Children’s digitally mediated perezhivanie/enchantment in backyard excursions to “nature”

Abstract

We examine children’s digitally mediated excursions to “nature” in their backyards when Covid-19 prevented environmental excursions. The data consists of young children’s accounts of their backyard excursions recorded on digital devices and posted online to Seesaw. We use sociocultural theory to analyse the co-agency of child and the digital device, the unit of analysis being “a child-using-a-digital-device”. To theorise experience, we deploy Vygotsky’s concept of perezhivanie and Bennett’s notion of enchantment. The analysis of posts to Seesaw revealed children’s experience of vivid, emotionally engaging moments with “nature”, and evidence of an ethic of care. We conclude that emotionally engaging pedagogies based on perezhivanie/enchantment are important in addressing current environmental crises.