The purpose of this study is to explore the change in the perceptions of pre-service teachers after participating in a training process on Education for Sustainability. The research was conducted ...during academic year 2019–2020 in the context of the Master’s Degree in Educational Research for Teachers’ Professional Development. The changes related to Education for Sustainability, the knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals, and methodological strategies to integrate both were analysed. An initial and a final questionnaire as well as the activities developed by the students during the course were used to gather information. An analysis was performed of three dimensions (Education for Sustainability, the Sustainable Development Goals, and methodological strategies) with the help of the NVivo 12 Plus software programme. The results show progress was made in all three dimensions. The most significant changes were detected with regard to the knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the majority of the student teachers indicated they knew them on completing the training process. Their perception of Education for Sustainability evolved towards more complex views, while the methodological strategies proposed at the end of the training process did not differ significantly from the initial ones. This shows it is imperative to insist on training processes that include methodological strategies. By doing so, future educational professionals will be able to incorporate Education for Sustainability into their teaching practice.
Environmental degradation and global social inequality require an education focused on transforming values and practices in today's world. Bamboo, both as a plant and a material, has mitigated the ...impacts of climate change. Combined with design within a bamboo productive chain, it also enhances the possibility of a pedagogical dimension for design students and the participation of local communities. This study aims to examine how social design can collaborate in education for sustainability, involving the researcher’s participant observation and co-creation, which resulted in the Take Akari Bamboo Lantern Workshop, held at the Unesp Campus in Bauru/SP. Results show that social design combined with bamboo helps in motivating people to internalize and carry out new practices due to the collaborative and collective ways of working collectively based on which it was held, and is capable of transforming scenarios and changing beliefs and values.
Higher Education Institutions play an important role in the promotion of sustainability and an increasing number of stakeholders expect them to be sustainable organizations. However, this can only be ...achieved when barriers are faced and challenges overcome.
This exploratory study aims to investigate how the main stakeholders (leaders, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders) of Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions perceive: the concepts of sustainability and sustainable higher education institutions, the role of higher education for sustainable development, and the barriers, challenges and obstacles to implementing sustainable initiatives in Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. Through a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews and content analysis procedures, this article explore the perspectives of twenty stakeholders from four Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. The results suggest that, although aware of the concept of sustainability, the different stakeholders are not familiar with the concept of sustainable higher education institutions. The lack of financial resources due to the decline in funding for higher education and falling numbers of Portuguese university students is perceived as the main barrier to sustainable development in higher education (i.e. practices are still associated with spending financial resources). This research highlights the importance of a conceptual and organizational change in higher education institutions, notably through identifying new sources of financing, more flexible organizational forms, more comprehensive mission statements, more tailored educational offers, life-long learning and commitment to internationalization, and more strategic human resource management. The paper contributes to the literature by reflecting on how higher education institutions can promote sustainability, how higher education for sustainable development is understood and can be improved in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions.
•Stakeholders are aware of the topic of sustainability.•Stakeholders are not familiar with the concept of a sustainable university.•The lack of financial resources and funding are the main barriers to sustainability.•Sustainability practices are still associated with spending financial resources.
Universities play a fundamental role in addressing global environmental challenges as their education, research and community involvement can produce long-lasting environmental effects and societal ...change. By demonstrating best practice in their operations, research and teaching, universities have both multiple and multiplier effects on society. For universities to comprehensively address sustainability, a 'learning for sustainability' approach needs to be embedded across every aspect of institutional operations in a synergistic way. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explored the factors that influence the integration of sustainability into the operations, teaching and research activities of universities in Australia and England. The research found that individuals, committed to the goal of a more sustainable world, play a vital role in the success of integrating environmental sustainability into universities. The factors critical to enabling universities to undertake the transformational changes necessary to embed environmental sustainability into all university areas included: a strong policy environment, resourcing of strategies, and encouragement of leaders and environmental sustainability advocates. Educating and building the awareness of university staff of the importance of environmental sustainability to future generations was key to a successful strategy. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
This study investigated how teacher education academics embed sustainability education in learning and teaching, using a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles. A taxonomy of ...four distinctive approaches was developed: (1) embedding sustainability education widely across curriculum areas, courses, and institution; (2) through a dedicated core/compulsory subject; (3) through a component of a core/compulsory subject; and (4) through a dedicated elective subject. This paper investigates the differing rationales, theoretical frames and pedagogical approaches used and identifies the perceived challenges underpinning each of these approaches. The final section offers an analysis and discussion of the implications of our review findings for teacher education academics and researchers, and others in the broader academic community who are interested in change towards sustainability through education.
•Academics apply a range of approaches and strategies to embed sustainability.•Academics provide four rationales for embedding sustainability in teacher education.•Academics draw on a range of established theoretical frames to embed sustainability.•Academics face a number of challenges to embedding sustainability.
