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Educational Policy for Sustainable Development
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Educational Policy for Sustainable Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 62541

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yuto Kitamura

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Interests: educational policy; education for sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is an increasing concern that today’s world may have become unsustainable, amid questions raised about the way society has developed thus far in various parts of the world. For people living in this present age, what kind of personal qualities and skills will be important to acquire? In other words, how we can make the world more “sustainable” by fostering individuals (i.e., citizens), and helping them to find how they can work together, and what kind of qualities and abilities do these individuals need to be equipped with?

In the field of education, these questions have attracted much attention, and many new initiatives for educational reforms are under way in various countries. Against such a backdrop, this feature aims to discuss the ideal state of education for nurturing human resources that can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, with particular focus on political interests.

For example, in terms of the concept of “planetary boundaries (the limits of the Earth system)”, what roles can education play in averting possible devastation to ensure that people can live more “prosperous” and stable lives, without leading to the deterioration of the natural environment but restoring it to a sounder state? In this context, by “prosperous”, we mean a situation in which people can lead healthy and happy lives, rather than referring to material affluence, which people have strived to attain by single-mindedly pursuing economic growth in the conventional sense.

In considering such a major issue, we are focusing on education because education is a fundamental human activity, and also because human resource development and knowledge creation through education are indispensable for tackling various challenges and tasks highlighted by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve the SDGs, people must heighten their awareness of global-scale issues and act on ethical judgments and social justice, while developing science and technology by promoting research and development activities. We strongly hope that you will contribute papers that explore what education should be like to enable these initiatives.

We expect to receive your papers, which may, for instance, consider educational policy to facilitate curricula, teaching methodology, and educational practice (covering both formal education and nonformal education), particularly in relation to new educational approaches—including Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) as stated in SDG 4.7—and in relation to other important themes, such as peace, human rights, and gender. However, possible research themes are not limited to these examples. In their papers, individual researchers are encouraged to address ambitious themes, especially concerning what kind of educational policy is ideal for realizing a sustainable society, based on their own ways of thinking. We also welcome papers that theoretically examine such policy, instead of paying attention only to the practical aspects.

