scholarly journals Teacher education for sustainable development within national frameworks: Squaring the circle from a German perspective

Author(s):  
Ellen Christoforatou

This article deals with the question of how teacher education and teacher training in Germany – of which many aspects have been fragmentized – can nevertheless provide teachers with an adequate opportunity to systematically develop their professional competences in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD). Based on current education policy goals and relevant empirical research, the article offers a theory intended to cause coherence between three phases of teacher education and training in Germany, thereby integrating academic theory and ESD practice more consistently. Particular attention is given to teacher educators, educational managers, researchers and decision makers, who often have not acquired solid expertise in the specific area of ESD themselves. Their active inclusion is the key success factor in the intrinsic processes regarding organizational development at teacher education institutions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-55
Author(s):  
Manisha Jetly ◽  
Nandita Singh

Abstract Education for sustainable development (ESD) has been accepted worldwide as one of the most powerful paradigms of thinking, which has a potential for changing the ongoing course of unsustainable development in order to save the fate of life on Mother Earth. As we prepare ourselves to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of United Nations 2030 Agenda, it is crucial to analyze and reflect on the initiatives taken, which aim at sensitizing the stakeholders of education with the holistic concept of ESD, especially when it has been reported in the literature that countries of the Asia Pacific region have been slow in formally embracing the concept of ESD in their education system. With this contextual background, the present research paper aimed at understanding the prevailing perception of ESD amongst the teacher educators of India. A qualitative deductive content analysis methodology was adopted for an in-depth analysis of the subjective responses of teacher educators, teaching graduate and post-graduate level courses of teacher education programs of India’s Chandigarh region. A codebook was developed on the basis of UNESCO’s Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future (TLSF) program for the analysis. The findings of the research identified how and to what extent the indicators of ESD were addressed through broader categories of knowledge, skills and values. The research joins larger conversation of reorienting the teacher education programs particularly through the lens of cultural sustainability to achieve a sustainable future.


Author(s):  
Shepherd Urenje ◽  
Million Chauraya ◽  
Charles Chikunda

The change project approach could be applied to enhance teacher education for the purpose of confronting 21st Century challenges through education (Education 2030). The challenge for teacher education institutions is to prepare future teachers with the socio-ecological knowledge, skills, attitudes and values essential for sustainable living, by reorienting current unsustainable ways of thinking and doing. This can be achieved by integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and in a number of teacher education programmes in southern Africa, teacher educators have begun to do this. This paper discusses the critical role of a change project approach in creating the social transformation processes and actions required to achieve the ambitions of Education 2030. Cases from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe have demonstrated important efforts to reorient university curricula. The paper investigates and discusses the challenges associated with reimagining teacher education and key considerations that need to be addressed to achieve the goal of Agenda 2030. Keywords: Change project approach; social transformation; Education 2030; Education for Sustainable Development


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-367
Author(s):  
Kirsti Marie Jegstad ◽  
Astrid Tonette Sinnes ◽  
Sigrid Marie Gjøtterud

Teacher education programs have an especially important role in reorienting education to realise education for sustainable development (ESD). In this paper, we investigate how ESD can be realised in science teacher education and we present findings from a case study in a Norwegian teacher education institution that has the overall aim of educating teachers who can contribute to sustainable development. Data was collected through participant observation and interviews, and, together with instructional artefacts and student assignments, analysed based on a model for science ESD. The paper provides an example of how ESD can be realised through a strengths model where ESD is founded in the strengths among the teacher educators and existing teaching practices. The results indicate that an emphasis on experiential learning and sociocultural learning theory builds a thorough foundation for ESD. However, the teaching has to be explicit in order to reach all student teachers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Gedžūne ◽  
Ginta Gedžūne