Starting from the binomial education/nature, the book explores issues relating to the broad field of outdoor education, in a choral analysis that aims to restore the plurality of approaches, choices ...and possible nuances. The text, in fact, develops the reflection in different directions through perspectives that come from different disciplinary fields (anthropological, architectural, biological, geographical, naturalistic, pedagogical and didactic, psychological, ethical...), but all aimed at overcoming reductionist visions that risk to reduce the debate on the subject and not guarantee the possibility of impact and change. What emerges is a legitimate and credible multi-faceted approach which, rather than synthesising and reducing, opens up further fields of research in a public debate that can no longer be delayed. This book is the result of in-depth work carried out as part of the inter-university specialisation course "Education and Nature" - conducted jointly by the Departments of Human Sciences for Education "Riccardo Massa" of the University of Milan Bicocca, of Human and Social Sciences of the University of Valle d'Aosta, of Educational Sciences "Giovanni Maria Bertin" of the University of Bologna and of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries of the University of Parma (and previously by the Department of Education and Human Sciences of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) - and includes contributions by: Francesca Agostini, Francesca Antonacci, Maja Antonietti, Antonella Bachiorri, Giuseppe Barbiero, Fabrizio Bertolino, Cristina Birbes, Bettina Bolten, Mirella D'Ascenzo, Roberto Farné, Monica Guerra, Elena Mignosi, Luigina Mortari, Anna Perazzone, Andrea Pintus, Valentina Porcellana, Michela Schenetti, Enrico Squarcina, Mauro Van Aken, Beate Weyland.
In response to concerns about climate anxiety and distress, researchers and practitioners in both education and psychology have been investigating the importance of engaging climate hope in Climate ...Change Education (CCE). Synthesizing recent multidisciplinary research, alongside insights from the development of educational programs, this article proposes a new theoretical model for pedagogies of hope in CCE. The Hope Wheel presents three foundational elements: handrails for educators to hold on to while constructively engaging with climate change (honesty, awareness, spaceholding, action), guardrails for educators to be sensitive to when implementing the handrails (climate anxiety, mis-/disinformation, false hope), and lenses to encourage educators to explore connections between complex societal and planetary challenges (complexity, justice, perspectives, creativity, and empathy). This working model aims to support educators by distilling current learnings from the literature into a visual guide. It depicts essential elements to include, as well as avoid, in order to engage honest, hope-oriented CCE for transformative learning in the face of the climate crisis.
One of the major challenges for higher education institutions in the last decade has been (and will continue to be) the integration of sustainability into their curricula and the development of ...sustainability competences in students. Education for Sustainability (ES) can help prepare students to meet the challenges of making societies more sustainable. However, as a first step toward this goal, teachers need to incorporate ES into their teaching. In this regard, this research aimed to analyze if members of the teaching staff have started this integration and, if so, which sustainability-related topics have been introduced and which skills do they consider contribute to the development of future graduates.
A questionnaire was administered to teaching staff at the University of the Basque Country in 2022. A total of 403 teachers completed the questionnaire, expressing their perceptions through open-ended questions.
In general terms teachers incorporate ES into their teaching (71.22%). However, they do this mainly within the framework of two general themes: "Environmental awareness and energy" - most used by teachers of experimental sciences and engineering - and "Social commitment," most used by teachers of social sciences and those who are familiar with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the key competences that ES provides for future graduates, those most frequently mentioned were "training of professionals committed to society" and "critical thinking and ethics." These competences were particularly notable in the discourse of teachers who were aware of the 2030 Agenda and who use active methodologies in their classrooms. Finally, the opinion that sustainability has little to do with their teaching (28.78%) was notably expressed by teachers less familiar with the 2030 Agenda.
Thus, it can be concluded that, aside from knowledge of the 2030 Agenda, factors such as the sustainability policy of the institution, area of teaching expertise, and the use of active methodologies all play a significant role in determining whether competences for sustainable development are integrated into higher education teaching.
This work provides inspiration to foster Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in teaching practices related to waste management. Problem-Based Learning is about providing a learning environment where ...students can work practically and theoretically with problems of relevance for society. In this learning process, students themselves will define societally important problems and direct the problem identification, problem analysis, and problem-solving processes. The PBL approach at the engineering and technical faculties at Aalborg University acts as a case of inspiration to exemplify how the structure of a problem-based project can foster students’ competencies and agency to contribute to a circular economy related to waste.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an internationally understood educational concept, ‘equips learners across all disciplines with the knowledge, skills, attributes and values required to ...pursue sustainable visions of the future’ (Advanced HE, n.d.). The potential for learning development (LD) to contribute IN this endeavour by embedding green literacy into LD practice while supporting students to develop their academic literacies is a longstanding professional interest of the author. There is broad agreement that effective ESD necessitates supporting students to develop self-reflection, systematic thinking, problem solving and collaborative learning skills, some of the key competencies that LD seeks to foster.
This mini keynote briefly presented the nature, scope, and purpose of the author’s work in embedding ESD within their LD practice. It aimed to provoke a discussion about the potential of LD to contribute to the ESD agenda within higher education by, for example, participating in departmental, faculty or institution-wide Climate Themed Learning events or by integrating ESD into regular LD practice. It also aimed to encourage information and ideas exchange, and a consideration about the formation of an ALDinHE Education for Sustainable Development Community of Practice.
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