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How Do Sustainable Schools Integrate Sustainability Education? An Assessment of Certified Sustainable K–12 Schools in the United States
Abstract
We provide an overview of research in sustainability education. We argue that the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability programs at K–12 schools is one metric by which sustainability education can be conceptualized. We present a new measure of whole-school sustainability, or “interconnectedness,” and then use it to compare U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. In total, we compare 59 different schools, with a total of 289 sustainability projects. Finally, we provide an analysis of differences between schools that are certified as sustainable. Using the results from our cross-school comparison, we provide recommendations and strategies that appear to promote interconnectedness or whole-school sustainability.
... They also concluded that "cross-curriculum" is vital for ESD, as it implies deeper and more active enshrining of sustainability in teaching practices, assessments and learning outcomes. Systemic challenges, mainly inconsistencies in policies, absence of standardized sustainability assessment metrics, financial constraints and resistance to pedagogical reforms, as well as a lack in training teachers among others, have been documented as the main causes hindering successful ESD policies [24,29,30]. ...
... While sustainability, generally, and sustainability in education, has been acknowledged at both the policy and local levels in the UAE, the analysis of the above data indicates that there exists a gap between the national and local level, echoing findings in the international literature [29]. The various actors involved, such as federal and local education authorities, schools, teachers and policy makers, seem to operate more or less in silos, resulting in a lack of coordinated efforts and a delay in the effective implementation of sustainability initiatives, similar to results from research conducted by Warner and Elser (2014) [30] and Moore (2018) [26] among others. What is unique in the UAE context is that despite the production of valuable documents and strategies that set out clearly the governmental vision, framework, action plan and time line for the country regarding sustainability in the broader scheme (see for example the UAE Green Agenda Programs 2015-2030, the UAE Environmental Policy, the UN's 2030 Agenda and the UAE year of Sustainability 2024) and sustainability in education specifically (see for example the KHDA Inspection Key Findings 2023-2024, the Training Guide for Teachers, the Environmental Sustainability Cross-Curricular Framework, the SPEA's Green School Manual and the Roadmap Schools Guidelines COP28), educational institutions are still struggling with what they perceive as an absence of guidance and frameworks. ...
... Hence, this could be seen as a short-term goal rather than a long-term vision. In line with the general literature worldwide [28,30,[32][33][34], the adoption of the terminology of sustainability is stronger than the adoption of its practice. Further work is needed to identify whether this is due to a lack of commitment or difficulty in pinning down sustainability in practice (green-washing). ...
The integration of sustainability in education has gained global attention as a critical component of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), significant efforts have been made to incorporate sustainability into national policies, reflecting the country’s vision for sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Within the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this research aims to investigate the alignment between national sustainability policies and their practical implementation in secondary schools, with a focus on identifying barriers and proposing actionable recommendations to enhance the integration of sustainability into education. This study employs a qualitative case study design with content analysis of data gathered from interviews and focus groups collected from a total of 21 teachers, school leaders, heads of departments and government officials, alongside the review of 14 relevant key policy documents. Key findings include a gap between policy and implementation, lack of a unified framework, resource disparities, and several barriers and strengths. This research concludes with recommendations to address these challenges, so that the UAE can strengthen its position as a leader in sustainability education, further aligning its national vision with global SDGs.
... Following a slightly different perspective, Warner and Elser [36] proposed a metric for measuring and comparing school initiatives towards sustainability by linking the three pillars of sustainability (i.e., environment, economy and society) to three educational scales, the curriculum (e.g., project focus, teacher/student interaction, content, and professional development), the campus (e.g., school-based projects, physical facilities, school grounds, operations and maintenance), and the community (e.g., community focus and influence, partnerships and involvement with social and economic actors, and interaction with government and NGOs, etc.). ...
... A particular research tradition has focused on the role of leadership [47], particularly school principals, in orienting their school towards sustainability [48,49] and bringing about change [50]. Finally, some studies examine teachers' perceptions of whether and how their schools meet various sustainability criteria or indicators [34,36], how they personally respond to their schools' visions, how their professional knowledge is developed, and how the quality of their practice is ensured [51], or how they personally define and understand the quality criteria of a sustainable school [52]. ...
... At a technical/environmental level, the teachers reported that the school had plans for ecologization [33], such as improving its ecological footprint through the sustainable design of its premises or by taking specific measures for its energy and resources [35]. Environmental sustainability at the level of a school's buildings and grounds and its day-to-day operation and maintenance are among the key characteristics of a sustainable school [36]. ...
The study reported here aims to explore the relationship between Waldorf education and the sustainable school approach through a small-scale qualitative research study conducted in a Greek Waldorf school. Following a semi-structured interview protocol, four teachers shared their views and beliefs on the congruence between the two approaches as reflected in the philosophy and everyday practice of their school. The study’s findings indicate that the Greek Waldorf school manifests several of the quality criteria that define a sustainable school, with pedagogy identified as the most relevant aspect, particularly in terms of the quality of teaching and learning processes. Participants also identified common features between the two approaches on both the social/organizational and physical/technical levels. Although not all the criteria of a sustainable school are fully met, the teachers believe that the sustainability concept is implicitly interwoven with the philosophy and practice of Waldorf education and that their school is moving in the direction of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
... healthy, and creative lives. Since sustainability formulates the quality of life of present and future generations, the practice and learning of sustainability has come to be at the heart of many international organizations, governments, educational systems, and home environments (Kelly, 2020;Warner & Elser, 2015). Educational systems are already taking substantial steps to promote a sustainability agenda in kindergarten. ...
... Educational systems are already taking substantial steps to promote a sustainability agenda in kindergarten. Green certificates are examples of a worldwide program employed to promote sustainability in traditional kindergarten (Benner, Thornton, & Crosnoe, 2017;Warner & Elser, 2015). Moreover, forest kindergarten has a different trajectory where children learn about nature and its values. ...
... Indeed, from preschool to high school, education systems worldwide now have the fundamental role of utilizing activities to advance sustainability agendas locally (Borg, Winberg, & Vinterek, 2017). The involvement of educational systems generates, integrates, and links use-inspired knowledge to provide solutions for environmental problems (Kelly, 2020;Warner & Elser, 2015). A program designed for grades K-12 in the United States provides a strong example of the scale of school involvement in the sustainability agenda. ...
Forest learning has been encouraged globally in recent years as it regularly provides opportunities to interact with nature and one's own abilities. The contributions of forest and traditional kindergarten and home environment to children's ecological cognition and how ecological cognition relates to executive function (EF) is understudied. Therefore, this study evaluates the ecological cognition and EF of children from traditional and forest kindergartens along with home environment involvement in sustainability behavior. A total of 78 children, their teachers, and parents were recruited for this study. The children's ecological cognition and EF levels were tested using a series of tasks and short interviews. Home persuasion related to sustainability behavior was assessed by questionnaire. The analysis revealed that forest kindergarten is the main factor that is involved in children's ecological cognition and EF. The discussion outlines the trajectories and factors that delineated children's cognitive growth when sustainability was part of their education
... One way to describe this is to assess the interconnectedness of different components within educational organizations (e.g. Warner and Elser 2015). Among others, this includes consistency between formal, non-formal and informal sustainability learning inside and outside of classrooms (e.g. ...
... Laurie et al. 2016;Shallcross et al. 2007;Hargreaves 2008;Henderson and Tilbury 2004;SEdA 2007;DCSF 2009), strengthening also the interconnectedness between disciplines (e.g. Warner and Elser 2015;Breiting et al. 2005;Shallcross and Robinson 1999). Fostering real-world and place-based sustainability learning, organizations following a WIA attempt to link learning to all other activities, e.g. ...
... Buckler and Creech 2014;McMillin and Dyball 2009;Rieckmann 2018), organizations act as a facilitating environment for transformative learning. As an action-oriented As such, it involves problem and project-based learning (Kensler and Uline 2019;Warner and Elser 2015), in which learners may instigate real-world changes (e.g. Lewis et al. 2014;Shallcross et al. 2007;Potter 2007). ...
Orienting societies towards sustainability requires comprehensive learning of how to think, act and live within a safe and just space for humanity. Approaching sustainability as a core paradigm of quality education in the twenty-first century, Education for Sustainable Development necessitates an integrated view on learning. For educational organizations, Whole Institution Approaches (WIAs) to sustainability emphasize that all learning is embedded within its socio-physical contexts. Although the core objective-to "walk the talk" on sustainability-is theoretically well established, questions remain regarding its specific conceptualizations. Based on a systematic qualitative analysis of 104 international documents from scientific and grey literature, this article offers a conceptual synthesis of the core elements of WIAs to sustainability in education. Based on the literature analysis, WIAs are described as continuous and participative organizational learning processes aimed at institutional coherence on sustainability, consistently linking the formal and informal (hidden) curricula. While specific pathways are necessary for diverse organizations, the article synthesizes a joint framework. Key characteristics of WIAs are clustered within five core principles (coherence, continuous learning, participation, responsibility, long-term commitment), seven highly integrated areas of action (governance, curriculum, campus, community, research, communication, capacity building), the underlying organizational culture, and critical conditions for successful implementation. As becomes clear from the synthesis, following a WIA means to collaboratively switch the default mode of all rules-in-use to sustainability. The concept of WIAs may thus both be approached as an instrument for consistent organizational development in light of (un-)sustainability and as a keystone of integrated high-quality sustainability learning.