Exploring and Promoting Ecological Consciousness in Teacher Education: the Possibilities of Educational Action Research in Education for Sustainable DevelopmentThe paper reports on the findings of a qualitative study with 39 first year students of pre-school and primary school teacher education programmes who are taking an educational action research based study course "Environmental Pedagogy". The study aimed at engaging the students in reflection on their experiences of interaction with nature and uncovering their views on ecological consciousness. Qualitative content analysis sought emergent themes in students' reflections. A conceptual framework was identified containing three frames of reference: (1) inclusion-oriented frame of reference; (2) exclusion-determining frame of reference and (3) solution-oriented frame of reference. Conclusions were drawn about the possibilities of educational action research to encourage students' reflection on ecological consciousness and building sustainable and inclusive relationships with the world.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8973
Author(s):  
Douglas Bourn ◽  
Nese Soysal

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a feature of academic and policy debates within initial teacher education around the world. A theme within these debates is the extent to which ESD is more than just a body of knowledge, and if it suggests different pedagogical approaches which may be prevalent in most countries. Another feature of these debates is whether ESD can be seen as suggesting a transformative approach as opposed to a transmissive approach. As a qualitative study, using examples from research and evidence gathered in England and Turkey through document analysis, this article identifies both the opportunities and challenges for teacher education courses using ESD as a means for promoting a distinctive pedagogical approach and whether they can be seen as posing transformative learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11887
Author(s):  
Eveliina Asikainen ◽  
Annukka Tapani

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Entrepreneurial Education (EE) are quite abstract and demanding concepts for teacher students. Yet, Key Sustainability Competences and Entrepreneurial Competences entail important qualities of future citizens and workers, and teacher students should become prepared to accommodate education for these competencies in their teaching practice. This paper explores teacher students’ process of sense-making of sustainable development and how becoming a teacher who practices ESD connects with entrepreneurship. EE serves as a good mirroring surface to ESD as they both have their roots in Transformative Learning (TL) but pursue transformation towards different goals. The case study follows the vocational teacher education (VTE) students’ sensemaking of Sustainable Development as a part of teacher’s work during one semester which included integrated Thematic Studies of Sustainable Development. The qualitative content analysis of students’ texts focused on signs of transformative learning and was guided by the dimensions of sustainable development and learning goals set for teacher’s sustainability competences in the VTE curriculum. The results indicate that transformative learning is possible. Furthermore, they address the importance of certain entrepreneurial capabilities in the actualization of change agency.


Via Latgalica ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Dzintra Ilisko ◽  
Astrida Skrinda ◽  
Anita Pipere

The report reveals the contribution of two international UNESCO/ UNITWIN Chair’s peer-reviewed journals – “Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education” (DCSE) and “Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability” (JTEFS) to sustainable development of Latgale. They are international, cross-disciplinary, scholarly and open access journals focusing on diverse aspects of environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability thus enabling one to constructively and creatively address present and future global challenges in creating more sustainable and resilient societies. Both journals aim to respond to the priorities set by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and the Global Action Programme as implemented in LATGALE and in the partner countries. The study reflects on the thematic scope of the two journals that centres on reorienting education towards the goal of sustainable education and sustainable community in Latgale, Latvia, Europe and beyond. In order to respond to the challenges of global community that we are facing today, the research published in both journals suggests how education can contribute to overcoming the current crises in education and community, as well as offers strategies and ways of dealing with it sustainably and responsibly in Latgale. Education for sustainable development (ESD) includes more than knowledge related to the environment, economy, culture and society. It also addresses learning perspectives, strategies and values that guide and motivate people to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society and live in a sustainable manner. ESD also involves studying both local and global issues. The research offers the study of JTEFS contribution to meeting different views, ideas and research to promote further development of studies and practice of teacher education in all areas of formal and non-formal education in relation to sustainability. DCSE is an international, peer-reviewed journal that provides a platform for examination of policies, theories and practices related to the discourse and communication for sustainable education. Since contemporary discourse study has extended its field to the study of multifaceted contexts of discourse, it integrates a broader study of the phenomena of communication in relation to sustainable education. The diversity of the journal is apparent in the variety of its theories, methods and approaches, thus avoiding the frequent limitation to one school, approach or academic branch.


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