Research

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539 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflecting on Education for Sustainable Development through Two Lenses: Ability Studies and Disability Studies

by Gregor Wolbring and Brigid Burke

Sustainability 2013, 5(6), 2327-2342; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5062327 - 24 May 2013

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 9790

The call for papers asked to cast “a critical eye on the practice and purpose of sustainability-focused education, and its successes and failures, thus far”. We approach this task in this paper through two lenses that have not yet been very visible in [...] Read more.

The call for papers asked to cast “a critical eye on the practice and purpose of sustainability-focused education, and its successes and failures, thus far”. We approach this task in this paper through two lenses that have not yet been very visible in the education for sustainable development (ESD) discourse. One is the lens of disability studies which is the inquiry around the lived reality of disabled people; the other is the lens of ability studies which among others investigates (a) which abilities are seen as essential in a given context; (b) the dynamic of how an ability expectation consensus is reached, if it is reached and (c) the impact of ability expectations. We conclude that (a) no consensus has been reached within ESD discourses as to the process of how to identify essential abilities and as to a list of abilities seen as important and (b) that disabled people are invisible in the formal and informal ESD discourse. We expect the paper to be of interest to disabled people, ESD scholars, teachers of ESD in different educational settings, students of ESD training, NGOs involved in ESD as well as policy makers involved in ESD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do We Teach What We Preach? An International Comparison of Problem- and Project-Based Learning Courses in Sustainability

by Katja Brundiers and Arnim Wiek

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1725-1746; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041725 - 23 Apr 2013

Cited by 174 | Viewed by 21961

Abstract

Problem- and project-based learning (PPBL) courses in sustainability address real-world sustainability problems. They are considered powerful educational settings for building students’ sustainability expertise. In practice, however, these courses often fail to fully incorporate sustainability competencies, participatory research education, and experiential learning. Only few [...] Read more.

Problem- and project-based learning (PPBL) courses in sustainability address real-world sustainability problems. They are considered powerful educational settings for building students’ sustainability expertise. In practice, however, these courses often fail to fully incorporate sustainability competencies, participatory research education, and experiential learning. Only few studies exist that compare and appraise PPBL courses internationally against a synthesized body of the literature to create an evidence base for designing PPBL courses. This article introduces a framework for PPBL courses in sustainability and reviews PPBL practice in six programs around the world (Europe, North America, Australia). Data was collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with course instructors and program officers, as well as document analysis. Findings indicate that the reviewed PPBL courses are of high quality and carefully designed. Each PPBL course features innovative approaches to partnerships between the university and private organizations, extended peer-review, and the role of knowledge brokers. Yet, the findings also indicate weaknesses including paucity of critical learning objectives, solution-oriented research methodology, and follow-up research on implementation. Through the comparative design, the study reveals improvement strategies for the identified challenges and provides guidance for design and redesign of PPBL courses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

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517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Locative Meaning-making: An Arts-based Approach to Learning for Sustainable Development

by Natalia Eernstman and Arjen E.J. Wals

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1645-1660; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041645 - 18 Apr 2013

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8048

Abstract

The term sustainable development is often criticized for having lost credibility due to a lack of clear-cut delineation. The same holds true for education designed to foster sustainable development often referred to as education for sustainable development (ESD). This contribution agrees that the [...] Read more.

The term sustainable development is often criticized for having lost credibility due to a lack of clear-cut delineation. The same holds true for education designed to foster sustainable development often referred to as education for sustainable development (ESD). This contribution agrees that the term suffers from a want of meaning, but argues that the persistent hunt for a definition—i.e., a fixed generic description—produces rather than resolves this deficit. What sustainable development means is context and time dependent and is therefore necessarily ambiguous, open-ended and dynamic. Hence, the success of ESD depends on the paradoxical imperative of reducing vagueness while at the same time maintaining ambiguity. This paper explores how this can be established and proposes a process informed by the arts. Drawing from dialogic practices, site-specific theatre and a project conducted in a British village, this writing discusses elements that constitute a process of “context-based meaning finding”. It concludes that ESD essentially starts with and revolves around re-embedding SD in life and the act of living, engaging people in place through processes in which communities yield their own, context and time specific interpretations of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reclaim “Education” in Environmental and Sustainability Education Research

by Per Sund and Jonas Greve Lysgaard

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1598-1616; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041598 - 16 Apr 2013

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 7891

Abstract

The nascent research area of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) needs a firm grounding in educational philosophy in order to focus more on education. This conclusion is based on experiences at two recent conferences focusing on research in this field. Issues related [...] Read more.