... In another high-level initiative, the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools program was created in 2011 to recognize public and private elementary, middle, and high schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions that demonstrated leadership in: (1) reducing environmental impact and costs, including waste, water, energy use, and alternative transportation; (2) improving the health and wellness of students and staff, including environmental health, nutrition, and fitness; and (3) providing effective sustainability education, including robust environmental education that engages STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways. This program sought to expand ESD efforts to more schools and institutions across the country [23]. ...
... As recently as 2013, Veronese and Kensler [25] high-lighted the dearth of information available on school leaders' efforts towards green schools in the U.S. Mogaji and Newton [26] found that almost all ESD research in the U.S. has been conducted since 2015 and that there still exists limited knowledge concerning the role of a school principal in initiating ESD. Complicating the issue is that approaches and assessment methods for research in ESD are vast and still in an early stage of development [23]. How do sustainable schools integrate sustainability education? ...
... The importance and role of school management in the implementation of sustainability and ESD in schools has rarely been the subject of empirical studies. The results of school effectiveness research, however, allow the conclusion to be drawn that school principals exert a significant influence here, too [23]. ...
To successfully cope with global challenges such as climate change or loss of biodiversity, it will require a substantial change in the ways societies make use of the natural resources of our planet. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is expected to support the transformation of societies towards more sustainable ways of thinking, working, and living. Although there is a broad range of literature on ESD, little is known about the role of school leadership in ESD. However, leadership is crucial for the implementation of ESD in schools. This article gives a short overview of the status of ESD within Germany, Macau, and the United States and a literature review on leadership for ESD in schools. It reports on a study that seeks to investigate what principals do in Germany, Macau, and the United States; specifically, what management strategies they use and which competences they need to successfully establish ESD in their schools.
... The success of Greta Thunberg shows the power of an emotional and direct call to the youth to critically reflect and act on scientific findings and recommendations. To solve the environmental problems outlined by scientists (Ripple et al. 2020) requires today's students to have interdisciplinary learning at multiple scales (Bergland, et al. 2014;Warner and Elser 2015) with ongoing reflection and inquiry (Mogensen and Schnack 2010;Buckler and Creach 2014). Furthermore, action competent students require decision-making (Szczytkoa et al. 2018), communication, collaboration and conflict resolution skills to bring about societal change (Warner and Elser 2015) necessary to reduce environmental harm (Ripple et al. 2020). ...
... To solve the environmental problems outlined by scientists (Ripple et al. 2020) requires today's students to have interdisciplinary learning at multiple scales (Bergland, et al. 2014;Warner and Elser 2015) with ongoing reflection and inquiry (Mogensen and Schnack 2010;Buckler and Creach 2014). Furthermore, action competent students require decision-making (Szczytkoa et al. 2018), communication, collaboration and conflict resolution skills to bring about societal change (Warner and Elser 2015) necessary to reduce environmental harm (Ripple et al. 2020). ESD students involved in experiential transformative learning, that is scientific and self-motivated to act for beneficence, differs from traditional schooling, which dominates the South African education landscape, where students are passive consumers of knowledge (Hampson and Rich-Tolsma 2015;Warner and Elser 2015). ...
... Furthermore, action competent students require decision-making (Szczytkoa et al. 2018), communication, collaboration and conflict resolution skills to bring about societal change (Warner and Elser 2015) necessary to reduce environmental harm (Ripple et al. 2020). ESD students involved in experiential transformative learning, that is scientific and self-motivated to act for beneficence, differs from traditional schooling, which dominates the South African education landscape, where students are passive consumers of knowledge (Hampson and Rich-Tolsma 2015;Warner and Elser 2015). The transformative student is supported by a teacher versed in many disciplines (Warner and Elser 2015) whose role has changed from the "sage-on-the-stage" to a facilitator of collaborative and engaged learning termed "the-guide-on-the-side" (Krnel and Naglic 2009;Berglund, Gericke, and Chang Rundgren 2014;Hampson and Rich-Tolsma 2015). ...
The Eco-Schools programme in South Africa is the longest-running Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative in Africa, which aims to enhance environmental literacy amongst students. This paper reports on a qualitative study involving a focus group of environmental educators working for a non-profit organisation. Through a Rapid Appraisal Method, the environmental educators identified 44 successful eco-schools along with criteria and indicators which typified their selections. A Google search for articles on eco-schools found narrative histories of environmental learning to validate the indicators with a reflective commentary. The research identified 16 indicators including the ‘award’ achieved by schools, a supportive principal, an eco-committee, sustained eco-projects and whole-school involvement. This study develops and tentatively proposes a set of indicators that could support ‘successful’ ESD practice in South African contexts. It provides a critique of these context-specific indicators and recommends that we should use them as a reflective rather than a standardisation tool.
... As sustainability issues are highly complex and can only be meaningfully addressed by integrating a wide range of perspectives and relationships, education for sustainable development (ESD) must be approached holistically (Holst 2023;Mogren, Gericke, and Scherp 2019;UNESCO, 2014UNESCO, , 2020. However, research shows that ESD often consists of individual projects, which often fail to be integrated into the rest of the institution and education (Bjønness and Sinnes 2019;Sjaastad et al. 2014;Warner & Elser, 2015). ...
... Nevertheless, building an open, dependable school structure that facilitates student participation takes time and patience (Fielding 2001;Flutter and Rudduck 2004;Sund, 2022). Our results suggest that, just as ESD is not yet embraced as a whole-institution priority and part of schools' core educational purpose (Bjønness and Sinnes 2019;Sjaastad et al. 2014;Warner & Elser, 2015), the schools' enactment of a WSA does not currently foster a culture of authentic student participation. However, it must be remembered that we collected data during the Covid-19 pandemic, which had a significant impact on how, and how much, students were able to participate in school life. ...
The article demonstrates how a questionnaire gauging students’ experiences of participation in decision-making at their school can operationalise student participation in a whole school approach (WSA) to education for sustainable development model. Some 902 students in three upper secondary schools participated in the study by giving their answers to Likert-scale items developed to tap into their experience of participation in the decision-making at their school. The students identified four distinct pathways of participation: (i) School and Leadership, (ii) Teaching and Learning, (iii) Community Connections, and (iv) Student Council. The results are discussed in the light of focus group interviews with eleven of the participants. The student WSA participation questionnaire proved to be a reliable and valid instrument that, together with the student WSA participation model, can be used by school leaders wanting to increase student participation, and by researchers investigating student participation throughout the whole school.
... Several studies point out the important role of the principal in establishing and promoting ESD in Schools [21,22]. Principals must create a shared vision related to ESD within their schools and organize a participative process, emphasize ESD in daily life, support teachers in the application of ESD, and facilitate students' engagement [23]. ...
... Indeed, the results of school effectiveness research allow the conclusion that school principals can exert significant influence in this area. Nevertheless, the role and contributions of school leaders in the implementation of sustainability and ESD in schools have rarely been the subject of empirical studies [22,45,46]. ...
We live in times of multiple crises. Climate change, degradation of soils, loss of biodiversity, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine, to name but a few. School leaders are challenged in many ways to tackle the consequences of these crises, to prepare students for a future that will foreseeably be full of crises too, and to just do their “normal” daily work: to make sure that the school is running successfully in order to help students learn how to read, write, calculate, etc. Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a concept that aims at empowering learners with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to address the interconnected global challenges we are facing. This article reports on a study that seeks to investigate what principals in Germany, China, and the United States do to integrate sustainability and ESD in their schools. It specifically addresses the issue of COVID-19 and its impact on the establishment of ESD.
... Therefore, the integration of sustainability strategies as science topics (Burmeister et al., 2012) is another way to teach ESD, in addition to green-science practices. The practice of green science can be implemented as solution-based science (Warner & Elsier, 2015). Examples of sustainability strategies include the production of biodiesel and the synthesis of biodegradable plastics. ...
... Issues contained in the SDGs; such as imperatives to end poverty and hunger; access to affordable clean energy, clean water and sanitation; and promotion of economic growth, good health and well-being; are important immediate needs for learners from low socio-economic backgrounds. If ESD is about equipping young people with citizen skills for sustainability, these topics provide relevance and context for science teaching (Warner & Elsier, 2015). Holbrook (2009) explained that scientific literacy should assist learners to improve their lives by making informed decisions and actions. ...
In the wake of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 on sustainability, this study problematizes how conditions in multiple-deprived science classrooms are intricately connected to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This narrative inquiry design research consisting of one participant, describes how the conditions of multiple-deprivation in science classrooms are influenced by, and in turn influence the achievement of, some of the SDGs. The narratives were contained in the reflections documented by a Bachelor of Education (BEd) preservice physical sciences teacher of his third- and fourth-year teaching practice experiences whilst conducting observations and teaching in multiple-deprived classrooms. The study was undergirded by education for sustainable development (ESD) and the SDGs as conceptual frameworks. The data collected were analysed through narrative data analysis techniques, revealing forms of deprivation in the science classroom which were driven by the SDGs related to poverty elimination, quality education, reduction of inequalities and social injustice, promotion of sustainable communities, and establishment of partnerships for goal attainment. The study findings show how the teaching and learning in multiple-deprived classrooms may pose as a challenge to the attainment of the SDGs, pointing out to some implications for practice.
... The strong prospect of interdisciplinary climate change education has been recognized for students at university level (McCright et al., 2013) where sustainability education for future engineers and scientists, or even the availability of "sustainability degrees" is increasingly becoming common (Mascarelli, 2013). At the school level however, sustainability education is still in its initial phase with clarity lacking in terms of concept, structure, and administration of an effective program (Warner and Elser, 2014). ...
... Sustainability education can be broadly defined as a means of generating solution-based knowledge that can help in the transition toward a more sustainable future (Warner and Elser, 2014). The traditional "environmental education" is shifting toward "sustainable education, " which is about understanding not only the natural environments, but also the humannature relationship (Bosselmann, 2001). ...
