- Title
- An investigation of the influence of knowledge-production and learning processes on complex practices in a community-driven citizen science initiative: A nature conservation case study
- Creator
- Alexander, Jaclyn
- Subject
- Science -- Citizen participation
- Subject
- Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee
- Subject
- Environmental education
- Subject
- Frogs -- South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2020
- Date
- 2020
- Type
- text
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MEd
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138173
- Identifier
- vital:37603
- Description
- Community-driven citizen science initiatives have become an increasingly popular tool for combating social-ecological challenges that arise within communities. Scientific protocols have been designed to strengthen and support the accuracy and reliability of data collection and information sharing; however, little is understood of the dynamic social processes that reinforce and co-ordinate such community-driven action. This qualitative case study was undertaken to identify and understand complex organisational, political and socio-cultural processes (in particular knowledge-production and learning processes) that have guided, sustained and informed complex practices in a community driven citizen science initiative. The study aimed to inform the development of a social protocol that might be transferable to other citizen science contexts. The study drew on the theory of ‘Landscapes of Practice’, which highlights how multiple communities of practice overlap, interrelate, share knowledge and cross boundaries to create potential learning across a landscape. Additionally, ideas and typologies in recent citizen science literature offered perspective on the community-driven citizen science practices. This qualitative case study focused on the bounded case of the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee. Specific data generation tools (interviews, observations, document analysis and diagrams) were used from multiple perspectives over time to provide rigor and depth to the data. The study demonstrated how multiple ‘nexes of practice’ co-engaged in collective knowledge creation practices, which helped to enhance ‘knowledgeability’ across the landscape. This coordinated effort, however, was sporadic and inconsistent. Recommendations are made for the development of social protocols that could assist collaborators in citizen science initiatives to scrutinise and rethink their practices and to examine both their successes and shortfalls towards their shared interest.
- Format
- 216 pages
- Format
- Publisher
- Rhodes University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education, Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Alexander, Jaclyn
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | ALEXANDER-MED-TR20-98.pdf | 5 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |