educators in storybooks.
Authors: Jamal, Aneesa1 (AUTHOR) jamal20@graduate.utm.my, Jamal, Abubakr Mohammed2 (AUTHOR), Mohd Yusof, Sanitah1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Environmental Education Research. Sep2025, Vol. 31 Issue 9, p1818-1846. 29p.
Subject Terms: *Environmental education, Postcolonialism, Literature, Children's literature writing, Decolonization, Anthropocene Epoch
People: Freire, Paulo, 1921-1997
Abstract: This qualitative research uses an ecopedagogy and decolonial lens to explore how child-authors represented environmental educators as characters in ecofiction/climate fiction storybooks. Thirty storybooks authored by 10–15-year olds were thematically analyzed. Data from interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), reflections, and blogposts were used to confirm understanding. In 11 of the books, the young authors introduced protagonists, supporters, or minor characters based on environmental educators. The characters were Green Heroes, different from regular adults or teachers; Paulo Freires in that they aided the protagonists, and indirectly the readers, to critically understand environmental and climate injustices; and Anna/Akkas (elder brother or sister), profoundly Tamil. The representations broaden the colonial and adultist narratives about the Anthropocene by foregrounding childist voices from the Global South. The findings are also a call for adults to incorporate childist perceptions of adult educators into pedagogy, and more importantly into our adult selves to aid our formation and our re-formation. I recall imagining the educators, and believe it or not Ithought that they would have birds in their hair, and animals all around them! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Environmental Education Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 187695007
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Anna/Akka Paulo Freire and other Green Heroes: How child-authors represent environmental educators in storybooks.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jamal%2C+Aneesa%22">Jamal, Aneesa</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jamal20@graduate.utm.my</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jamal%2C+Abubakr+Mohammed%22">Jamal, Abubakr Mohammed</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mohd+Yusof%2C+Sanitah%22">Mohd Yusof, Sanitah</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Environmental+Education+Research%22">Environmental Education Research</searchLink>. Sep2025, Vol. 31 Issue 9, p1818-1846. 29p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+education%22">Environmental education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Postcolonialism%22">Postcolonialism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Literature%22">Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children's+literature+writing%22">Children's literature writing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decolonization%22">Decolonization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anthropocene+Epoch%22">Anthropocene Epoch</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectPerson
  Label: People
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="PE" term="%22Freire%2C+Paulo%2C+1921-1997%22">Freire, Paulo, 1921-1997</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This qualitative research uses an ecopedagogy and decolonial lens to explore how child-authors represented environmental educators as characters in ecofiction/climate fiction storybooks. Thirty storybooks authored by 10–15-year olds were thematically analyzed. Data from interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), reflections, and blogposts were used to confirm understanding. In 11 of the books, the young authors introduced protagonists, supporters, or minor characters based on environmental educators. The characters were Green Heroes, different from regular adults or teachers; Paulo Freires in that they aided the protagonists, and indirectly the readers, to critically understand environmental and climate injustices; and Anna/Akkas (elder brother or sister), profoundly Tamil. The representations broaden the colonial and adultist narratives about the Anthropocene by foregrounding childist voices from the Global South. The findings are also a call for adults to incorporate childist perceptions of adult educators into pedagogy, and more importantly into our adult selves to aid our formation and our re-formation. I recall imagining the educators, and believe it or not Ithought that they would have birds in their hair, and animals all around them! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Environmental Education Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=187695007
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/13504622.2025.2491671
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 29
        StartPage: 1818
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Environmental education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Postcolonialism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Literature
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children's literature writing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decolonization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anthropocene Epoch
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Freire, Paulo, 1921-1997
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Anna/Akka Paulo Freire and other Green Heroes: How child-authors represent environmental educators in storybooks.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jamal, Aneesa
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jamal, Abubakr Mohammed
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mohd Yusof, Sanitah
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Text: Sep2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 13504622
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 31
            – Type: issue
              Value: 9
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Environmental Education Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1