Understanding how students with learning disabilities from an urban environment experience nature based informal learning
ii TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS x Chapter One: Introduction 1 Accessing Education in an Educationally Unjust System 2 Teaching the curriculum in an urban setting 2 Learning disabilities in urban education 4 Race and socio economic status in urban education 4 Significance 5 Theoretical Lenses 6 General Outline and Project Description. 7 Summary 9 Chapter Two: Literature Review 10 Introduction 10 Urban 12 Outdoor/Informal Learning Environments 13 Outdoor education 13 Environmental education 15 Experiential learning 17 Informal Learning Environments. 19 The impact of informal learning environments in the area of science in particular on formal science achievement for different populations of students 22 Special Education an Emphasis on Learning Disabilities 25 Informal science learning for students with disabilities 29 Motivation and Engagement Relative to School Success 32 Engagement/Interest and Motivation 32 Engagement 33