The nascent research area of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) needs a firm grounding in educational philosophy in order to focus more on education. This conclusion is based on experiences at two recent conferences focusing on research in this field. Issues related to content, attitudes and long-term aims dominated at these conferences, while learning processes were often taken for granted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Divergent Evolution in Education for Sustainable Development Policy in the United Kingdom: Current Status, Best Practice, and Opportunities for the Future

by Stephen Martin, James Dillon, Peter Higgins, Carl Peters and William Scott

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1522-1544; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041522 - 11 Apr 2013

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 12863

Abstract

This paper discusses the current status of all aspects of education for sustainable development (ESD) across the United Kingdom (UK), drawing on evidence from its political jurisdictions (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), and setting out some characteristics of best practice. The paper [...] Read more.

This paper discusses the current status of all aspects of education for sustainable development (ESD) across the United Kingdom (UK), drawing on evidence from its political jurisdictions (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), and setting out some characteristics of best practice. The paper analyzes current barriers to progress, and outlines future opportunities for enhancing the core role of education and learning in the pursuit of a more sustainable future. Although effective ESD exists at all levels, and in most learning contexts across the UK, with good teaching and enhanced learner outcomes, the authors argue that a wider adoption of ESD would result from the development of a strategic framework which puts it at the core of the education policy agenda in every jurisdiction. This would provide much needed coherence, direction and impetus to existing initiatives, scale up and build on existing good practice, and prevent unnecessary duplication of effort and resources. The absence of an overarching UK strategy for sustainable development that sets out a clear vision about the contribution learning can make to its goals is a major barrier to progress. This strategy needs to be coupled with the establishment of a pan-UK forum for overseeing the promotion, implementation and evaluation of ESD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

1133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Knowledge of Indonesian University Students on the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

by Sebastian Koch, Jan Barkmann, Micha Strack, Leti Sundawati and Susanne Bögeholz

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1443-1460; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041443 - 28 Mar 2013

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 8775

Abstract

Graduates of university programs addressing sustainable resource management are likely to shape strategies for natural resource use in the future. Their academic training needs to foster student knowledge of the multiple dimensions of natural resource management. This paper investigates university student understanding of [...] Read more.

Graduates of university programs addressing sustainable resource management are likely to shape strategies for natural resource use in the future. Their academic training needs to foster student knowledge of the multiple dimensions of natural resource management. This paper investigates university student understanding of such challenges. We differentiated situational, conceptual, and procedural types of knowledge, and three domains of knowledge (ecological, socio-economic and institutional knowledge), and sampled beginners (third semester) and seniors (seventh semester) of seven natural resource related programs at the leading Indonesian institution of higher education in the field of natural resource management (IPB Bogor; n = 882). The questionnaire consisted of multiple choice and rating scale items covering ‘locally’ relevant open-access resource use issues. With a confirmatory tau-equivalent LISREL model, construct validity was assessed. The ability to extract relevant information from problem descriptions provided (situational knowledge) did not differ between third and seventh semester students. While it was high for ecological and socio-economic items, it was markedly lower for institutional knowledge. Knowledge of relevant scientific concepts (conceptual knowledge) increased in the ecological and socio-economic domains but the effect was small. Conceptual knowledge in the socio-economical and institutional domains tended to be lower than ecological knowledge. Although there was certain improvement, student judgments on the efficacy of resource management options (procedural knowledge) differed strongly from expert judgments for beginners as well as for senior students. We conclude that many of the university students in the sampled programs displayed substantial gaps in their capacity to solve complex, real-world natural resource management problems. Specifically, the socio-economic and institutional knowledge domains—and their integration with ecological knowledge—may require attention by educational planners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

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467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Talloires to Turin: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Declarations for Sustainability in Higher Education

by Paul Sylvestre, Rebecca McNeil and Tarah Wright

Sustainability 2013, 5(4), 1356-1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5041356 - 25 Mar 2013

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8276

Abstract

Declarations for sustainability in higher education are often seen as a set of guiding principles that aid institutions of higher learning to incorporate the concept of sustainability into their various institutional dimensions. As the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development draws to a [...] Read more.

