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How to Change University Faculty Members' Attitudes and Behavior in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that attitudes and behaviors need to be modified to secure a sustainable future. This article examines insights from the social sciences in this extensive field. It first evaluates college faculty attitudes and classroom practices with respect to education for sustainable development (ESD) using a survey designed for that purpose. Results of the study indicate that college faculty exhibited a moderate level of attitudes toward ESD. Although they showed a strong preference for pedagogical approaches that were contrary to the basic tenets of indoctrination, they used teaching practices that hinged on indoctrination. That mismatch between faculty attitudes and behavior was carefully highlighted and discussed by taking account of the personal, physical, social, and institutional contexts that shape and constrain their choices. The study suggested following several safeguards practices against indoctrination when adopting a committed approach to ESD, offering special training courses for college faculty to enhance their pedagogical knowledge, and building learning communities between college faculty to advance their awareness, attitudes, and pedagogical knowledge that relates to ESD.
... Therefore, the question lies in whether the professorate is willing to admit that teaching values is part of the curriculum. Apparently, there are instructors who naturally incorporate values such as tolerance and equity into the syllabi of their courses (Ull et al., 2014), while for others this would be tantamount to turning education into indoctrination (Qablan & Al-Qaderi, 2009). The debate is complex because incorporating values into teaching does not necessarily mean that these values are supposed to be transmitted: sometimes it may be enough for students to learn to incorporate values into their reasoning by distinguishing factual judgements from value judgements or admitting the existence of different value systems, which are not necessarily opposed to each other, that may guide actors' conduct (Wals & Jickling, 2002). ...
... La duda, entonces, radica en si el profesorado está dispuesto a admitir que la enseñanza de valores pase a formar parte de los curricula. Al parecer hay docentes que incorporan con naturalidad valores como la tolerancia o la equidad en los programas de sus asignaturas (Ull et al., 2014), mientras que para otros ello supone convertir la educación en adoctrinamiento (Qablan & Al-Qaderi, 2009). El debate es complejo porque la incorporación de los valores en la enseñanza no significa necesariamente que estos deban 'transmitirse'; tal vez baste con que los estudiantes aprendan a incorporar los valores en sus razonamientos, distinguiendo los juicios de hecho de los juicios de valor o admitiendo la existencia de sistemas de valores diferentes, no necesariamente opuestos, que pueden guiar la conducta de los actores (Wals & Jickling, 2002). ...
The literature on integrating sustainability in higher education curricula has identified a series of circumstances that can hinder or slow down the transition towards education for sustainable development. This article assesses the influence of two of these circumstances in Spanish universities: teachers’ insufficient support for the principles and objectives of sustainable development and their reluctance to consider conveying values as part of their teaching duties. The article collects evidence from the opinions of instructors obtained via a survey, and it concludes that neither of the two circumstances can explain the slowness with which the principles of education for sustainable development are permeating university curricula.
... In the modern era, technology's unprecedented growth has transformed numerous aspects of daily life (Bataineh et al., 2022;Khalil et al., 2023;Rousmaniere & Renfro-Michel, 2016;Qablan et al., 2023;Qablan & Al-Qaderi, 2009). In educational supervision, integrating technology has been pivotal in enhancing supervisee performance. ...
This chapter serves as an indispensable resource for educational leaders, offering a comprehensive exploration of developmental supervision's (DS) multifaceted impact in educational contexts. Rooted in a dynamic theoretical framework, it underscores developmental supervision's role in cultivating environments conducive to self-reflection, sustained learning, and pedagogical advancement. Drawing from psychology, education, and leadership studies, it exemplifies DS as a collaborative, data-driven practice significantly elevating teaching quality and student achievement. The chapter vividly illustrates the diverse applications of DS, spotlighting how observation, feedback, coaching, mentoring, and technology synergize to augment its efficacy. Robust empirical evidence reveals its substantial impact emphasizing advancements in teaching quality, student engagement, and academic achievement. By urging further empirical scrutiny and innovative strategies, the chapter positions DS as a cornerstone of educational leadership, underpinning the quest for comprehensive school improvement.
... In the field of education, chatbots benefit not only students but also educators by offering diverse teaching methods and assisting in the creation and evaluation of coursework. The rise of online education has increased the significance of educational technology platforms (Qablan, & Al-Qaderi, 2009), where chatbots play a crucial role in efficiently communicating information about courses and admission procedures. These conversational agents are indispensible in managing administrative tasks in schools and universities, thereby streamlining applications and inquiries. ...
In the digital age, businesses must enhance customer experiences, with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots proving pivotal in this endeavor. These chatbots, powered by AI, deliver personalized customer interactions, reshaping customer engagement. Operating through websites and mobile apps, they address user queries in real-time conversations. This chapter examines the potential of chatbots in education, elucidating benefits for students and educators. Categorization and functions of educational chatbots are explored, alongside insights into their design and development, leveraging machine learning and language processing. The advantages of chatbots for students are underscored. Ethical considerations are essential when deploying chatbots, ensuring security. Overcoming barriers in education, the chapter proposes strategies to optimize chatbot use, fostering effective implementation.
... Often overlooking non-academic skills impacts the overall evaluation process as teachers focus only on academic achievements; therefore, the skills of students remain unutilized and unobserved. Educators are accountable to sharpen the skill level of students (Qablan & Al-Qaderi, 2009); however, their unawareness about non-academic aspects leads difficulty in measurement (Gallegos et al., 2022). In addition to this, most teachers do not receive proper trainings on how to assess non-academic attributes; hence, without proper guidance they are unable to develop reliable and valid assessment. ...