Dealing with complex sustainability challenges requires an integrated approach to thinking and hence learning. Well-designed, integrated sustainability educational programs at the school level can have a significant positive impact on sensitizing students in this area. We present the case of a cross-curricular educational program designed and implemented at secondary level school with a focus on sustainability of material resources used in electronic products–a fast-growing sector with a significant environmental footprint. Over a 4-week period, teachers of five subjects (science, geography, business, technology and civic, social and political education) tailored their classes to focus on the topic of critical raw materials as it relates to these subjects. Examining a control group against the intervention group before and after the program, we use the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale as a measure of students' environmental beliefs in order to find out the extent to which the program helped the cohort of students develop and retain such an ecological paradigm. Students' pro-NEP improved after the program, including on several facets, such as belief in limits to growth. Findings suggest that our cross-curricular approach was able to influence the young students' environmental orientation in a desirable direction.
... Research indicates that schools with whole-school sustainability programs achieve higher educational standards and improved student well-being (Barratt-Hacking et al., 2010;Gayford, 2009). Whole-school programs, such as the ones reviewed by Henderson and Tilbury (2004) globally and outlined by Warner and Elser (2015), have achieved success in the areas of waste, water, and energy management, as well as with increased environmental awareness among students and teachers. Existing curricular frameworks present a limited view of whole-school sustainability. ...
... In addition to using the built environment as a teaching tool, teaching methods associated with sustainability education are also significant. Sustainability education that is solutions-based engages students in realworld problem solving (Warner & Elser, 2015). Learning about sustainable systems such as renewable energy and waste management helps students learn about systems thinking. ...
... (2008) att relationen till naturen har större betydelse än kunskapen om den samma. Det innebär att undervisningen bör möjliggöra för barnen att skapa en god relation till miljö och natur genom att erbjudas upplevelser och erfarenheter att reflektera över (Warner & Elser, 2015). UHU och pluralistisk undervisningstradition (Hedefalk, 2018) där deliberativa samtal används för att reflektera tillsammans med barnen utifrån barnens egna erfarenheter och upplevelser förutsätter en utomhusmiljö där mångfald och variation erbjuds barnen och förskollärarna. ...
... As part of their social role, some schools may expand the between-individual care to the level of national or global society, or to nature by promoting values of global citizenship, social justice, equality, and sustainability (Edwards et al., 2020;Warner & Elser, 2015). ...
School vision statements articulate an aspired future state for the school, highlighting its ideals, purpose, and unique aspects to direct behavior and promote motivation and commitment among stakeholders. This paper investigates vision statements of schools as artifacts expressing the values emphasized by schools, drawing on organizational literature that shows the role of central organizational artifacts in conveying the values important to the organization. Using a comprehensive sample of elementary schools across all districts in Israel ( N = 99), we built on Schwartz’s values theory to identify values and analyze expressed values. We employed a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze these values. First, we analyzed the content of vision statements to investigate how values were manifested. Then, we investigated the values hierarchy reflected in the vision statements, and compared sectors to identify the impact of the broader social context. Our analysis revealed variation in values expression: as expected, self-direction and benevolence emerged as the most prevalent values in school vision statements; power and hedonism were less salient. Comparison of vision statements from public and public-religious schools, as well as across schools with varying socioeconomic status (SES), revealed differences in universalism values. Public schools and those with higher SES placed greater importance on universalism values compared to public-religious schools. Additionally, tradition values were less prominent in public schools but were the second most significant values in public-religious schools. We discuss the results within the framework of values theory and educational policy.
... Active participation, collaborative learning and democratic decision making is a key factor when considering issues of SD, specifically in relation to SDGs achievement (Glass & Newig, 2019). The above-mentioned aspects are key factors for an institution to integrate a holistic sustainable team management into the culture of the organization (Warner & Elser, 2015). Morrissey & Heidkamp (2022) recognize the importance and advantages of community engagement and empowerment, especially in educational institutions. ...
The article deals with the implemented initiatives of education for sustainable development in educational institutions and the evidence of institutional social responsibility in them. The data were collected by the content analysis of 15 homepages of institutions implementing education for sustainable development, questionnaire to 151 students aged 14-19 years and 24 interviews with 12 principals and 12 teachers on the state of the art of sustainability issues in their organisations. The sample of 12 educational institutions, principal and teacher represented the same educational institution: 4 primary schools, 4 secondary schools and 4 state gymnasiums with a wide geographical representation – capital, urban, small town and rural schools, as well as 7 online correspondences with the representatives of organisations implementing education for sustainable development initiatives in Latvia. The data show that sustainable development initiatives are not systematically implemented and monitored in educational institutions in Latvia. There is no co-financing at national level to provide targeted methodological support for teachers in implementing practice-based education for sustainable development, instead schools attract funding from Erasmus+ or other projects. There is also a lack of a common understanding of sustainability culture among the members of the education management team, as well as no studies have been carried out on institutional social responsibility in educational institutions and regarding the implementation of education for sustainable development in curricula.
... As Kohl et al. (2022, p. 229), among others, point out in the exemplary context of higher education, "more empirical research (…) is needed to fully understand the effectiveness and efficiency of the WIA". To date, most international studies on the effects of WIAs have either relied on self-reporting data collected from educational leaders, which is prone to bias toward positive reporting (e.g., Nazir et al. 2011;Warner and Elser 2015), or have compared certified organizations with uncertified ones (e.g., Olsson et al. 2016). Particularly in the context of eco-school programs, the available evidence on differences between certified and non-certified organizations (e.g., on behavioral changes in learners) is mixed (Barratt Hacking et al. 2010;Boeve-de Pauw and van Petegem 2013;Goldman et al. 2018;Olsson et al. 2019). ...
Whole Institution Approaches (WIAs) to sustainability in education emphasize the strong link between the socio-physical environment and the learning processes and outcomes. However, there has been a lack of instruments for quantifying the implementation of WIAs based on the experience of learners and educators. In this article, we present the systematic development, pretesting, validation and first application of a novel WIA-Scale (learners: 13 items, educators: 15 items). As part of a large-scale assessment in Germany (school education, vocational education and higher education; n = 2,985), we apply the WIA-Scale and assess how WIAs are related to the effectiveness of sustainability learning. Based on extensive validation, the scale quality was evaluated as high. The application showed that young people who experience more sustainability in line with the WIA feel strongly more motivated and empowered by their educational institution to contribute to sustainability. Also, regression modeling revealed that WIA implementation is the strongest of various predictors of how sustainable learners act beyond the educational institution. Further, educators who experience more sustainability in line with the WIA feel considerably more motivated and report more sustainable behavior. They also view Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as more relevant and participate more frequently in training on ESD. For future use, we provide the WIA-Scale in its original version, a 7/8-item variant and a one-item proxy. The scale may be used as a process indicator for high-quality sustainability education and as part of organizational development. Overall, the study shows that experienced WIAs are measurable and highly effective for quality sustainability learning.
... Thus, school leaders have more roles to perform in promoting sustainability in schools. This finding of the study resonates with the works of Müller et al. (2020) and Warner and Elser (2015) which show that the roles of leaders in promoting sustainability consciousness are critical. Thus, school leaders have pivotal roles to perform towards allowing the growth of sustainability consciousness in their various schools. ...
Sustainability consciousness is pivotal to ensuring sustainability in schools. However, the roles of leaders are considered critical towards ensuring sustainability consciousness. Hence, this study explores the roles of school leaders in promoting sustainability consciousness considering scholarly submissions, using the case of South Africa. Systematic review method was adopted. Thus, Google search engine was adopted, and a search was done using identified key terms on SABINET as the selected database. The retrieved literature were sieved using inclusion and exclusion criteria as required by the adopted protocol of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). From the analysed data, themes were generated. The findings of the study showed that educational changes are not capable of ensuring sustainability consciousness. Meanwhile, factors such as policy, curriculum and collaborative efforts are capable of hindering or promoting sustainability consciousness. Following the submission of scholars in the systematically analysed literature, the roles of leaders are put forward as recommendations towards ensuring sustainability consciousness in their various schools.
... This shift in perspective is reflected in the Aichi-Nagoya Declaration of 2014 on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which urges all levels of education, from preschool to higher education, to reevaluate their objectives, vision, and goals and incorporate sustainability education into their curricula. The importance of school leaders in effectively implementing ESD has been emphasized by researchers [6]. Principals play a crucial role in aiding teachers to develop pedagogical methods for ESD and positioning the school as an environmental advocate in the community (Kadji-Beltran, Zachariou, & Stevenson, 2013) [7]. ...
Purpose: The purpose of the study is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the integration of Filipino values in school-based management (SBM) functions and to emphasize the need for a tailored Values Enhancement Program to address areas requiring improvement. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is a Concurrent Triangulation mixed method design conducted in the Schools Division of Angeles City, Mabalacat City, and City of San Fernando in Pampanga province. It involves data analysis to identify areas of strength and weakness in demonstrating Filipino values in various SBM functions. Findings/Result: The research reveals a consistent demonstration of Filipino values by school heads in various SBM functions. However, certain areas need attention, such as accepting negative feedback, avoiding personal pride, embracing innovation, avoiding a sense of superiority, and prioritizing the family needs of absent staff members. Notable strengths are observed in integrating Filipino values into SBM functions, particularly in the School Environment domain, Resource Management domain, and Respect for elders or Paggalang. Originality/Value: The study provides insights into the demonstration of Filipino values in SBM functions and offers recommendations for improvement through a tailored Values Enhancement Program. The findings contribute to the understanding and application of Filipino values in the context of SBM and provide value by guiding interventions for public secondary school heads to enhance their understanding and practice of Filipino values. Paper Type: Conceptual Research.