Declarations for sustainability in higher education are often seen as a set of guiding principles that aid institutions of higher learning to incorporate the concept of sustainability into their various institutional dimensions. As the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development draws to a close and in the shadow of the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, it seems appropriate to re-evaluate how these declarations have changed over the past two decades. In this study, we apply critical discourse analysis to examine how sustainability and the university are socio-politically constructed within these documents. Our analysis uncovers evidence of ideological assumptions and structures that are potentially misaligned with notions of sustainability often discussed in the Sustainability in Higher Education (SHE) literature. It is not the purpose of this study to provide a definitive reading of the documents, but rather to ply a novel critical lens to help elucidate how some taken-for-granted assumptions present in the declarations may work against their stated goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Creating a Learning Environment to Promote Food Sustainability Issues in Primary Schools? Staff Perceptions of Implementing the Food for Life Partnership Programme

by Emma Weitkamp, Mat Jones, Debra Salmon, Richard Kimberlee and Judy Orme

Sustainability 2013, 5(3), 1128-1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5031128 - 08 Mar 2013

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 8201

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the role that schools can play in promoting education for sustainable development (ESD), and evidence is emerging that schools can be influential in the emerging agenda around the ecological, ethical and social aspects of food, diet and nutrition. [...] Read more.

There is increasing interest in the role that schools can play in promoting education for sustainable development (ESD), and evidence is emerging that schools can be influential in the emerging agenda around the ecological, ethical and social aspects of food, diet and nutrition. With regard to such food sustainability issues, this paper analyses the role of the Food for Life Partnership national programme in supporting garden and farm-based learning activities in 55 primary schools in England, UK. Using a mixed methods approach, the study examined the programme’s implementation through staff perceptions and a range of school change indicators. The study found that the programme delivery was associated with widespread institutional reforms. According to staff, implementation of the programme provided a range of opportunities for pupils to learn about food production and sustainability, but addressing these issues was challenging for teachers and raised a number of questions concerned with effective, equitable and on-going implementation. At a pedagogical level, teachers also reflected on conceptually challenging aspects of food sustainability as a topic for primary school education. The study identified ways that ESD programmes could support schools to think about and implement learning opportunities as well as identifying significant barriers related to resourcing such programmes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Swedish Upper Secondary School Students’ Conceptions of Negative Environmental Impact and Pricing

by Caroline Ignell, Peter Davies and Cecilia Lundholm

Sustainability 2013, 5(3), 982-996; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5030982 - 04 Mar 2013

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7405

Abstract

This study explores relationships between upper secondary school students’ understanding of prices and environmental impacts. The study uses responses from 110 students to problems in which they were asked to explain differences in prices and also to express and justify opinions on what [...] Read more.

This study explores relationships between upper secondary school students’ understanding of prices and environmental impacts. The study uses responses from 110 students to problems in which they were asked to explain differences in prices and also to express and justify opinions on what should be the difference in prices. Very few students expressed an environmental dimension in their understanding of price. A few students suggested that environmental impact influenced price by raising demand for “Environmentally friendly products”. A few students suggested that ‘environmentally friendly products’ had higher prices because they were more costly to produce. We found no examples of students combining both lines of explanation. However, nearly half of the students believed that prices should reflect environmental effects, and this reasoning was divided between cases where the point was justified by a broad environmental motivation and cases where the point was justified in relation to incentives–to get consumers to act in a more environmentally friendly way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

Review

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701 KiB

Open AccessReview

Greening the Ivory Tower: A Review of Educational Research on Sustainability in Post-Secondary Education

by Philip Vaughter, Tarah Wright, Marcia McKenzie and Lauri Lidstone

Sustainability 2013, 5(5), 2252-2271; https://doi.org/10.3390/su5052252 - 21 May 2013

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 10586

Abstract

There is a deficit of multi-site studies examining the integration of sustainability in the policies and practices of post-secondary institutions. This paper reviews what comparative empirical research has been undertaken on sustainability in post-secondary education (PSE) within eight leading international journals publishing on [...] Read more.

There is a deficit of multi-site studies examining the integration of sustainability in the policies and practices of post-secondary institutions. This paper reviews what comparative empirical research has been undertaken on sustainability in post-secondary education (PSE) within eight leading international journals publishing on sustainability and education. Three predominant themes of research on the topic are identified within the review: research comparing sustainability curricula across institutions (both within specific disciplines of study and across disciplines); research comparing campus operations policies and practice across multiple institutions; and research on how to best measure or audit approaches and outputs in sustainability in PSE. This review of the research literature supports the contention within the literature on sustainability in PSE that most research on the topic is focused on case studies rather than comparison of multiple institutions. The comparative research that is emerging from the field is concentrated on assessing measurable outputs for environmental externalities within institutional operations, with little examination of sustainability uptake and outcomes across broader institutional policies and practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Education: a Critical Reappraisal of Practice and Purpose)

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