This chapter offers an in-depth analysis of holistic assessment frameworks in educational systems, accentuating the critical role of non-academic skills—including emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and interpersonal communication—in student development. It acknowledges the inherent difficulties in quantifying such complex competencies and introduces cutting-edge, technology-driven evaluation
techniques designed to seamlessly integrate into current educational practices. By examining real-world case studies, the narrative showcases how these progressive methodologies are being applied in diverse educational contexts. It underscores the imperative for educators to broaden their evaluative scope, ensuring that students not only excel academically but also develop the essential soft skills needed to
navigate and succeed in the multifaceted challenges of the future. The chapter serves as a pivotal reference for stakeholders in education reform, advocating for a balanced approach to student assessment that aligns with the evolving demands of the 21st century.
... Before judging too harshly the lack of adaptability of the HEIs to any kind of change in their world, it would be as well to remember that the transformation we seek is of an extremely radical nature [22,35]. Simply adding new subjects to the curricula is not enough. ...
The recommendations of the UN and other international bodies on the need to transform university curricula to incorporate sustainability values, content and competencies have met with a warm reception from universities all over the world. However, the actual state of the integration of sustainability in higher education is, in general, somewhat more modest than one would expect. This article proposes a method of measuring the extent of sustainability-oriented curricular change in the Spanish University as a whole and applies it to the degrees in engineering and architecture. The method entails a documentary analysis of the teaching guides related to 1050 subjects. The results obtained do not invite optimism: curricular transformation is slow and insufficient and its results are still incomplete.
... The general position of academics was supportive of ESD as it is believed to be an important component of their course objectives. Very similar findings with insights from social sciences were also provided in a replication study done by Qablan and Al-Qaderi (2009). In a survey conducted in Spain, Minguet et al. (2011) put forward a widespread willingness and support for ESD from the lecturers across various disciplines; however, they also claimed differences in the perceptions and interpretations with respect to academic programs. ...
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the dispositions of early career teacher educators as young academics toward sustainability and accountability for sustainability issues. Through their interpretations, concerns, awareness and ownership of sustainability, the study portrays how a global phenomenon is articulated specifically within the local context of teachers colleges in Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was designed as a survey, and the data were collected through a cross-sectional online questionnaire. The sample ( n = 72) was limited, through purposeful sampling, to early career teacher educators teaching and being trained in well-established Turkish teachers colleges to become prospective faculty members of newly founded teachers colleges across the country. The data were analyzed primarily through quantitative methods. For the analyses, STATA software was used to perform descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings
The general results indicated that the participants were highly concerned about sustainability problems. However, their concerns were not reflected to the same degree on their perceived awareness and ownership of education for sustainable development (ESD). Hunger and poverty, loss of biodiversity, climate change and epidemic diseases were all perceived to be urgent more in the global context. On the other hand, unemployment, refugees and terrorism were perceived to be locally urgent problems. Different agencies within the community were addressed to be accountable for different types of sustainability problems. The accountability for economic, environmental and societal problems were mainly placed on governments. Additionally, individuals/families and educators were held more accountable for environmental issues, while corporations and super powers were held more accountable for economic issues. As for societal issues, educators, individuals/families and non-governmental organizations were addressed to be more responsible.
Originality/value
The significance of the study is mainly twofold. If sustainable development is conceptualized with a futuristic viewpoint that attaches a great importance to next generations' needs, focusing on the dispositions of early career teacher educators as young academics is a reasonable way of addressing the current gaps and eliminating the future inefficacies. Building on the assumption that ESD would remain imperfect without the commitment of teacher educators who have the potential to bring changes in educational systems and shape knowledge and skills of future teachers, in turn future generations; this study becomes even more valuable as it includes specifically the academicians in the field of teacher education.
... Dooley (1995) argues that in situations of perceived threat tacit underlying assumptions guide organizational members' actions as theories-in-use. In light of this, special attention should be given to the implementation process and such situations in which dissonance and incongruity with espoused values and norms become visible and observable, for example with respect to espoused and practiced sustainability-related teaching principles and methods (Qablan et al., 2009). As resistance to or expressions of discomfort with change can be explained both situational and dispositional (Bareil et al., 2007), organizational members' responses to change initiated by intervention measures must be carefully interpreted in terms of their respective meaning for underlying assumptions that develop as a group "learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration" (Schein, 2004). ...
Problem Statement: Patterns of consumption are considered as a main driver of unsustainable development. In the debate, education and educational organizations are unisonous considered as a key player to contribute to a more sustainable socialization of young consumers. Both schools and universities are challenged to become places and life-worlds in which sustainable consumption can be learned and experienced. The objective of this paper was to explore how educational organizations can effectively engage their members in bringing about the aspired transformations and monitoring their effects. Approach: The study used a conceptual approach that included three steps. Firstly, the concept of an educational organization’s Culture Of Consumption (COC) was adopted as an analytical frame of reference. In a second step, methodological propositions for changing the organizational COC were discussed drawing on the concepts of mode-2 knowledge production and participatory change management. In a third step, existing tools and approaches to sustainability auditing in the educational context were screened and critically discussed against the background of recent innovations in mode-2 approaches to sustainability evaluation. Results: The findings revealed that while existing sets of indicators did adequately account for key consumption-related organizational operations and to some extent for educational goals and aspirations, they failed to tap the realm of underlying and tacit basic assumptions that substantiate the essence of an organizational COC. To remedy this shortcoming, additional indicators and modifications were proposed. As a synthesis, a synoptic framework of a monitoring system for an educational organization’s COC was presented. Conclusion: The study’s results highlighted the need to develop monitoring frameworks that go beyond assessing operative performances and pay greater attention to reflective, interpretative and deliberative capacities in educational organizations.