... Μέσα από τη θεσμική μνήμη διασφαλίζεται η μάθηση ως εμπειρία και βίωμα και όχι απλά ως αυτό που διδάσκεται μέσα στη σχολική αίθουσα (McMillin & Dyball, 2009). Παράλληλα, μέσα από τη διασφάλιση της συνεκτικότητας του συνόλου των λειτουργιών του σχολείου, μπορεί να επιτευχθεί η αλληλοσύνδεση των διαφορετικών συνιστωσών που διέπουν έναν οργανισμό, όπως επίσης και η συνέπεια στη μάθηση για την αειφορία μέσα από την δυναμική και ουσιαστική διασύνδεση της τυπικής με τη μη-τυπική και άτυπη εκπαίδευση (Warner & Elser, 2015). Σε ένα τέτοιο πλαίσιο το σχολείο, μέσω της συνεκτικότητας, συμπληρωματικότητας και αλληλοσύνδεσης του συνόλου των διαστάσεων και των λειτουργιών του μπορεί να καταστεί μοντέλο μάθησης για την αειφόρο ανάπτυξη (Whitby, 2019). ...
Η Ολιστική Σχολική Προσέγγιση (ΟΣΠ) αποτελεί μια ολοκληρωμένη εκπαιδευτική πρόταση σε σχέση με τον αναπροσανατολισμό των εκπαιδευτικών συστημάτων σε μοντέλα αειφορίας. Προϋποθέτει συνολικές αλλαγές στη δομή και λειτουργία του σχολείου και συνεπάγεται ριζική αναθεώρηση της μαθησιακής/παιδαγωγικής διαδικασίας και των περιεχομένων μάθησης, στοιχείων που συνιστούν καθοριστικούς παράγοντες για την προώθηση θεσμικών, κοινωνικών και πολιτισμικών αλλαγών. Ταυτόχρονα συμβάλλει στην καθιέρωση της μετασχηματιστικής μάθησης ως θεμελιώδους έννοιας για το πώς ως άτομα και ως οργανωμένα σύνολα, επανεξετάζουμε τη συμπεριφορά μας, επανατοποθετούμαστε στην κοινωνία και αντιλαμβανόμαστε τις δυνατότητες μας για αλλαγή στη βάση των αρχών της αειφορίας. Bασικό ερώτημα παραμένει το πώς μπορεί να επαναπροσδιορισθεί συνολικά το όραμα για την εκπαίδευση, έτσι ώστε να καταστεί εφικτή η ΟΣΠ που θα καταστήσει το σχολείο, ως οργανικό τμήμα της κοινωνίας, μέτοχο στον αειφόρο μετασχηματισμό της. Η παρούσα εργασία εξετάζει θεωρητικά την έννοια και το περιεχόμενο της ΟΣΠ σε συνάρτηση με την Εκπαίδευση για την Αειφόρο Ανάπτυξη (ΕΑΑ) και τη μετασχηματιστική μάθηση ως ζητούμενο για την ΕΑΑ, αλλά και δομικό στοιχείο της ΟΣΠ. Αναλύονται οι ιδιότητες που καθιστούν την ΟΣΠ μια ολοκληρωμένη προσέγγιση, και εντοπίζονται οι προκλήσεις, ως σημαντικοί ανασχετικοί παράγοντες στην προσπάθεια που καταβάλλεται για να καταστούν τα σχολεία κοινότητες μάθησης για την αειφορία.
... This shows the importance of school leadership in relation to ESD and the quest for sustainable development in communities. Moreover, review of the works of scholars such as Mogren et al. (2018), Warner and Elser (2015) as well as Veronese and Kensler (2013), shows that globally, there is need for empirical research in the areas of the contributions and roles of leaders in schools toward the implementation of ESD and sustainability development in communities. Meanwhile, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the drive for digitalization together with the factors characterizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), different studies have been conducted in the area of education and technology in relation to the 4IR (Carrim, 2022;Maringe & Chiramba, 2022;Oke & Fernandes, 2020;Yende, 2021). ...
The subject of postdigital remains an issue being grappled about especially considering the different misconceptions about the era. Leadership in education is considered as a major phenomenon capable of driving success in the sector during the era. Thus, this study was conducted to explore the scholarly perceptions of leadership education in the postdigital era with focus on the African continent. A scoping review method was adopted. Sabinet and Scopus were adopted as the databases for the search using identified key terms. Sequel to the search on the selected databases, five articles were retrieved. The reviewed literature were coded, categorized and thematically analyzed. The finding of the study showed that there is paucity of literature in the subject. A shift is expected with new expectations following the move to a postdigital era; hence, education leaders are expected to prepare, acclimatize themselves and embrace the era for relevance. Also, critical research areas of EdTech were identified and education leaders are to promote and drive studies toward such identified spaces. Meanwhile, glocalization is considered paramount considering the African needs. Thus, education leaders are encouraged to consider the local needs and demands while taking cognizance of global standards and practices in the postdigital era.
... Previous studies have reported how such whole school approach rooted in instructional leadership can help in the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in schools (Mogren et al., 2018). The findings in this study corroborates the importance of the role of the principal in implementing an effective sustainable education, as supported by existing literature (Warner et al., 2015). The support of the school principal in fostering teacher professional development and growth is one of the ways to ensure that the benefits of instructional leadership reach the students (Kadji-Beltran et al., 2012). ...
Thailand is one among various countries in the world that have integrated sustainability education in their curriculum. Their sufficiency-based curriculum is a local (national) version of global sustainability education. School principals have a primary responsibility to provide instructional leadership so that sustainability education or education for sustainability is implemented in ways that are adequate and effective. Therefore, the perspectives and practices of school principals on sustainability education could be instrumental in providing insights regarding the potential to achieve the sustainable goals set for 2030 within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). This study intends to focus on Thailand as a local (national) context to study the perspectives of a key category of stakeholder (school principal) regarding a global challenge (sustainability education). Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore perspectives of Thai school principals on sustainability education in relation to their instructional leadership practices.
... School sustainability research emerged from the field of environmental education, based on the recognition that the physical environment of education and the way in which schools operate can reinforce or contradict messages of sustainability in the classroom [4,5]. School energy consumption has also been explored through energy and emissions modelling and studies of feedback to building users [6][7][8]. ...
The education sector is an important component of the UK's net zero strategy, in terms of both the carbon footprint of school buildings and operations, and the opportunities to teach about environmental issues and empower climate action. However, school sustainability is often narrowly defined around individual choices and behaviours by different school stakeholders, rather than the broader patterns of social practices. This qualitative study of secondary schools in England involved stakeholder interviews and student focus groups at twelve schools in Greater London and the Thames Valley Region (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire) where 142 people participated in this research, including teachers, students, parents, governors and school staff (leadership, facilities, finance). School sustainability was explored through the lens of social practice theory, and three bundles of practices and arrangements were identified: teaching/learning, catering/eating, movement/travel. Whole-school approaches to sustainability were reframed through the semantic, material and social spaces identified in the theory of practice architectures. School sustainability requires a substantial investment into retrofitting school buildings, but it also needs to be woven in the culture of a school-firmly on the agenda of the governors and leadership team, parallel to an issue like safeguarding-and supported by clearly identified roles and relationships in each institution. This research is aimed at environmental educators and researchers wishing to apply insights from social theory to develop more effective whole-school approaches to sustainability. This research also reveals a potential divide between state and private schools when it comes to environmental education , empowerment and action.
... Leadership implies influence from a leader who conveys a vision of the future and resonates with followers' values and beliefs in a way that followers can comprehend and interpret the future into present-time actions (Winston & Patterson, 2006). It is no wonder that the success or failure of environmental stewardship activities in schools is directly linked to school leadership (Al Khajeh, 2018;Warner and Elser, 2015). For successful stewardship of the school environment, the school leadership is expected to be committed to sustainability and environmentalism, exercise distributive leadership by involving other members of staff as well as the community, and be ready to establish the school as an environmental agent within the given community ( With the realisation of ever-dwindling natural resources, stewardship is necessary (Upitis et al., 2013). ...
... Leadership implies influence from a leader who conveys a vision of the future and resonates with followers' values and beliefs in a way that followers can comprehend and interpret the future into present-time actions (Winston & Patterson, 2006). It is no wonder that the success or failure of environmental stewardship activities in schools is directly linked to school leadership (Al Khajeh, 2018;Warner and Elser, 2015). For successful stewardship of the school environment, the school leadership is expected to be committed to sustainability and environmentalism, exercise distributive leadership by involving other members of staff as well as the community, and be ready to establish the school as an environmental agent within the given community ( With the realisation of ever-dwindling natural resources, stewardship is necessary (Upitis et al., 2013). ...
Stewardship of environmental resources is likely to yield tremendous benefits by saving operational costs and enhancing teaching and learning. However, environmental stewardship remains a secondary subject in the management of schools. This study, therefore, sought to establish actions that school leaders have undertaken in different schools in the sampled area geared towards environmental stewardship. A survey was undertaken in sampled schools in Githunguri Sub-County of Kiambu in Kenya. Primary data was collected from 260 teachers using a structured questionnaire while data from 15 principals was obtained through interviews. The researcher also collected primary data from the schools through observation. The study established that the majority of the teachers in the study area affirmed environmental stewardship in schools was beneficial in influencing teaching and learning (70%), creating pro-environmental behaviour in teachers, students, and parents (68%), and reducing costs of operation (71%). Despite the benefits, sampled teachers affirmed that schools neither had an environment committee (90.4%) nor an environmental policy (75%). The majority of the teachers, however, asserted their schools practiced water harvesting (80.8%) as well as used improved cook stoves to save on wood fuel. Stewardship activities were however constrained by factors such as insufficient funds, limitation of time, and lack of knowledge which bore the greatest responsibility. Findings from this study will put into perspective some of the environmental good practices that schools have adopted and as such inspire future policies on environmental stewardship in public schools in Kenya. The results highlight the need for a review of educational policies on environmental stewardship if public schools are to have environmental sustainability. Further, the findings provide insights on capacity building gaps which will be useful for public school leadership training as well as contribute to behavioral change required in implementing environmental stewardship.