Prof. Yuto Kitamura
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1601 KiB  
Article
Teaching and Fostering an Active Environmental Awareness Design, Validation and Planning for Action-Oriented Environmental Education
by Daniel Thor and Peter Karlsudd
Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3209; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083209 - 16 Apr 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8168
Abstract
In recent years, there have been frequent scientific reports focusing on high carbon dioxide emissions. Many people feel concerned about efforts not happening quickly enough to reduce the negative impact on the climate. The responsibility for reversing this trend rests primarily on adults, [...] Read more.
In recent years, there have been frequent scientific reports focusing on high carbon dioxide emissions. Many people feel concerned about efforts not happening quickly enough to reduce the negative impact on the climate. The responsibility for reversing this trend rests primarily on adults, but hope is now directed more and more toward the younger generation. The present project, which is a collaboration between design and education, lays the foundation for an educational endeavor based on an idea of environmental citizenship. By creating environmental citizen tokens for children and youths, this project aims to change learned living patterns and encourage a new generation to work toward a sustainable climate. There is also good possibility that the young people’s involvement and striving for a better environment will transfer to adults. This has become clear in the global movement started by the environmental activist, Greta Thunberg. This article describes the work of designing and preparing the implementation of a learning project, with its basis in knowledge about environmental impact and personal responsibility. The methods underlying the project are gamification and digital activities, allied with a proven system for making a progression of skills visible. The project has resulted in a finished design and an implementation plan, which have been validated through interviews with teacher educators, principals, teachers, student-teachers, parents and pupils, and which after this validation will be tested at ten specially selected Swedish compulsory schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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15 pages, 2344 KiB  
Article
Facilitating Collaborative Partnerships in Education Policy Research: A Case of Multi-Stakeholder, Co-Investigation for Monitoring and Evaluation of Education for Sustainable Development
by Robert J. Didham and Paul Ofei-Manu
Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2787; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072787 - 1 Apr 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4728
Abstract
Strengthening the research-policy interface is dependent on conducting good research, as well as the appropriateness and applicability of identified policy options. The involvement of relevant stakeholders in collaborative research efforts to co-produce knowledge and recommendations to advance policies is one approach that can [...] Read more.
Strengthening the research-policy interface is dependent on conducting good research, as well as the appropriateness and applicability of identified policy options. The involvement of relevant stakeholders in collaborative research efforts to co-produce knowledge and recommendations to advance policies is one approach that can arguably improve this interface. This paper provides a practical instance of a research process on education for sustainable development (ESD) to develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, which was conducted in the Asia region with participants from seven countries. This research process is presented as a pragmatic case study of how a collaborative research partnership was facilitated, and it examines how the interaction between researchers, policymakers and practitioners can be structured to support mutual learning in the field of sustainability education. The paper examines the wider debates regarding the research-policy interface, and it identifies the learning features that were achieved in this collaborative partnership, as well as the benefits this had for the research and knowledge co-generation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and issues M&E raises about the relationship between research and policy in ESD and suggests ways to address them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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19 pages, 2041 KiB  
Article
Bridging the Action Gap by Democratizing Climate Change Education—The Case of k.i.d.Z.21 in the Context of Fridays for Future
by Veronika Deisenrieder, Susanne Kubisch, Lars Keller and Johann Stötter
Sustainability 2020, 12(5), 1748; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051748 - 26 Feb 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 8204
Abstract
Formal schooling frequently lacks both democratic learning culture and effective climate change education (CCE). This study analyzes the effects of the participatory CCE initiative k.i.d.Z.21 and the impacts of the current Fridays For Future (FFF) climate protests on teenagers’ climate change awareness. The [...] Read more.
Formal schooling frequently lacks both democratic learning culture and effective climate change education (CCE). This study analyzes the effects of the participatory CCE initiative k.i.d.Z.21 and the impacts of the current Fridays For Future (FFF) climate protests on teenagers’ climate change awareness. The mixed-methods approach comprises online pre-and post-tests, and personal interviews with selected students. k.i.d.Z.21 follows moderate constructivist, inquiry-based learning approaches and addresses 14-year old students from secondary schools in Austria and southern Germany. Considering the effectiveness of the CCE intervention of school year 2018/2019 (N = 169), quantitative findings reveal an increased mean of major components of climate change awareness, including climate-friendly behavior. When separating participants and non-participants in Fridays For Future, personal concern and refusing meat have both increased significantly only among protest participants. A closer examination of this group identifies an enhanced feeling of self-efficacy that might be triggered by perceived collective efficacy. Besides, more climate-friendly consumption behavior, as well as enhanced multiplicative action, are detected. The interviewed students also clearly assigned increased action-related components of climate change awareness to the attendance of FFF. From the findings, we conclude that democratic learning in and out of school can enhance action-related components of climate change awareness, and a combination of both can have an even stronger effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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15 pages, 1098 KiB  
Article
What Teachers Think and Know about Education for Sustainable Development and How They Implement it in Class
by Eva-Maria Waltner, Katja Scharenberg, Christian Hörsch and Werner Rieß
Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1690; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041690 - 24 Feb 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6922
Abstract
After the end of the first Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development, coinciding with ongoing international evaluation processes, questions about the implementation of the Education for Sustainable Development programs and assessments continue to be raised. The present study examined Education [...] Read more.
After the end of the first Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development, coinciding with ongoing international evaluation processes, questions about the implementation of the Education for Sustainable Development programs and assessments continue to be raised. The present study examined Education for Sustainable Development implementation at the local (teachers’) level, assessing what teachers think and know about Education for Sustainable Development and how they implement it in secondary school classes in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. By providing novel data from a teacher survey in 2019, this study revealed that Education for Sustainable Development in some aspects still lacks concrete structural implementation in educational contexts. Using a longitudinal approach, we additionally compared data from an earlier representative assessment in 2007 to the data from 2019. In reference to the preceding evaluation report, the present study showed, for example, that teachers’ attitudes towards Sustainable Development Goals were significantly higher in 2019 compared to 2007. This study provides clarification of the needs and achievements of the Education for Sustainable Development implementation process. In sum, our analysis found that from the teachers’ perspective, more abstract policies are not needed, but instead teachers ask for very concrete support that is close to teaching and the schools’ objectives. The results of our study help, in a larger sense, to navigate society towards a more sustainable direction and towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by highlighting the remaining challenges of these broad objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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57 pages, 7359 KiB  