... Dabei müssen allgemeine Einstellungen darüber, welche Lehr-/Lernmethoden angemessen sind, nicht unbedingt dazu führen, dass diese dann auch praktiziert werden. In einer Untersuchung von College-Dozierenden konnten Qablan & Al-Qaderi (2009) zeigen, dass Lehrkräfte, die sich kritisch gegenüber indoktrinierenden Ansätzen zeigten, entsprechende Ansätze in ihrer Lehre sehr wohl praktizierten. In der gleichen Studie konnten mehrere einzelne situative und organisatorische Sachzwänge identifiziert werden, die die Lücke zwischen Lehrabsichten und Lehrpraktiken zum Teil erklären. ...
Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass Bildungseinrichtungen als Ganze auf das Konsumlernen junger Menschen einwirken, zielte das BINKProjekt darauf ab, Bildungseinrichtungen als je spezifische „Konsumkulturen“ mit eigenen Ordnungen zu betrachten, in denen bestimmte Konsumpraktiken gefördert und andere sanktioniert werden. Bevor sich Bildungseinrichtungen auf den Weg machen, Veränderungen in Richtung nachhaltiger Konsum zu initiieren, ist daher eine Analyse der einrichtungsspezifischen Konsumkultur erforderlich. Im Rahmen der BINK‐Strategie (siehe Homburg et al. in diesem Band) hatte eine solche Analyse einen festen Platz. Im Folgenden wird der Analyserahmen bildungsorganisationaler Konsumkultur, wie er im BINKProjekt entwickelt und erprobt wurde, konzeptionell begründet. Dazu werden als Grundlegung zunächst Ansätze aus dem Theorieangebot der Organisations‐, Schul‐ und Hochschulkulturforschung dargelegt. Diese werden in einem zweiten Schritt auf das Handlungsfeld Konsum bezogen und abschließend zu einem Analyserahmen bildungsorganisationaler Konsumkultur synthetisiert.
... Dabei müssen allgemeine Einstellungen darüber, welche Lehr-/Lernmethoden angemessen sind, nicht unbedingt dazu führen, dass diese dann auch praktiziert werden. In einer Untersuchung von College-Dozierenden konnten Qablan & Al-Qaderi (2009) zeigen, dass Lehrkräfte, die sich kritisch gegenüber indoktrinierenden Ansätzen zeigten, entsprechende Ansätze in ihrer Lehre sehr wohl praktizierten. In der gleichen Studie konnten mehrere einzelne situative und organisatorische Sachzwänge identifiziert werden, die die Lücke zwischen Lehrabsichten und Lehrpraktiken zum Teil erklären. ...
Wie können Bildungseinrichtungen zu Orten werden, an denen nachhaltiger Konsum erlernt und aktiv gestaltet werden kann? Im Projekt BINK erprobten die Forschenden gemeinsam mit Praktikern und Praktikerinnen aus sechs Bildungseinrichtungen über mehrere Jahre neue Wege, wie sich die Organisationskultur einer Bildungseinrichtung in Richtung Nachhaltigkeit verändern und nachhaltiges Konsumverhalten bei Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen unterstützen lässt.
Der Sammelband bietet einen ausführlichen und zugleich kompakten Überblick über die wissenschaftlichen Ergebnisse des Projektes. Die elf Beiträge stammen aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven wie der Erziehungswissenschaft, der Jugendsoziologie oder der Umweltpsychologie und setzen sich sowohl konzeptionell als auch empirisch mit dem Konsumlernen junger Menschen in sich „nachhaltig“ verändernden Bildungseinrichtungen auseinander. Die Publikation wendet sich gleichermaßen an das wissenschaftliche Fachpublikum wie an interdisziplinär interessierte Akteure aus der Bildungspolitik und Bildungspraxis, die sich mit der Förderung nachhaltigen Konsums durch Bildungseinrichtungen befassen.
Das Verbundprojekt BINK wurde vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) im Rahmen des Förderschwerpunkts Sozial-Ökologische Forschung (SÖF) im Themenschwerpunkt Vom Wissen zum Handeln – Neue Wege zum nachhaltigen Konsum im Zeitraum von 2008 bis 2012 gefördert.
... Importantly, general attitudes towards appropriate teaching practices do not necessarily result in corresponding practices. In their study of college faculty members, Qablan & Al-Qaderi (2009) were able to show that while teaching staff preferred pedagogical approaches opposed to the notion of indoctrination, it was precisely this notion of indoctrination that their teaching practice hinged on. In the same study, several individual, situational and organisational constraints could be identified that helped to partly explain this gap between teaching values and practices. ...
