Educating to Generate New Eco-centric Wor(l)ds. Precarious Scaffolding and Imperceptible Cracks

To continue inhabiting and sustaining its presence on Earth, humankind needs to develop different words, conceptual frameworks, and concrete actions (henceforth referred to as, “wor(l)ds”), to navigate the complex ecosystem shaped by intricate interactions of multiple and agent elements, human and non-human. This is a crucial undertaking at both the individual and collective levels. Educators, in particular, bear the responsibility of contemplating and shaping educational experiences for potential and possible future Earth societies and subjectivities. In light of these considerations, what strategies might be employed, in the field of education, to rethink and enact sustainable and ecological ways of inhabiting the Earth? What changes might be encouraged to provide the wellbeing of human and nonhuman life on the planet? How might we shift from ego-centric to eco-centric thinking and acting? The paper will show how theories and research approaches that consider a sociomaterial and a non-anthropocentric dimension, challenge traditional ideas about research, education, and subjectivities, in the field of education. Furthermore, they facilitate the exploration of alternative avenues for educational researchers and professionals.