CONTEMPLATING ‘GREENING’ THROUGH THE GO-ALONG APPROACH IN SCHOOLS OF INDIA

Teachers have a lot on their plate. Research with teachers, particularly interviews, may be time-consuming. Combining the ‘go-along’ method with ‘visual aids for interviews post go-along’, this article offers a novel approach to doing research with busy individuals, specifically within the context of urban school greening. How can we understand the phenomenon of school greening through go-alongs with teachers? The first part of the article contextualises the aspects related to research engaged with go-alongs, while the second part presents a detailed analysis of issues and possibilities specific to research with teachers and school greening in suburban Mumbai. The go-alongs were carried out at four government primary schools. This article is a reflective examination of how mundane elements such as time, weather, and daily interruptions reveal intricacies of school life and teacher negotiations. These learnings are built on to investigate effects of such elements on the research design, affective responses, and people-place relations. As part of the process of greening schools in the midst of audit cultures and discourses of environment awareness, the methodology applied in this research provides a new perspective on the performativity that are required of teachers. The study concludes by shedding light on the value and limitations of go-alongs, and that of visual aids for interviews post go-alongs. The article’s contribution to advancing qualitative research methodology lies in the unique blend of the two techniques and the way it accounts for the hitherto marginalised aspects of wonder and humour in teacher response to perceived adversities. These aspects further reveal contradictions and complexities related to school greening. This research is relevant for future studies tackling similar ethical and other challenges in a variety of urban settings.