High levels of consumption in the industrialised parts of the world such as Europe mark a central threat to global sustainable development. In recent years, growing attention has been paid to the contributions of education and educational organisations to the socialisation of youths and young adults into consumer culture. It is the contention of this article that educational responses to the consumption challenge both within the European Union (EU) consumer policy strategy and in current practices in consumer education in European countries build on an understanding of consumer learning in schools that is too narrowly defined and thus insufficient. The aim of this article is therefore to help overcome this shortcoming by unfolding a socio-cultural view on consumption-related formal and informal learning environments in educational organisations. It is assumed that in response to external framings such as curricula or policies and as a result of inner-organisational negotiations, schools bring about distinct ways of relating to consumption and youth consumers that have socialising effects on their students. This article presents a conceptual elaboration of these contexts and processes. It draws on research into the genesis and characteristic fields of school culture and relates this to the domain of consumption. As a result, a detailed framework of organisational ‘cultures of consumption’ in schools with six thematic domains is presented. The article concludes with a discussion of implications and demands for a new research, practice and policy-making agenda that is needed to advance a more holistic promotion of sustainable consumer education in schools in Europe.
... Dooley (1995) argues that in situations of perceived threat tacit underlying assumptions guide organizational members' actions as theories-in-use. In light of this, special attention should be given to the implementation process and such situations in which dissonance and incongruity with espoused values and norms become visible and observable, for example with respect to espoused and practiced sustainability-related teaching principles and methods (Qablan et al., 2009). As resistance to or expressions of discomfort with change can be explained both situational and dispositional (Bareil et al., 2007), organizational members' responses to change initiated by intervention measures must be carefully interpreted in terms of their respective meaning for underlying assumptions that develop as a group " learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration " (Schein, 2004). ...
Problem Statement: Patterns of consumption are considered as a main driver of unsustainable development. In the debate, education and educational organizations are unisonous considered as a key player to contribute to a more sustainable socialization of young consumers. Both schools and universities are challenged to become places and life-worlds in which sustainable consumption can be learned and experienced. The objective of this paper was to explore how educational organizations can effectively engage their members in bringing about the aspired transformations and monitoring their effects. Approach: The study used a conceptual approach that included three steps. Firstly, the concept of an educational organization's Culture Of Consumption (COC) was adopted as an analytical frame of reference. In a second step, methodological propositions for changing the organizational COC were discussed drawing on the concepts of mode-2 knowledge production and participatory change management. In a third step, exist
In every field, innovation remains pivotal, especially in the realm of education where it consistently refines the teaching and learning experience. This chapter delves into the profound influence and significance of innovation in reshaping educational facets. Emphasis is placed on the transformative leadership in education and its alignment with progressive and inventive cultures. The discourse highlights the capability of transformational leadership to foster professional growth and a spirit of teamwork. Evidence suggests that both educators and students thrive under transformational leadership, benefiting from its capacity to motivate, and instigate positive change. The chapter underscores the value of continuous learning and professional enhancement for transformational leaders, as it cultivates an enduring learning ethos, crucial for professional evolution. Furthermore, this chapter presents tactics that transformational leaders might employ to stimulate progress in the educational sector.
This chapter will focus on active learning and its application from the early years through adolescence. It will explore effective and impactful approaches and methods that promote critical thinking, engagement, and a love of learning in students of all ages. Active learning is not a brand-new idea; in fact, an early definition of the strategy describes it as “instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking about what they are doing.” Therefore, rather than just disseminating knowledge, active learning tactics encourage students to partake in activities that call for higher-order thinking, such as reading, talking, and writing. They typically emphasize the value of having pupils reflect on their own attitudes and ideals as well.
In an era where technological advancements are shaping facet of our lives, education stands as promising domains for positive change. The fusion of technology and school leadership is revolutionizing the way students learn, teachers teach, and administrators manage educational institutions. This chapter explores the pivotal role that technology plays in school leadership, highlighting its potential to create a more effective, equitable, and engaging learning environment, there is no reason to assume a new gadget will result in new teaching practices if our technology integration tactics do not change. Students are producing remarkable work in some iPad courses. Tablets are generally used to duplicate current procedures, nevertheless. School leaders must work with their communities to develop a vision how new technology will improve instruction, support educators in imagining how new technologies can support those visions, and support teachers and students as they transition from using tablets for consumption to using them for curation, creation, and connection.
This research delves into responsible AI practices in UAE education, specifically focusing on the legal responsibilities of educators working with students who have special needs. With AI technologies evolving and reshaping education, it's crucial to examine the legal framework and educators' duties. The primary objective is to comprehensively analyze the legal landscape in the UAE, encompassing education regulations and policies. Through this thorough exploration, the research aims to provide valuable insights and practical recommendations for promoting responsible AI practices in special education. Ultimately, the findings are intended to guide educators in navigating their legal responsibilities and ethical considerations while seamlessly integrating AI technologies for the benefit of special needs students in the United Arab Emirates.
Education for sustainable development in higher education is becoming increasingly important for success of universities and other institutions where students will exercise their professions. The main goal of this study is to apply the theory of planned behaviour to analyse sustainability attitudes, behaviours and intentions among students in higher education institutions across five countries: USA, Portugal, Cyprus, Serbia, and South Korea. The results suggest that individualism, masculinity, and power distance moderate the effects of attitude and behaviour on sustainable intentions. Individuals in more individualistic and masculine societies tend to be more pro-active and assertive in their attitudes, decisions, and reactions towards sustainability. In universities located in societies that score high in power distance, professors and senior managers must be very clear when defining and practicing sustainability issues in courses, classes and on campus.
