Introductory description

This module introduces and critically examines Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). You will addresses ESD both as a global project and a series of local initiatives and their connections. Key questions are: What is ESD and what change is it intended to make? What theories and assumptions have formed the development of ESD? To what extent can it deliver its key objective of transforming citizens, societies and economies? What effects has it had? What difference can it make to curricula and pedagogy? How can effectiveness be evidenced and what evidence is there that it can be effective? What new developments in the field are presently under discussion?

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: Introduction
This session will introduce and examine the concept of sustainability addressing its three intermeshing aspects - economy, society and environment. The need to address each of these three aspects at once is a basic principle of sustainability discourse. The difficulties in doing so will be highlighted through contemporary critiques of 'problem-solution' reasoning which emphasize the tenacity of 'wicked problems' of sustainability. This raises the question of how 'education', broadly understood, might contribute to achieving sustainability goals. A set of principles underlying Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is presented.
Indicative reading:
Lee, N.M. (2013) Childhood and Biopolitics: Climate change, life processes and human futures. London. Palgrave Macmillan. Chapters 6 and 7
Week 2: ESD as a Global Project
ESD is a key focus of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is also threaded through United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2017). Through a range of initiatives and interventions, UNESCO seeks to influence and inspire change in the nature and role of education with the aim of transforming global society. In this session we ask:

• to what extent does this global ESD project embody the principles laid out in our introduction?
• what measures of success might be applied to ESD?
• To what extent can it address existing differences between global regions?
  Indicative reading:
  Lesley LeGrange 'Environmental Education after Sustainability' in Jickling, B. and Sterling, S.

Week 8: ESD International Case Studies
In this session, we examine a range of case studies of UNESCO ESD projects. In each case we ask:

• In what ways does this embody ESD principles?
• How have curriculum and pedagogical challenges been addressed?
• How can outcomes be assessed?
• To what extent does it exemplify critical discourses about ESD?
  Indicative Readings:
  http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002328/232888E.pdf
  https://en.unesco.org/greencitizens/our stories
  Week 9: Futures of ESD
  ESD is a set of responses by a global educational community to changing circumstances and needs. There is no reason to think that the need to adapt and respond will vanish. In this session we will examine some new ideas and approaches that are currently in development. We ask whether these are responding to new sets of issues and what futures for ESD are likely to come from them. Indicative reading:
  Payne, P.G. (2016) What next? Post-critical materialisms in environmental education. The Journal of Environmental Education. 47 (2): 169-178
  Week 10: Summary and conclusions
  This session comprises an overview of the module, student posters on selected topics and
  preparation for assessment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key debates within ESD.
• Demonstrate an informed understanding of the relationship between ESD educational institutions and local, regional and global education and sustainability policies.
• Demonstrate a capacity to connect global issues of ESD with the diversity of local ESD programmes.
• Demonstrate an ability to reflect on the relationship between ESD as goals, strategies and practices.
• Demonstrate a capacity to reflect on the desirability and feasibility of future ESD developments.

Indicative reading list

Arlemalm-Hagser, E. and Sandberg, A. (2017) Early Childhood Education for Sustainability: The relation between young people's participation and agency. In Waller et al (eds) The Sage Handbook of Outdoor Play and Learning. London. Sage pp. 213-225
Barthes, A. and Lange, J.M. (2018) Researchers' positions and construction of curricula of education for sustainable development in France. Journal of Curriculum Studies. 50 (1): 96-112
Hellberg, S. and and Knutson, B. (2018) Sustaining the Life Chance Divide: Education for
sustainable development and the global biopolitical regime. Critical Studies in Education, 59(1): 93¬107
Lee, N.M. (2013) Childhood and Biopolitics: Climate change, life processes and human futures. London. Palgrave Macmillan. Chapters 6 and 7
Lesley LeGrange 'Environmental Education after Sustainability' in Jickling, B. and Sterling, S. (2017) Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education: Remaking Education for the Future. London. Palgrave Macmillan
Lozano, R., Merrill, M. , Sammalisto, K., Cuelemans, K., and Lozano, F.J. (2017) Connecting Competences and Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Higher Education: A Literature Review and Framework Proposal. Sustainability, 9 (10): 1889
Ingrid Mula, Daniella Tilbury, Alexandra Ryan, Marlene Mader, Jana Dlouha, Clemens Mader, Javier Benayas, Jiri DloulW, David Alba, (2017) "Catalysing Change in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: A review of professional development initiatives for university educators", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 18 Issue: 5, pp.798-820

View reading list on Talis Aspire

International

Addresses UN scale effort to use EDS to effect a global culture change toward sustainable lifestyles. Examines cases from a range of countries.

Subject specific skills

Students should demonstrate a critical understanding of - • the underlying values, theories and concepts relevant to education • the diversity of learners and the complexities of the education process • the complexity of the interaction between learning and local and global contexts, and the extent to which participants (including learners and teachers) can influence the learning process • the societal and organisational structures and purposes of educational systems, and the possible implications for learners and the learning process • constructively critique theories, practice and research in the area of education.

Transferable skills

Active listening Cognitive flexibility Communication skills Complex problem solving Confidence Creativity Critical thinking