... A universidade torna-se um propulsor da reflexão, desenvolvimento e propagação de novas visões ambientais, com o intuito de estimular o aluno a desenvolver senso crítico e capacidade de compreensão e atuação na sociedade (Martins, 2011). O tema sustentabilidade tem sido incluído no ambiente acadêmico especialmente no ensino superior em virtude das demandas da sociedade, com o objetivo de capacitar os futuros profissionais a lidar com estes novos desafios nas mais diversas áreas (Kuzma, Doliveira, Gonzaga & Novak, 2016;Warner & Elser, 2015). ...
A consciência ambiental e a consequente busca por produtos ambientalmente menos impactantes ao meio ambiente, têm se consolidado nos últimos anos. Influências pessoais e do meio, influenciam o comportamento ambiental das pessoas, dentre elas a educação ambiental. É fundamental identificar como o conhecimento acerca de questões ambientais pode ser considerado um indicador da ação consciente do consumidor. Para tanto, nada melhor do que focar estes estudos nos futuros formadores de opinião, os estudantes universitários. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a consciência e os hábitos de consumo dos alunos do curso de Direito, antes e após cursarem disciplina com conteúdo ambiental, por meio escala validada ao contexto brasileiro de Comportamento do Consumidor Ecologicamente Consciente (ECCB) desenvolvida por Roberts (1996). Assim, uma pesquisa quantitativa foi realizada por meio de uma Survey com universitários do curso de Direito. A amostra foi composta de 350 respondentes e as análises foram realizadas por meio do software RStudio Team (2015). Os resultados indicam diferenças de comportamento ambiental entre os grupos de alunos que cursaram disciplina com conteúdo ambiental e aqueles que não cursaram, contudo não foram identificadas diferenças na consciência ambiental, sugerindo que existe influência positiva de disciplinas ambientais no comportamento de compra dos universitários.
... • democratic decision-making and the motivation of the participants in the long term; • effective teamwork -leaders and group work; • team-building methods; • involvement of all groups of participants (United Nations General Assembly, 2015, Warner & Elser, 2015. Kvelde and Odina (2022) distinguish several development stages for the team to reach the status of a sustainable team in an educational institution starting from a small group of people working together and sharing common interests, then a formal and appointed team of people -administration team taking care of the management of an educational institution, followed by collective team referring to small organizations where all people are considered as a whole, sometimes also called as family team (Warr & Nielsen, 2018). ...
The article deals with one aspect of a larger scale and long-term grounded theory research to explore and define the concept of the sustainable team management in educational institution. This article seeks the answers to research questions: what constitutes the management of educational institutions, and which sustainable development initiatives are implemented in the management of educational institutions. This article aims to explore the concept of the sustainable team management of educational institution, as well as to coin the elements of the sustainable development of organization, which could serve as a basis to improve sustainable team management in educational institution. The data were collected by the content analysis of the sustainable team management initiatives reflected on 47 homepages of educational institutions; case studies regarding the implementation of sustainable team management in educational sector and 12 interviews with school administration on the state of the art of sustainable team management. Research sample was 59 educational institutions: 17 primary schools, 29 secondary schools, and 13 state gymnasiums with broad geographical representation – the schools in the capital city, cities, small towns, and countryside. Sustainable team management supports principals and their teams in leading their educational institutions towards sustainability, also, achieves institutional goals and cultivates a culture where collaboration, appreciation, and teamwork are valued. According to the data of the study, the institutions insufficiently implement the sustainable development initiatives in the education management process of the educational institution that does not meet state policy and vision, also, in order to implement sustainable development initiatives in educational institutions, attract funding from Erasmus+ or other projects. There is also a lack of the uniform understanding of sustainability among the members of education management team. The authors admit that the concept of sustainable team management in an educational institution needs to be defined at the national level.
... The school leaders' confidence level and readiness are substantial in assisting teachers in developing ESD pedagogical strategies and establishing the school as an environmental agent within the community (Warner & Elser, 2015). In an attempt for school leaders to make changes and achieve high goals in ESD, self-confidence is the primary concern. ...
Despite advances on the global Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) agenda, school leaders continue to confront challenges in implementing ESD in formal educational systems. The challenges staged from the ESD program's establishment until the ESD activities' enrichment. This study aimed to identify the ESD challenges as addressed in other studies. A scoping review was conducted as the methodology to discover the challenges. Articles were retrieved from four databases between 2014 and 2021, yielding a corpus of 67 articles that were synthesized systematically using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The results present the multiple forms of challenges in ESD and are themed into two factors, (1) Intrinsic factor and (2) Extrinsic factor. The ESD challenges for intrinsic factors further developed three subgroups of the challenges, (1) being a change agent and a visionary leader, (2) acquiring a high level of knowledge in ESD, and (3) having a high confidence level of robust decision-making. The extrinsic factor synthesized all other challenges of ESD that resulted from non-individual and the education system derivative challenges. Identification of ESD challenges help school leaders and policymakers to manage and recontextualize ESD programs in a direction that positively favors stakeholders involved in ESD.
... However, effects of implementation efforts involving whole school accreditation in the green school movement have detected small effects and usually manifested in improved levels of knowledge rather than action (2015)) competence. This is exemplified by studies of efforts in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic (Cincera & Krajhanzl, 2013), Flanders in Belgium (Boeve-de Pauw & Van Petegem, 2013), Indonesia (Riastini et al., 2019), Israel (Goldman et al., 2017, Portugal (Spinola, 2015), Sweden (Berglund et al., 2014;Olsson et al., 2016), Taiwan (Berglund et al., 2020;Olsson et al., 2019), and the USA (Warner & Elser, 2015). It has been shown that transformative ESD affects students' self-reported behavior (Boeve-de Pauw et al., 2015), but difficulties seem to lie in features of schools' organization and functions that hinder schools implementing ESD in a transformative manner (Gericke et al., 2020a). ...
The whole school approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) embraces a holistic and participatory educational philosophy that aims to enhance the potential of the school environment to function as an authentic and meaningful learning place. There is rich diversity in ways this approach plays out in different places, both within countries and globally. However, a common guiding principle is the integration of three lines of action: environmental management (“greening”) of the school, establishment of ongoing partnerships with the broader local community to address issues of social-environmental sustainability, and incorporation of sustainability in the curriculum. Hence, a whole school approach demands involvement of all parts of schools and stakeholders in the society to expose students to real sustainability issues. In this chapter, I describe how the idea of whole school approaches has developed in the literature by presenting different models and present a school organization model that can be used to guide implementation of ESD in a whole school approach. Aspects of school organization that facilitate implementation of ESD from a whole school approach are highlighted, with a focus on school leadership.KeywordsEducation for sustainable developmentSchool leadershipSchool organizationSustainabilityWhole school approach
... McKey (2017) investigated teacher perceptions of ecological and democratic principles within their green school using data from online surveys. Finally, Warner and Elser (2015) developed the metric of "interconnectedness" that could be used to conceptualize sustainability education because "much ambiguity surrounds sustainability education" (p. 2). ...
... Confirmed by researchers who observe the situation more specifically, ESD is at is best limited to separate courses and modules while no integral structural changes can be identified (Brandt, Barth, Merritt, & Hale, 2021;Pickard, 2020;Rieckmann, 2017 For good order, various researchers before (Blair, 2009; R. C. Moore & Wong, 1997;Somerville & Green, 2011;Stine, 1996;Titman, 1994) and also more recently uttered their concerns (Berglund, Gericke, & Chang Rundgren, 2014;Boeve-de-Pauw et al., 2015;Warner & Elser, 2015), while academics in the field are seen to not conceive of sustainable development holistically (Sinakou, Boeve-de Pauw, Goossens, & Van Petegem, 2018) and consequently only few good examples can be found (Laurie, Nonoyama-Tarumi, Mckeown, & Hopkins, 2016). ...
The promise of Education for Sustainable Development can be met through a ‘Whole Student Approach’ which sees to youngsters learning Anytime, Anywhere, with Anybody and through Any device on themes that define their and our common more sustainable development. The concept ‘school’ a community-based open learning environment, a nexus of transdisciplinary learning based on educational partnership with its surroundings from which a local-to-global learning cooperative unfolds that effectuates the transformative power of education and generates lifelong learning.
... The sustainable school fully involves both teachers and students in participatory, collaborative and reflective procedures (Katsenou et al., 2013). It requires changes in its structure, organisation and function, with the aim of promoting a whole school approach to sustainability, which means the participation of all classes, full use and enrichment of the curriculum (Warner, Elser, 2014;Rickinson, Hall, Reid, 2016;Moore et al., 2019), and opening up to the local community. It intends to make the school community commit to goal setting and the implementation of every educational intervention aiming at its viability. ...