This paper takes a research orientation towards ethics and, in so doing, frames ethics as processes of inquiry and stories to be told. First, it explores ways that ethics might be ‘reimagined’, situated in everyday contexts and interpreted in ways that allow its stories to do work and invite readers and listeners to consider ethics. Second, it creates some openings to imagine ethics as a series of re-constructive experiments. Finally, this paper is an invitation to engage in ‘ethics research’ within environmental education.
A simple model was tested in which attitudinal factors and external conditions act in combination to influence behavior. The model predicts that behavior is a monotonic function of attitudes and external conditions and that the strength of the attitude-behavior relationship is a curvilinear function of the strength of the external conditions, with extreme values setting boundary conditions on the applicability of attitude models. The model also allows for interactions in which perceived costs enter into the attitudinal process. Evidence is taken from a natural experiment in recycling in which collection bins for curbside pickup had been provided to 26% of 257 survey respondents. Consistent with the model, main effects of attitudes and external conditions were found, as was an interaction effect in which the Schwartz norm-activation model predicted recycling behavior only for households without bins. Interactive models such as the one developed here can yield better policy-relevant analyses by clarifying the relationships between external and internal influences on behavior change.
Many observers have commented on disparities between the theoretical understandings of environmental education portrayed in academic literature and the environmental education that takes place in schools. In much of the literature and in curriculum documents there has been an increasing emphasis on promoting positive attitudes towards the environment, and the results of several surveys suggest that many teachers support this aim. This paper explores the beliefs of three geography teachers teaching controversial environmental issues in UK secondary schools. In contrast to the findings of prior studies, the teachers in this study feel strongly that they should try to avoid influencing students' attitudes, or imposing any kind of pro‐environmental agenda. There is a substantial divergence between the teachers' beliefs and the espoused aims of much environmental education literature and the geography syllabus they were following. This suggests that, unless curriculum developers take account of teachers' beliefs in designing new curriculum materials, those materials are unlikely to be implemented in their intended format.
A field experiment with 102 undergraduate students demonstrated that forming implementation intentions was effective in changing complex everyday behavior, in this case establishing a healthier diet. Ss were administered a questionnaire that assessed their current eating habits. The Ss in the experimental condition were then asked to form implementation intentions, i.e., they were asked to pick out a day from the 5 days following the completion of the questionnaire during which they would eat healthily. All Ss were then asked to keep a diary for the 5 days following the completion of the questionnaire detailing their eating patterns. Results show that the effect of implementation intentions was additive to the prediction of healthy eating by behavioral intentions to eat healthily. Implementation intentions were pitted against individual differences in counterintentional (unhealthy) habits. The effects of implementation intentions and counterintentional habits were independent, suggesting that implementation intentions did not break the negative influence of unhealthy habits, and yet managed to make those with unhealthy habits eat healthier in habit-unrelated respects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This paper examines how people explain reasons and impacts of environmental change in the low-rain savanna of the central Sudan and mountainous forest lands of northern Thailand. The explanations are analyzed by using the concept of environmental literacy, which refers to the people’s ability to grasp the environment and its interactions. The paper aims to study people’s conceptions of the environment, which compose one factor in directing their behavior. For the study, rural inhabitants in the State of North Kordofan, the Sudan, and the Chiang Mai Province in Thailand were interviewed.It was noted that an individual’s capability to understand the environment is alone insufficient to address environmental problems because the efficient alleviation of the problems requires collective actions at all levels, and because of factors beyond an individual’s control. However, the results supported the assumption that the local people have knowledge of their environment that may help in developing sustainable environmental management practices. The main advantages of using the environmental literacy concept are argued to be its dynamic and synthetic essence, its link to sustainable behavior, and wide applicability in various contexts within heterogeneous communities.
The main assumption in this article is that actions are guided by mentally represented intentions. Intentions are subdivided into goal intentions and their contingent instrumental intentions. The latter are generated to overcome anticipated difficulties in three problem areas: initiation, implementation, and termination of an intended action. The action-guiding intention can be identified at various goal levels that relate to the alternative modes of implementation-imminent or wide-spanned goal representations. An ongoing action is controlled by a wide-spanned mode whenever implementation consists of automatized acts that require little or no conscious control. A wide-spanned goal representation facilitates the simultaneous execution of related or unrelated activity. The 2 control modes of narrow and wide goal span set the stage for the occurrence of action slips. A collection of various action slips can be categorized according to the 3 problem areas in the enactment of goal intentions: initiation, implementation, and termination slips. This categorization helps to elucidate the various types of action slips, and it highlights the effectiveness of instrumental intentions.
This study tested the idea of habits as a form of goal-directed automatic behavior. Expanding on the idea that habits are mentally represented as associations between goals and actions, it was proposed that goals are capable of activating the habitual action. More specific, when habits are established (e.g., frequent cycling to the university), the very activation of the goal to act (e.g., having to attend lectures at the university) automatically evokes the habitual response (e.g., bicycle). Indeed, it was tested and confirmed that, when behavior is habitual, behavioral responses are activated automatically. In addition, the results of 3 experiments indicated that (a) the automaticity in habits is conditional on the presence of an active goal (cf. goal-dependent automaticity; J. A. Bargh, 1989), supporting the idea that habits are mentally represented as goal-action links, and (b) the formation of implementation intentions (i.e., the creation of a strong mental link between a goal and action) may simulate goal-directed automaticity in habits.