Article
Achieving and Monitoring Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: A Systematic Review of the Literature
by D. Brent Edwards, Jr., Manca Sustarsic, Mina Chiba, Mark McCormick, Melissa Goo and Sara Perriton
Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1383; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041383 - 13 Feb 2020
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 12313
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a systematic review of literature (56 studies) related to Sustainable Development Goal 4.7. The goal of the research reported on here is to contribute to the discussion around strategies for working towards and monitoring SDG4.7 at the [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of a systematic review of literature (56 studies) related to Sustainable Development Goal 4.7. The goal of the research reported on here is to contribute to the discussion around strategies for working towards and monitoring SDG4.7 at the institutional level. Within this overarching focus, our review of the literature was designed to identify studies that have looked at both student learning and teacher education related to SDG4.7. This twin focus stems from the recognition that achieving the SDGs will be particularly difficult if policymakers are not attentive to both sides of the learning equation—that is, first, to the ways that teachers learn to teach about issues related to SDG4.7 and, then, the ways that students acquire this knowledge and are assessed. The five findings sections of this review correspond to the five areas of emphasis embedded in the language of SDG4.7, namely, education for (a) sustainable development, (b) human rights, (c) gender equality, (d) promoting of a culture of peace and non-violence, and (e) appreciation of cultural diversity. In accordance with the purpose of this review, the synthesis for each area of emphasis digs into the details of the educational interventions, monitoring and evaluation strategies, and results that are documented in the publications analyzed. Thus, this review can be useful for informing educational or pedagogical approaches related to SDG4.7, as well as for designing monitoring and evaluation tools for the SDGs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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17 pages, 909 KiB  
Article
Does Education Background Affect Digital Equal Opportunity and the Political Participation of Sustainable Digital Citizens? A Taiwan Case
by Chia-Hui Chen, Chao-Lung Liu, Bryant Pui Hung Hui and Ming-Lun Chung
Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1359; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041359 - 13 Feb 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3961
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to examine the level of digital equity and political participation in Taiwan. In this study, we argue that high digital literacy and active civic participation facilitate the formation of sustainable digital citizenship. We review the development of [...] Read more.
The purpose of this article is to examine the level of digital equity and political participation in Taiwan. In this study, we argue that high digital literacy and active civic participation facilitate the formation of sustainable digital citizenship. We review the development of digital education policy in Taiwan since the 1990s. Based on the nationwide survey dataset prepared by Taiwan’s National Development Council in 2018, we examine the relations between digital literacy, digital social life, the digitalized acquisition of government information, and the political participation of digital citizens. We adopt a structural equation modeling approach and perform the multi-group analysis to validate our proposed model of digital equal opportunity. The results show that there are significantly positive relations between the four digital latent variables, but no statistically significant differences between interviewees with high and low education backgrounds in the relations with these variables. In addition, our findings reveal that the digital social life of digital citizens indirectly affects their political participation through their digitalized acquisition of government information. This paper also discusses the implications of digital education policy and the formation of sustainable digital citizenship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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16 pages, 432 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study of Curriculums for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Sweden and Japan
by Ulf Fredriksson, Kanako N. Kusanagi, Petros Gougoulakis, Yaka Matsuda and Yuto Kitamura
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1123; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031123 - 5 Feb 2020
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 9745
Abstract
This study examined the curriculums and implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in upper secondary schools in Japan and Sweden and examined and compared the policies and cases of ESD practice. The comparison showed that ESD is present in the national curriculums [...] Read more.
This study examined the curriculums and implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in upper secondary schools in Japan and Sweden and examined and compared the policies and cases of ESD practice. The comparison showed that ESD is present in the national curriculums of both countries, but is emphasized differently. In Sweden, it is more a matter of mentioning ESD as part of the principles that guide education, while in Japan, the integration of ESD into the subject syllabus is emphasized. The schools visited strove to implement ESD in their work. ESD is not an exclusive approach in addition to other school activities, but rather a central part of the schools´ work. Many issues are included under the umbrella of ESD, not only environmental issues. International contacts are one of the most important elements of the work, but this does not exclude local engagement. In fact, the schools have established impressive networks. Project work is an important approach in supporting students’ learning about sustainable development. A prerequisite for the successful work of the schools, which all have a certain reputation in the field of ESD, is the dedication of the teachers and the equally dedicated principals who support the work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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14 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Students’ Motivation to Seek Higher Education—A Case Study at a State University in the Czech Republic
by Adéla Fajčíková and Hana Urbancová
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4699; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174699 - 29 Aug 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7568
Abstract
The quality of universities in the present era is the subject of ever more discussion in the Czech Republic and the EU. Quality is determined both quantitatively and qualitatively, and ever more importance is placed on ratings by students and graduates. The objective [...] Read more.
The quality of universities in the present era is the subject of ever more discussion in the Czech Republic and the EU. Quality is determined both quantitatively and qualitatively, and ever more importance is placed on ratings by students and graduates. The objective of this article is to identify and evaluate factors influencing the motivation of students to seek higher education and their expectations regarding the quality of a university. The data was obtained using questionnaire-based investigation among the students of a state university (n = 293) and was analysed using descriptive and multivariate statistics. The results identified seven factors that influence the motivation and expectations of students, of which the most significant are quality personnel providing instruction, building social status, development of competencies, and the quality of the education process in relation to employment. The recommendations presented can help other universities to implement suitable personnel marketing and to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Policy for Sustainable Development)
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