Homo sapiens, as the highest biological species, develops and upgrades its ideas about the environment, and changes its behaviour to
the natural factor; this way, it changes the institutional norm, which has the greatest impact on human behaviour. Natural ecosystems
maintain their balance themselves. Regarding artificial systems such as agro-systems, when the anthropogenic impact violates their
adaptive capacity, development becomes unsustainable. The current research is aimed at finding the synergy between EU policy and
the management of land resources. The policies with the most influence are the Green Deal and the CAP, and are the main subject
of this research. Their impact on land management is shown using a scientific method, and includes the review of literature sources,
expert methods, and ad hoc evaluation, plus SWOT analysis. In agriculture, a number of policies have changed in order to create
synergies between the biological factor and the institutional environment. There is potential for synergy between policy and good
management.
KEY WORDS: EU policy, land management, CAP, Green Deal
JEL CODES: Q18, Q57, O38
... The sustainable school fully involves both teachers and students in participatory, collaborative and reflective procedures (Katsenou et al., 2013). It requires changes in its structure, organisation and function, with the aim of promoting a whole school approach to sustainability, which means the participation of all classes, full use and enrichment of the curriculum (Warner, Elser, 2014;Rickinson, Hall, Reid, 2016;Moore et al., 2019), and opening up to the local community. It intends to make the school community commit to goal setting and the implementation of every educational intervention aiming at its viability. ...
... Sustainability education is also finding acceptance in K-12 education (Haas & Ashman, 2014;Warner, 2015). For example, the U.S. state of Washington implemented environmental sustainability education standards for K-12 students (Dorn, Kanikeberg, & Burke, 2014). ...
This dissertation discusses the development, use, and analysis of a knowledge-based multiple-choice sustainability literacy assessment tool used in Spring 2016 at Colorado State University (CSU). CSU is a leading institution of sustainability education and research, and a participant of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS). A component of STARS includes assessing college students’ sustainability literacy. The study, and the sustainability literacy assessment tool described, were designed within the framework of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Data sets were collected and analyzed from a sustainability literacy assessment given in Spring 2016. Findings from the study show students performed highest in environmental sustainability literacy and lowest in social sustainability literacy, two of three dimensions of the TBL. Additionally, four focus groups of students were held at CSU in Spring 2017. The focus groups informed the study of how students’ defined the concept of sustainability and the three dimensions of the TBL. Findings from the focus groups indicated the design of the assessment tool did not garner meaningful results. The assessment tool was designed with knowledge-based multiple-choice questions, which did not accurately assess sustainability literacy, according to its definition. Recommendations for redesigning the assessment tool include designing questions that assess students’ ability to apply systems-thinking and conduct critical thinking and problem-solving. Sustainability educators should seek to encourage transformational learning when teaching sustainability education. With the recommendations for assessment redesign, the researcher also includes suggestions of unique ways institutions of higher education can assess students’ sustainability literacy.
... In addition, we present in Table 8 the results from our deductive analysis comparing the definitions of each sustainability competency by using our conceptual framework and the learning goal and activities used in each project or plan studies. [25], [35], [47], [51], [53], [54], [58], [67]- [71] [6], [43], [49], [62], [72]- [76], [53] Engineering Engineering design [39], [57], [79], [58], [80], [81], [30], [79] [58], [25] [28], [45], [55], [27], [39], [49], [57], [84], [25], [37] [27], [29], [39], [53], [64], [67] [31], [70], [67], [84], [25] [45], [55], [63], [64], [77], [51], [52], [72], [73], [60], [83], [39], [53], [61], [ [43], [45], [57], [58], [60], [64], [70], [76] We acknowledge that NGSS and STL are not implemented in many states. Our study gives an overview of components that are highly related to sustainability education. ...
... In schools around the world, Sustainability Education and Mindfulness Education are being adopted by teachers as a means to re-connect human society and its life support systems. Sustainability Education is gaining global interest and momentum (Rowe, 2007;Warner & Elser, 2015). In countries such as Australia, sustainability has been identified as a 'cross-curriculum priority' by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), and an abundance of sustainable education programs, lessons and resources are freely available to schools, such as Planet Ark (see https://planetark.org/), and the Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance (AESA) -(see http://www.educationforsustainability.org.au/), to name a few. ...
Around the world, Sustainability Education and Mindfulness Education are being adopted by teachers as a means to re-connect human society and its life support systems. Those working in the space of both Sustainability Education and Mindfulness Education have seen an opportunity to further strengthen humanity’s connection with the environment and have recently created nature-based mindfulness lessons and programs for children. The lessons explicitly connect mindfulness with the natural world and/or Sustainability Education. In the current study the authors analysed 44 nature-based mindfulness lessons for students aged approximately six to 18 years old, posing the research question, ‘What is the nature and content of child-centric nature-based mindfulness lessons? The methodology of Content Analysis was used to examine texts according to 11 categories, and 58 associated sub-categories. It was found that the lessons invited students to raise their awareness of the interconnected and interdependent nature of human existence and the natural environment. However, there was little content related to acting or learning the skills required to act in a positive way towards the environment. A number of recommendations are suggested for research and practice – including in-depth examination of how classroom teachers implement and experience nature-based mindfulness.
... Other research studies have investigated the impact of the eco-school certification systems on environmental education in many countries. As discussed by Gericke et al. (2020), some studies -in the Czech Republic (Cincera and Krajhanzl 2013), the region of Flanders in Belgium (Boeve-de Pauw and van Petegem 2011, 2013), Israel (Goldman et al. 2017) and the U.S. (Warner and Elser 2015) -have shown that the effects of what comes out at the student level are limited. However, other studies have found positive effects on students. ...
This chapter discusses the impact of the various green school programs on education for sustainable development in the countries included in this volume and how this impact needs to be problematised in terms of measurable and unmeasurable outcomes. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities experienced by the various green school programs and the possibilities of a green future for schools.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a key role in addressing global challenges. This study highlights the key role of collaborative, cooperative and reflective learning in enhancing students' ability to promote sustainable development. In this study, narrative analysis techniques were used to analyse 172 manuscripts with the core keywords ‘reflective learning’ or ‘cooperative learning’ or ‘collaborative learning’ and ‘sustainability’ or ‘sustainable development’ and ‘education’ that resulted from the search in SCOPUS and Web of Science for the period 1994 to 2023 and the paper selection process. These articles provide a comprehensive overview of collaborative and reflective learning in the context of sustainable development. This study demonstrates how critical it is to identify and deal with students' limits in terms of reflection and cooperation. To genuinely contribute to sustainable development, students must not only possess the necessary knowledge, but also embody values and global awareness, thus enabling them to reflect on and evaluate their practical experiences within complex contexts. Despite potential obstacles of individual differences and cooperation challenges, the review emphasises the importance of innovative pedagogical strategies in providing students with engaging educational opportunities that inspire a commitment to advocating for sustainable development. This study highlights the potential of diverse pedagogical programmes in cultivating sustainable competencies and underscores the significance of recognising and overcoming constraints for the effective implementation of education in sustainable development.
Η ανάδειξη της σημασίας του φυτικού κόσμου από την εκπαιδευτική κοινότητα αποτελεί ένα ζήτημα μείζονος σημασίας λόγω του ρόλου των φυτικών οργανισμών στην προσπάθεια για βιώσιμη ανάπτυξη και του φαινομένου της «Τυφλότητας Απέναντι στα Φυτά». Οι μέχρι τώρα προτεινόμενες εκπαιδευτικές απόπειρες αντιμετώπισης του παραπάνω φαινομένου φαίνεται να αποδίδουν αποσπασματικά και σε μικρή κλίμακα. Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας είναι μέσα από βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση να προσδιοριστούν τα χαρακτηριστικά αυτών των εκπαιδευτικών επιλογών και να προταθεί ένα εναλλακτικό διδακτικό πλαίσιο που θα επιφέρει μια μακροπρόθεσμη αναμόρφωση των υπαρχόντων νοητικών σχημάτων, αξιών και αντιλήψεων που σχετίζονται με τους φυτικούς οργανισμούς. Εξετάζοντας τα αποτελέσματα, η μετασχηματίζουσα μάθηση εντός ενός σύγχρονου, βιώσιμου σχολείου φαίνεται να αποτελεί μια τέτοια επιλογή που μέχρι τώρα δεν έχει διερευνηθεί επαρκώς.
Education for sustainability (EfS) provides the opportunity to learn attitudes, perspectives, and social values that lead to healthier conscious choices. In this context, formal education spaces have a high potential to promote the EfS in an integral and permanent form, but they face barriers. This work aimed to identify the potentialities and weaknesses of the activities of the Sustainable School Project and verify its adherence to the principles and barriers to the EfS. The action research was performed in stages of systematic review; presentation of the case study in public schools in São José dos Campos (SP); Survey to identify the perception of the different participating social actors; and critical analysis using statistical methods. The main results we highlight are the project’s involvement and organization as potentialities. And main barriers are the integration of sustainability into institutional planning, the limited instructional time, and the fragmentation of the school curriculum.
Resumo A educação para a sustentabilidade (EpS) oportuniza o aprendizado de atitudes, perspectivas e valores sociais que conduzem a escolhas conscientes mais saudáveis. Nesse contexto, os espaços de educação formal possuem elevado potencial para promover a EpS de forma íntegra e permanente, mas enfrentam barreiras. Este trabalho visou identificar as potencialidades e as fragilidades das atividades do projeto Escola Sustentável e verificar sua aderência aos princípios e barreiras da EpS. A pesquisa-ação foi realizada em etapas de revisão sistemática; apresentação do estudo de caso do projeto realizado em escolas públicas em São José dos Campos (SP); Survey para identificação da percepção dos diferentes atores sociais participantes; e análise crítica com emprego de métodos estatísticos. Dentre os principais resultados destacam-se o envolvimento e a organização como potencialidades do projeto. E, como principais barreiras, a integração da sustentabilidade ao planejamento institucional, o tempo de instrução limitado e a fragmentação do currículo escolar.