Since its emergence over two decades ago, the construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has significantly impacted preservice and inservice teacher education, educational policy, and educational research. PCK has served to re-focus educators' attention on the important role of subject matter in educational practice and away from the more generic approach to teacher education that dominated the field prior to 1975.
This ambitious text is the first of its kind to summarize the theory, research, and practice related to pedagogical content knowledge. The audience is provided with a functional understanding of the basic tenets of the construct as well as its applications to research on science teacher education and the development of science teacher education programs. The authors are prominent educators representing a variety of subject matter areas and K-12 grade levels. Although the focus of the text is science education, it should provide valuable reading for any individuals with interests in professional teacher education.
This study rested the idea of habits as a form of goal-directed automatic behavior. Expanding on the idea that habits are mentally represented as associations between goals and actions, it was proposed that goals are capable of activating the habitual action. More specific, when habits are established (e.g., frequent cycling to the university), the very activation of the goal to act (e.g., having to attend lectures at the university) automatically evokes the habitual response (e.g., bicycle). Indeed, it was tested and confirmed that, when behavior is habitual, behavioral responses are activated automatically. in addition, the results of 3 experiments indicated that (a) the automaticity in habits is conditional on the presence of an active goal (cf. goal-dependent automaticity; J. A. Bargh, 1989), supporting the idea that habits are mentally represented as goal-action links, and (b) the formation of implementation intentions (i.e., the creation of a strong mental link between a goal and action) may simulate goal-directed automaticity in habits.
Most programs to foster sustainable behavior continue to be based upon models of behavior change that psychological research has found to be limited. Although psychology has much to contribute to the design of effective programs to foster sustainable behavior, little attention has been paid to ensuring that psychological knowledge is accessible to those who design environmental programs. This article presents a process. community-based social marketing, that attempts to make psychological knowledge relevant and accessible to these individuals. Further, it provides two case studies in which program planners have utilized this approach to deliver their initiatives. Finally, it reflects on the obstacles that exist to incorporating psychological expertise into programs to promote sustainable behavior.
It is proposed that attitudes are stronger predictors of behavior when the amount of effort required for the behavior is high than when little effort is required. The first study found support for the effort hypothesis among undergraduates who participated in a high-effort recycling program. A second study of undergraduates found a strong positive relationship between attitudes of environmental concern and the amount of effort they were willing to exert to recycle. The third study, a meta-analysis of studies on the relationship between environmental concern and recycling, showed that studies conducted in (high-effort) dropoff recycling programs typically found a stronger relationship than studies conducted in (low-effort) curbside recycling programs. Across all three studies the results consistently support recent theoretical findings: Effort is a strong moderator of the attitude-behavior relationship.
Data from a study of a learning community program in an urban community college are used to explore the educational character of student persistence. Analyses reveal that classroom activities influence student persistence by changing the way students and faculty interact within and beyond the classroom setting. Implications for current theories of persistence are discussed and a modified theory proposed.
One of my formative experiences as a graduate student came during a break in our afternoon-long first-year proseminar. We had been discussing the scope of psychology, or rather, listening to two professors debate the scope of psychology. Both the protagonists were clinical psychologists by training, but one had remained an empirically focused social learning theorist, while the other had pursued the study of Eastern religion, psychoanalysis, and transpersonal psychology. As the class milled about, the social learning empiricist sought some closure on the discussion. "Dick," he said to his transpersonal colleague, "it seems to me that we disagree because in your view, what I do isn't psychology, and in my view, what you do isn't science."
Environmental policy depends for its success on public participation. However, the scientific construction of environmental issues often means that such participation in policy-making is difficult when the public is not considered scientifically 'expert'. Even if the notion of 'expertise' is broadened to deal with this problem, this does not ensure truly 'public'—i.e. lay—involvement, because lay ideas are still not included but are discounted as 'non-scientific'. Further, emphasis on the scientific and environmental education of the general public will not guarantee policy implementation by individuals. Therefore, if we wish to design environmental policy that can be successfully implemented, we must consider other ways in which people relate to their environments as well as through scientific mediation—ways in which people 'understand' their environments through culture, morality and social interaction—and build these into environmental policy.
The articles in this collection examine the issues arising from the use and abuse of the term "ecology" in environmental education to encourage ecologists to become more engaged with education at all levels. Although great efforts have been made to improve understanding of the environment via programs offered by educational establishments, government agencies and others, it is sometimes perceived that environmental "education" actually entails the "advocacy" of particular values and beliefs.
This article explores the notion of sound judgement by citizens in environmentally attentive democracies. The argument is against indoctrination, and in favour of greater continuity and progression throughout all phases of education. A democratic education that is attentive to issues of environmental sustainability will need to draw on the evidence base of science. This is necessary but not sufficient. Learners need to be able to synthesise understanding from a range of disciplines, including those that address questions of value and judgement. Knowledge and understanding alone do not necessarily lead to a commitment to action for sustainability, and this can result in temptations to take short cuts that result in pupils making rhetorical commitments. The paper looks to the liberal educational philosophy of Paul Hirst as a basis for curriculum analysis and argues that the ability to synthesise an understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues from the irreducible forms of knowledge proposed by Hirst is an advanced skill that requires development over a protracted period.