Abstract
The problem of research is the lack of the right environment for the application of the WIAs curriculum, which sees the learning process as an integral part of its social and physical contexts. In light of the process of qualitative and systematic analysis of international documents from scientific studies and working papers, he described the WIAs approach as continuous and participatory organizational learning processes aimed at achieving institutional coherence towards sustainability, and is supposed to continuously link the formal and informal learning curricula to achieve educational sustainability. However, the actual reality shows the weak trend towards sustainable development and the lack of recognition of sustainability except by a small number of workers in the majority of educational institutions. The importance of research in the trend towards framing a number of paragraphs that focus on schools as service organizations using the logic of service and the perspective of service innovation to explain the mechanism of schools and the methods of implementing education for sustainability. Also to provide a conceptual presentation of the basic elements of sustainability in education within the framework of the Organization's holistic curriculum (WIAs). As well as determining the strategies that schools need as service organizations. To address the problem, a number of goals have been set, including: highlighting sustainability, and determining what is meant by education for sustainability? Also a statement that is meant by the overall perspective of the educational institution (school)? And what does innovation in services mean? For this, the descriptive analytical method was followed, relying on the group of international scientific studies in this field. The research has yielded a range of findings, most notably that by applying “sustainable student practices” as a basic concept of service provided, schools can adapt their external and internal organizational activities to achieve sustainable education. The most prominent recommendations were the importance of expanding the content of the curriculum, given that the most recent discourse in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was influenced by environmental and systemic thinking and the need for education to bring about inclusive change with the participation of all stakeholders in order to ensure long-term sustainability.
Keywords: Sustainability - Education for Sustainability - Whole Institution Approaches WIAs - Service innovation
The government of Aotearoa New Zealand has recognised the gravity of climate change by adopting a Climate Emergency declaration, passing the Zero Carbon Act (2019), and asking the Climate Change Commission to chart a pathway towards a carbon-zero future. The climate emergency necessitates transformation of the practices and visions of individuals and society towards a sustainable future. We argue that education must be recognised as a key enabler for this transformational process. In this article, we draw on our recommendations to the Climate Change Commission (2021a) for structural changes in our education system to build capacity for the implementation of climate-change education for a sustainable future. Our focus is on building capacity in school leaders and teachers through development of knowledge and skills, provision of time and space, and cultural embedding of education on sustainable living and climate change into the ways we all teach and learn. Our intention is to provide a “think piece” to be considered and discussed by school educators and leaders across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Sanayi devriminden bu yana insanın doğa üzerinde yarattığı tahribat hem insanoğlunun varlığını hem de gezegende topyekûn yaşamın geleceğini tehdit etmektedir. Yüz yüze kalınan bu sürdürülemez durumun aşılabilmesi, sürdürülebilirlik eğitimiyle köklü bir zihniyet dönüşümünün yaratılmasını gerektirmektedir. Kuşkusuz, bu yönde yaratılacak bir dönüşüm, etkin eğitim modellerinin yaygınlaşmasına bağlıdır. Buradan hareketle nitel bir araştırma olarak yürütülen çalışmada, TÜBİTAK 2219 destek programı ile İngiltere’de gerçekleştirilen “Çevre Okuryazarlığı Eğitimi” konulu araştırma kapsamında bir sürdürülebilirlik eğitim modeli olarak Schumacher Koleji tanıtılmakta ve adı geçen kolej sürdürülebilirlik eğitiminin temel esasları açısından irdelenmektedir. Çalışma kapsamında Schumacher Koleji, gerçekleştirilen yerinde inceleme ve görüşmelerle öğrenme vizyonu, içerik, ortam ve öğrenme süreçleri açılarından araştırma parametrelerine göre incelenmiştir. Schmumacher Koleji, İngiltere’de sürdürülebilirlik eğitiminde özgün bir yer tutmakla birlikte; içerik, öğrenme ortamı ve süreçleri açılarından sürdürülebilirlik eğitiminin gereklerini yeterince karşılamamaktadır. Bunun yanında, ilgili okul modelinin Schumacher’in küçük güzeldir deyimiyle simgeleşen sürdürülebilirlik vizyonu ile bazı açılardan aykırılık gösterdiği gözden kaçmamaktadır. Çalışmanın, Türkiye’de ve Dünya’nın değişik yerlerinde sürdürülebilirlik eğitimi veren eğitim modellerinin yaygınlaşmasına ve bunların etkililiğinin artmasına yol göstermesi beklenmektedir.
The Green Schools Movement in Sweden has a long history. In this chapter we will start with a historical review of the long interest of green issues in Swedish society and how these have influenced curriculum and teaching. We will address the different teaching traditions that evolved in environmental education in Sweden over time. Then we will describe how the green school movement been promoted in Sweden through initiatives from NGOs such as Håll Sverige Rent and World Wide Fund for Nature. This has led to certification systems for schools to participate with the possibility to be accredited as “green schools”. These certification systems have turned from an environmental perspective to a perspective towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Finally we will go through the extensive research conducted in Sweden the last years of the effects these certification systems has had in the schools at student, teacher and school organization level, and what we can learn from these studies in order to develop the green school movement for the future.
The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of research in the convergence of environmental education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (E-STEM) education models through a values-based framework for nature. An argument for the interconnectedness of environmental education and STEM programs is presented. A further argument presented that nature-based learning environments engage children in E-STEM. Lastly, an exploration of research suggests how various pedagogical practices incorporate and facilitate the E-STEM paradigm to prepare young children for 21st century workforce that can solve large, complex problems in an information and service-based economy.
Worldwide, there is an emerging interest in sustainability and sustainability education. A popular and promising approach is the use of systems thinking. However, the systems approach to sustainability has neither been clearly defined nor has its practical application followed any systematic rigor, resulting in confounded and underspecified recommendations. The purpose of this article is to extend the notion of systems thinking as it pertains to sustainability pedagogy. The authors draw from systems theory and other literatures to develop three broad approaches to systems thinking: functionalist, interpretive, and complex adaptive systems (CAS). Each perspective is examined regarding its conceptual underpinnings, implications for sustainability, and pedagogical goals, objectives, skills, and exemplar projects and activities. The authors' goal is to provide the reader with an immanently practical set of ideas and pedagogical tools that may be readily adopted by management educators in any discipline.
As universities begin to consider sustainability as a core value in education, there is a need to contemplate the role of transformative learning in higher education. Are current models of university education capable of facilitating action to promote ecological literacy and social change? This article outlines three models of group learning (cooperative, collaborative, and transformative) for use in higher education learning environments. It also examines the possibility (the potential benefits, drawbacks, and implications) of shifting university education from the current model toward a model for transformative learning and sustainability. Ultimately, this article raises a number of questions for academics to consider, including the possible outcomes and implications for implementing transformative education in university curriculum.
The authors discuss the components of consensual qualitative research (CQR) using open-ended questions to gather data, using words to describe phenomena, studying a few cases intensively, recognizing the importance of context, using an inductive analytic process, using a team and making decisions by consensus, using auditors, and verifying results by systematically checking against the raw data. The three steps for conducting CQR are developing and coding domains, constructing core ideas, and developing categories to describe consistencies across cases (cross analysis). Criteria for evaluating CQR are trustworthiness of the method, coherence of the results, representativeness of the results to the sample, testimonial validity, applicability of the results, and replicability across samples. Finally, the authors discuss implications for research, practice, and training.
This month, achieve, an organization established by the 50 U.S. state governors to improve academic standards and testing, will begin finalizing its draft document (released in January 2013) of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). * This document aims to establish new common standards for science education for students aged 5 to 18 in the United States, and it explicitly builds on the U.S. National Academies' 2011 Framework for K-12 Science Education. † The Framework put forth a vision of science education that is notable for emphasizing student participation in key science and engineering practices, such as asking questions and defining problems; developing and using models; engaging in argument from evidence; and learning cross-cutting concepts such as energy and matter, cause and effect, and structure and function. To allow room for these in the school day, the Framework stressed the importance of minimizing the number of disciplinary core ideas that standards require to be taught. Now that the NGSS document has entered its final revision stage, it is important to ask how well these standards match the powerful vision for them that was laid down by the Framework.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the components of a sustainability transdisciplinary education model (STEM), a contemporary approach linking art, science, and community, that were developed to provide university and K‐12 students, and society at large shared learning opportunities. The goals and application of the STEM curriculum will be discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
The STEM integrates the sciences, arts and aesthetics, and the university with the greater New Britain community, and beyond. Academic areas included geography, environmental science, communication, art history, aesthetics, and teacher education. The transdisciplinary methodology was integrated in a learner‐centered design. To achieve a cycle of community engagement regarding sustainability, university students were placed within the greater New Britain community. This included interaction with K‐12 urban public schools, the New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA), numerous nongovernmental organizations, state and federal governmental elected officials, and the general public.
Findings
As a result of the mutual learning implicit in the STEM, all participants expanded each other's understandings of sustainability. Students were learning from instructors, instructors were learning from students, students were learning from students, instructors were learning from instructors, and all were learning and sharing knowledge with the greater community. As a result, all participants gained a deeper and broader understanding about human‐environment relationships and how humans impact natural resources.
Practical implications
Because the assignments given to the university students were authentic performance tasks embedded in sustainability issues, students developed a broader disposition for thinking and learning and therefore become metacognitive. The STEM emphasized aesthetic education, integrating science and the arts. As a result, the participants developed their ability to connect academic domains of knowledge and creatively address sustainability challenges.
Originality/value
The convergence of science, art, and aesthetics enabled the participants to develop a deeper spiritual awareness and understanding of eco‐justice for the promotion of a sustainable society. The STEM utilized cultural resources of the university and New Britain community (i.e. institutional members of the NBMAA and The Central Connecticut State University). Students were introduced to the concept of mutual learning with all the communities and organizations involved.
Achieving a sustainable future requires that individuals adopt different values, attitudes, habits, and behaviors, which are often learned and cemented at a young age. Unfortunately, current educational efforts are inadequate for achieving transformative action. Even programs whose primary goal is to promote responsible, pro-environmental behaviors have largely failed at creating change among students. The lack of efficacy in sustainability-related educational programs is at least partly due to faulty assumptions about knowledge automatically leading to action, and by extension, the information-intensive methods that focus largely on declarative knowledge regarding how environmental systems work. Meanwhile, social science literature clearly highlights the need to go beyond ecological and technical knowledge when educating for transformative action, since sustainable behaviors are motivated by much more than declarative information. In order to effectively educate for sustainability, alternative forms of knowledge (i.e., procedural, effectiveness, and social knowledge) are essential, as is the consideration of various barriers and motivators for action. The transition towards sustainability will require action and change that is guided by an understanding of the complexities that arise within an interconnected system, as well as the ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, while keeping an eye to the future. In formulating our approach to educating for sustainability, we incorporate perspectives from three somewhat disparate fields: (i) behavioral change research, (ii) sustainability scholarship, and (iii) educational pedagogy. While drawing upon diverse knowledge domains, our primary purpose is to integrate behavior change research and sustainability competencies in developing effective educational approaches for transformative actions.
This paper reviews recent achievements in sustainability science and discusses the research core and framework of sustainability science. We analyze and organize papers published in three selected core journals of sustainability science: Sustainability Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, and Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy. Papers are organized into three categories: sustainability and its definition, domain-oriented research, and a research framework for sustainability science. First, we provide a short history and define the basic characteristics of sustainability; then we review current efforts in the following research domains: climate, biodiversity, agriculture, fishery, forestry, energy and resources, water, economic development, health, and lifestyle. Finally, we propose a research framework for sustainability science that includes the following components: goal setting, indicator setting, indicator measurement, causal chain analysis, forecasting, backcasting, and problem-solution chain analysis. We emphasize the importance of this last component for improving situations and attaining goals.
The emerging academic field focused on sustainability
has been engaged in a rich and converging
debate to define what key competencies are considered
critical for graduating students to possess. For more than a
decade, sustainability courses have been developed and
taught in higher education, yet comprehensive academic
programs in sustainability, on the undergraduate and
graduate level, have emerged only over the last few years.
Considering this recent institutional momentum, the time is
seemingly right to synthesize the discussion about key
competencies in sustainability in order to support these
relatively young academic programs in shaping their profiles
and achieving their ambitious missions. This article
presents the results of a broad literature review. The review
identifies the relevant literature on key competencies in
sustainability; synthesizes the substantive contributions in
a coherent framework of sustainability research and problem-
solving competence; and addresses critical gaps in the
conceptualization of key competencies in sustainability.
Insights from this study lay the groundwork for institutional
advancements in designing and revising academic
programs; teaching and learning evaluations; as well as
hiring and training faculty and staff.
Content analysis is a widely used qualitative research technique. Rather than being a single method, current applications of content analysis show three distinct approaches: conventional, directed, or summative. All three approaches are used to interpret meaning from the content of text data and, hence, adhere to the naturalistic paradigm. The major differences among the approaches are coding schemes, origins of codes, and threats to trustworthiness. In conventional content analysis, coding categories are derived directly from the text data. With a directed approach, analysis starts with a theory or relevant research findings as guidance for initial codes. A summative content analysis involves counting and comparisons, usually of keywords or content, followed by the interpretation of the underlying context. The authors delineate analytic procedures specific to each approach and techniques addressing trustworthiness with hypothetical examples drawn from the area of end-of-life care.
Sustainability is being integrated into higher-education institutions' mission and planning, curricula, research, student life, and operations.
A high and sustainable quality of life is a central goal for humanity. Our current socio-ecological regime and its set of interconnected worldviews, institutions, and technologies all support the goal of unlimited growth of material production and consumption as a proxy for quality of life. However, abundant evidence shows that, beyond a certain threshold, further material growth no longer significantly contributes to improvement in quality of life. Not only does further material growth not meet humanity's central goal, there is mounting evidence that it creates significant roadblocks to sustainability through increasing resource constraints (i.e., peak oil, water limitations) and sink constraints (i.e., climate disruption). Overcoming these roadblocks and creating a sustainable and desirable future will require an integrated, systems level redesign of our socio-ecological regime focused explicitly and directly on the goal of sustainable quality of life rather than the proxy of unlimited material growth. This transition, like all cultural transitions, will occur through an evolutionary process, but one that we, to a certain extent, can control and direct. We suggest an integrated set of worldviews, institutions, and technologies to stimulate and seed this evolutionary redesign of the current socio-ecological regime to achieve global sustainability.
Despite the vast differences between the Right and the Left over the role of education in the production of inequality one common element both sides share is a sense that education can and should do something about society, to either restore what is being lost or radically alter what is there now. The question was perhaps put most succinctly by the radical educator George Counts in 1932 when he asked "Dare the School Build a New Social Order?", challenging entire generations of educators to participate in, actually to lead, the reconstruction of society. Over 70 years later, celebrated educator, author and activist Michael Apple revisits Counts’ now iconic works, compares them to the equally powerful voices of minoritized people, and again asks the seemingly simply question of whether education truly has the power to change society.
This article reviews definitions and frameworks for sustainability in higher education by examining a set of major national and international declarations and institutional policies related to environmental sustainability in universities. It identifies emerging themes and priorities, and discusses how these declarations and policies are affecting various institutions in how they frame the central task of becoming sustainable and how they perceive their own commitment to sustainability. © 2002 International Association of Universities. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Public schools in the United States are serving a more heterogeneous student population now than ever before. Drawing on normative, empirical, and critical literatures, this review explores the role of school administrators in responding to the needs of diverse students. Three administrative tasks are highlighted: fostering new meanings about diversity, promoting inclusive school cultures and instructional programs, and building relationships between schools and communities. Administrative work that accomplishes these tasks can be thought of as a form of practice, with moral, epistemological, constitutive, and discursive dimensions. Inclusive administrative practice is rooted in values of equity and social justice; it requires administrators to bring their full subjectivities to bear on their practice, and it implicates language as a key mechanism for both oppression and transformation.
This paper analyzes recent efforts to measure sustainability in higher education across institutions. The benefits of cross-institutional assessments include: identifying and benchmarking leaders and best practices; communicating common goals, experiences, and methods; and providing a directional tool to measure progress toward the concept of a “sustainable campus”. Ideal assessment tools identify the most important attributes of a sustainable campus, are calculable and comparable, measure more than eco-efficiency, assess processes and motivations and are comprehensible to multiple stakeholders. The 11 cross-institutional assessment tools reviewed in this paper vary in terms of stage of development and closeness to the “ideal tool”. These tools reveal (through their structure and content) the following critical parameters to achieving sustainability in higher education: decreasing throughput; pursuing incremental and systemic change simultaneously; including sustainability education as a central part of curricula; and engaging in cross-functional and cross-institutional efforts.
Conservative critics contend that teachers and texts are bombarding students in the United States with biased and incomplete
scientific information on environmental issues. But advocates say the charges are exaggerated.
A call for combining the strengths of geographic education with environmental education to produce an 'education for sustainability' addresses local problems for sustainable development. A place-based approach encourages civic responsibility among students. Using service-learning to extend education beyond the classroom in this case study connected students with local clients in a watershed-based initiative. Theoretical underpinnings of service-learning for geographic education are discussed, and the case study is viewed from instructor, student, and client perspectives to identify successful outcomes and provide suggestions for those who might adopt service-learning for the first time.
It is now commonplace to assert that actions toward sustainable development require a mix of scientific, economic, social and political knowledge, and judgments. The role of research-based knowledge in this complex setting is ambiguous and diverse, and it is undergoing rapid change both in theory and in practice. We review conventional views of the linkages between research-based knowledge and action, and the early response to concerns that these links could and should be improved, through efforts at translation and transfer. We then examine the range of critiques that challenge those conventional views by highlighting different aspects of the relationships between science and society, focusing on the implications for action toward sustainable development. We then review the theories and strategies that have emerged in the attempt to improve the linkages between research-based knowledge and action in the context of sustainability across four broad categories: participation, integration, learning, and negotiation. These form a hierarchy with respect to how deeply they engage with the various critiques. We propose that the relationships between research-based knowledge and action can be better understood as arenas of shared responsibility, embedded within larger systems of power and knowledge that evolve and change over time. The unique contribution of research-based knowledge needs to be understood in relation to actual or potential contributions from other forms of knowledge. We conclude with questions that may offer useful orientation to assessing or designing research-action arenas for sustainable development.
Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for the next generation. Practitioners inquiry
- M Cochran-Smith
- S L Lytle
Institutional assessment tools for sustainability in higher education: Strengths, weaknesses, and implications for practice and theory. Higher Education Policy
- M I Shriberg
Linking curriculum and learning to facilities: Arizona State University's GK-12 sustainable schools program
- M M Elser
- L Pollari
- E Frisk
- M W Wood
Science as inquiry in the secondary setting
- J Luft
- R Bell
- J Gess-Newsome