Attention to the beliefs of teachers and teacher candidates should be a focus of educational research and can inform educational practice in ways that prevailing research agendas have not and cannot. The difficulty in studying teachers’ beliefs has been caused by definitional problems, poor conceptualizations, and differing understandings of beliefs and belief structures. This article examines the meaning prominent researchers give to beliefs and how this meaning differs from that of knowledge, provides a definition of belief consistent with the best work in this area, explores the nature of belief structures as outlined by key researchers, and offers a synthesis of findings about the nature of beliefs. The article argues that teachers’ beliefs can and should become an important focus of educational inquiry but that this will require clear conceptualizations, careful examination of key assumptions, consistent understandings and adherence to precise meanings, and proper assessment and investigation of specific belief constructs. Implications of findings and directions for future research are offered.
This study assessed teachers' environmental literacy and analysed predictors of teachers' responsible environmental behaviour (REB). A nine page instrument was administered by mailed questionnaire to 300 randomly selected secondary teachers in the Hualien area of Taiwan with a 52.3% effective response rate. As a result of stepwise multiple regression analyses, the most parsimonious set of predictors of REB for all teachers included: perceived knowledge of environmental action strategies (KNOW), intention to act, area of residence and perceived skill in using environmental action strategies (SKILL, total r = 0.3867). For urban teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: intention to act, SKILL, major sources of environmental information and membership in environmental organisations (total r = 0.4711). For rural teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: KNOW, intention to act and perceived knowledge of environmental problems and issues (total r = 0.3200). Implications for programme development and instructional practice are presented. Recommendations for further research are also provided.
This article develops a conceptual framework for advancing theories of environ- mentally significant individual behavior and reports on the attempts of the author's research group and others to develop such a theory. It discusses defini- tions of environmentally significant behavior; classifies the behaviors and their causes; assesses theories of environmentalism, focusing especially on value-belief-norm theory; evaluates the relationship between environmental concern and behavior; and summarizes evidence on the factors that determine environmentally significant behaviors and that can effectively alter them. The article concludes by presenting some major propositions supported by available research and some principles for guiding future research and informing the design of behavioral programs for environmental protection. Recent developments in theory and research give hope for building the under- standing needed to effectively alter human behaviors that contribute to environ- mental problems. This article develops a conceptual framework for the theory of environmentally significant individual behavior, reports on developments toward such a theory, and addresses five issues critical to building a theory that can inform efforts to promote proenvironmental behavior.
This paper explores issues related to the choice of goals and approaches for advancing sustainability in higher education through research. The paper argues that the diverse nature of the questions, issues and problems facing advocates of sustainability in higher education requires a willingness to adopt an eclectic approach to the choice of research methodologies or paradigms. The views of reality and knowledge embedded in alternative research paradigms – empirical analytical, interpretive, critical, and poststructural paradigms – are summarised briefly. The relevance of the four paradigms is illustrated by taking two issues of sustainability in higher education and exploring how they would be addressed by each one. The two issues are: campus catering services and integrating the principles of the Earth Charter into an engineering degree program. The paper concludes by reviewing the debate over whether this eclectic position is consistent with the goals of advancing sustainability in higher education.
Environmental literacy is not encouraged by discipline-based education. Discipline-based education is damaging not only because it breaks the link between experience and theory but also because it encourages learners to believe that complex practical problems can be solved using the resources of just one or two specialist disciplines or frameworks of thought. It is argued that discipline-based education has been extremely successful, and its very success is a factor which explains some of our poor thinking about environmental problems. These problems are highly complex, and it is important for learners to discover the limitations of particular frameworks of thought and disciplinary approaches. This is particularly important in the case of economics. An education which emphasises the limitations of specialist approaches to complex problems can also be used to help overcome the depersonalising effect of bureaucracies.
This chapter addresses two questions; how big is the “gap” between intentions and behavior, and what psychological variables might be able to “bridge” the intention–behavior gap? A meta-analysis of meta-analyses is used to quantify the gap and a conceptual analysis of intention–behavior discrepancies is presented. Research is described on the extent to which four groups of variables—behavior type, intention type, properties of intention, and cognitive and personality variables—moderate intention–behavior relations. Finally, the scope of the intention construct is discussed in the light of recent evidence concerning the role of habits and automaticity in human behavior.
I argue from an understanding of current feminist philosophy that a teacher's practice reflects changing experiences, knowledge, values, and identities, and a such can be productively thought of as a site for learning as much as a site for expounding upon what is known. This suggests a vision for what constitutes effective practice different from that commonly held in science. I argue that praxis proceeds from the personal epistemological standpoints of the teacher (defined as standpoint theory). This knowledge is only partially applicable to particular situations in the classroom. The hallmark of feminist pedagogy, if conceptualized as derivative from standpoint theory, is to "take everyday life as problematic" (Smith, 1991, p. 88). Implicit in such a conceptualization is that pedagogy starts from an explicit recognition of everyday life and both builds from and questions that beginning. This is true for students and also for the teacher, and is the root of my claim that through teaching, the teacher becomes a learner. The immediate circumstances in which teaching occurs present different and unique qualities from those in which the teacher's knowledge and value were created. As a teacher, I am therefore continuously confronted with the inadequacy of my knowledge. The circumstances and children's activities tell me that I need to do things differently. In this situation, the act of teaching as an assertion of knowing becomes a recognition of not-knowing. Teaching becomes an occasion for learning about subject matter, children, and self. I recount an example of teaching in a first-grade classroom to give this argument substance. This story is an example from my own teaching in which parallels between scientific theorizing and storytelling are drawn and capitalized upon as a vehicle for critical thinking in science. This became an occasion for reflecting upon the appropriateness of those values because of the multicultural qualities of the classroom.
Developmental learning community programs that are respectful of students' circumstances, supportive of their educational aims, and thoughtful about the purpose of education can be extremely effective in helping developmental students achieve their educational goals.
Abstract Although the natural sciences are dedicated to understanding the natural world, they are also dynamic and shaped by cultural values. The sciences and attendant technologies could be very responsive to a population that participates in and uses them responsibly. In this essay, Nancy Brickhouse and Julie Kittleson argue for re-visioning the sciences in ways that respond to diversity. By way of educational processes, the sciences might be reshaped to advance critical issues such as social justice and eco-justice. This vision of science and science education opens up new possibilities for what counts as scientific knowledge and what it means to participate in science. We envision schools where young people learn to engage in science in ways that lead to the development of the science we need. To disengage in science is to leave it in the hands of elites whose values may work against the possibility of an ecologically and socially just society.
In this paper, we report some reflections on science and education, in relation to teaching and research in the field of complex and controversial socio-environmental issues. Starting from an examination of the literature on the epistemological aspects of the science of controversial issues, and introducing the perspective of complexity, the article argues for a complexity of content, context, and method in understanding current problems. Focusing on a model of learning which includes dialogical and reflective approaches, the final part of the article reports on aspect of the authors' experimental practice with role-play for dealing with complex issues. The review of the literature and our experience of action–research introduce a view of education which promotes young people's awareness of multiple points of view, an ability to establish relationships between processes, scales, and contexts which may be nonlinearly related, and practice with creative and nonviolent forms of interrelations with others. Such an approach in science education is coherent with a scenario of planet sustainability based on ecological webs and equity principles. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed90:227–252, 2006
Most programs to foster sustainable behavior continue to be based upon modelsof behavior change that psychological research has found to be limited. Although psychology has much to contribute to the design of effective programs to foster sustainable behavior, little attention has been paid to ensuring that psychological knowledge is accessible to those who design environmental programs. This article presents a process, community-based social marketing, that attempts to make psychological knowledge relevant and accessible to theseindividuals. Further, it provides two case studies in which program planners have utilized this approach to deliver their initiatives. Finally, it reflects on the obstacles that exist to incorporating psychological expertise into programs to promote sustainable behavior.
A proposed model for behavioral change is described as a process in several steps from habitual nonenvironmentally friendly behavior to environmentally friendly behavior. Every step is linked to factors promoting or impeding further progress. Data from a questionnaire addressed to a random sample of 500 Swedish adults supported the hypothesis that general factors such as environmental values and a sense of responsibility for the environment will be more influential in an early phase rather than in a later phase of changing established habits regarding purchases of washing and washing-up detergents, respectively. Furthermore, in a later phase of transition, specific beliefs about particular products will affect the testing and evaluation of a new behavior.
Selections reported above were chosen as representative and reflective of the varieties of environmental education research currently reported in the literature. They were picked for this paper somewhat arbitrarily, from among more than 70 surviving an initial screening. No selection bias was intended, other than for the purpose of providing a representative variety. In most cases, abstracts printed in theCurrent Index to Journals in Education, Resources in Education, orDissertation Abstracts International were used in preparing these notes.
Research on ego-depletion suggests that the ability to self-regulate one's behavior is limited: Exerting self-control on an initial task reduces performance on a subsequent task that also requires self-control. Two experiments tested whether forming implementation
intentions could prevent ego-depletion and/or offset the effects of ego-depletion. Experiment 1found that participants who formed implementation intentions during an initial ego-depleting task subsequently showed greater persistence on an unsolvable puzzles task compared to participants who did not form implementation intentions. Experiment 2 found that among participants who had been ego-depleted during an initial task, forming implementation intentions improved subsequent performance on a Stroop task to the level exhibited by non-depleted controls. Thus, implementation intentions help to enhance people's
ability to self-regulate their behavior.
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Incl. index, bibliographical references
This paper presents a comparative analysis of how representatives from the public, private, and voluntary sectors of two cities [Nottingham (United Kingdom) and Eindhoven (The Netherlands)] responded to the challenge of communicating more effectively with citizens about issues of sustainability. The analysis is set in the context of literature about the need to widen participation in the determination of Local Agenda 21 policies, and the drive for more inclusionary forms of communication in planning and politics. Workshop members discussed the results of surveys and in-depth discussion groups with local residents which had revealed considerable scepticism and mistrust of environmental communications and environmental expertise. Three themes are explored. First, there is consensus in attributing responsibility for public alienation and resistance to environmental communications to the content and styles of media reporting. Second, there are contrasting discursive constructions of the 'public', which reflect different political cultures -- with the Nottingham workshop supporting a strategy to share power and knowledge more widely than hitherto, whereas the Eindhoven strategy proposed greater rigour, clarity, and authority from the local state. Third, responding to evidence of public resistance to calls for more sustainable practices, workshop participants in both cities focused on what institutions themselves can and should do to progress environmental goals. Workshop participants in both countries acknowledged the urgent need for public, private, and voluntary sector organisations to match their own practices to their environmental rhetoric.
Environmental control of goal-directed action: Automatic and strategic contingencies between situation and behavior Integrative views of motivation, cognition, and emotion The cultural dimensions of ecological literacy
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