scholarly journals The Pure Intergenerational Problem and the UNESCO Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79
Author(s):  
Katia Vladimirova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Societal Transformation ◽  
Distant Future ◽  
Value Shift ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Educational Agenda

This article aims to bring together some theory – research on climate  ethics, particularly the Pure Intergenerational Problem (PIP) introduced by Stephen Gardiner – and some practice – the new educational agenda proposed by the United Nations in 2002 and framed as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). PIP can be resolved (or rather, avoided) if a shift in values happens that would change the very context of the problem. On the other hand, DESD is aimed at promoting the values “inherent in sustainable development” and at enabling societal transformation and behavioral change. The main focus within the value shift in this article is on a particular set of values (principles, concerns) that relate present people to future generations in terms of moral responsibility. It is argued that the promotion of ethical considerations that are concerned with the distant future, and the future of humankind in general, can be a solution to the Pure Intergenerational Problem. The article also explores whether parts of this solution can already be found within the educational agenda of DESD.

The Place of Concerns for Posterity in the Global Education for Sustainable Development Agenda

2017 ◽  
pp. 1433-1453
Author(s):  
Katia Vladimirova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Education Philosophy ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

Education is a powerful tool to alter unsustainable values and mindsets. But in order for it to be used most efficiently it is crucial to have a clear understanding of what values should be advanced, changed, or developed. This chapter aims to clarify some conceptual difficulties with the value of future generations in education for sustainable development. Future generations are embedded in the definition of sustainable development and can be reasonably expected to be at the heart of education for sustainable development. This chapter explores this assumption and analyzes how future-oriented concerns are formulated and advanced in the global educational agenda put forward during the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) led by UNESCO. This analysis compares conceptual foundations of ESD against key developments in climate and environmental ethics on the treatment of posterity. This chapter can contribute to the disciplines of environmental education, philosophy of education, and to climate ethics.

Education for sustainable development in the senior Earth and Environmental Science syllabus in Queensland, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa Tomas ◽  
Reece Mills ◽  
Donna Rigano ◽  
Maryam Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Societal Transformation ◽  
Educational Discourse ◽  
Intended Curriculum ◽  
Learning Content ◽  
Sustainability Learning ◽  
Missed Opportunity

AbstractIn Queensland, Australia, a new senior Earth and Environmental Science (EES) syllabus has been approved for first implementation in 2019. Given the natural alignment between EES and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this study employs document analysis to investigate the extent to which the intended curriculum reflects the tenets of ESD. An exploratory content analysis examined the frequency of keywords to identify any prominent sustainability themes that might underpin the syllabus, while a curriculum key guided a deeper analysis according to four tenets of ESD: Learning content; Pedagogy and learning environments; Societal transformation; and Learning outcomes. These analyses found that the ESD tenets reflected in the syllabus is limited chiefly to sustainability learning content, while broader notions of ESD, like the promotion of transformative learning, are marginalised or absent. Instead, the syllabus reflects a technical orientation to curriculum, underpinned by a neoliberal agenda. It is argued that the Queensland EES syllabus represents a missed opportunity to engage students with ESD. In a policy climate where achievement and accountability dominate educational discourse, there is an inherent risk that ESD will fall by the wayside, given it is not prioritised in the intended curriculum. Implications for curriculum development are also discussed.

Project-Based Learning in Education for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Graduate Planning Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Teff-Seker ◽  
Michelle Eva Portman ◽  
Keren Kaplan-Mintz
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Planning ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Environmental Considerations

Urban planning can serve a vital role in meeting the goals of education for sustainable development (ESD); it could potentially provide future planners with the environmental considerations necessary to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This article presents findings from a quantitative study of planning students’ experiences with Project- and Problem-Based Learning (PPBL). Graduate planning students in an environmental planning class were divided into two groups according to their course assignment, PPBL or non-PPBL, and given pre- and post-questionnaires, with questions to grade statements on environmental attitudes and behaviors. PPBL students reported a statistically significant change in environmental behavior involving others, while neither behavior nor attitudes changed significantly for students in the control group. Then, semi-open interviews were conducted with 11 of the students 3 years later. The interviews indicate that PPBL students remembered more content related to their assignments and felt they received more types of planning experiences and tools than those in the control group.

A Letter from the Future: UNESCO and the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Fien
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Lead Agency ◽  
National Education ◽  
The World ◽  
National Education Systems ◽  
The Media

AbstractThis paper begins with a letter of thanks from future generations for the wisdom our generation has shown in initiating a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. It describes the overall goals of the Decade and focuses on the Action Plan being developed by UNESCO to guide its contributions as the international lead agency for the Decade. These are shown to be two-fold. The first is one of leadership, catalysing, coordinating and supporting activities around the world, especially supporting the re-orientation of national education systems and policies in support of sustainable development and encouraging civil society, the private sector and the media to participate. The second is as a substantive implementer of Education for Sustainable Development, itself, helping to create an enabling environment for the achievement of the objectives of the Decade.

The Place of Concerns for Posterity in the Global Education for Sustainable Development Agenda

2015 ◽  
pp. 222-243
Author(s):  
Katia Vladimirova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Education Philosophy ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

Education is a powerful tool to alter unsustainable values and mindsets. But in order for it to be used most efficiently it is crucial to have a clear understanding of what values should be advanced, changed, or developed. This chapter aims to clarify some conceptual difficulties with the value of future generations in education for sustainable development. Future generations are embedded in the definition of sustainable development and can be reasonably expected to be at the heart of education for sustainable development. This chapter explores this assumption and analyzes how future-oriented concerns are formulated and advanced in the global educational agenda put forward during the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) led by UNESCO. This analysis compares conceptual foundations of ESD against key developments in climate and environmental ethics on the treatment of posterity. This chapter can contribute to the disciplines of environmental education, philosophy of education, and to climate ethics.

scholarly journals Ethics Teaching in Education for Sustainable Development

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-224
Author(s):  
Lars Samuelsson ◽  
Niclas Lindström
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Teaching Ethics ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Ethics Teaching ◽  
Keywords Education

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is nowadays internationally considered an important aspect of the overall education of children and young people in the world. It is included among the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Besides its content – sustainable development – ESD is also characterized by its emphasis on a democratic and participatory educational procedure. In this paper, we show how both these aspects of ESD – its content and procedure – reveal the importance of bringing ethical considerations into ESD, as well as provide challenges for ethics teaching in ESD. Keywords: education for sustainable development (ESD), sustainable development, ethics education, teaching ethics, participatory education, controversial issues

scholarly journals Implementing Education for Sustainable Development in Namibia: School Teachers’ Perceptions and Teaching Practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline O. Anyolo ◽  
Sirpa Kärkkäinen ◽  
Tuula Keinonen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Senior Secondary School ◽  
Senior Secondary

Abstract Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been viewed as education that helps people develop the attitude, skills, and knowledge to make well-informed decisions for the benefit of the present and future generations. It aims at providing quality education through shared understanding and multi-disciplinary approaches in meeting the developmental and environmental apprehension for a sustainable future. Many theorists envisaged ESD as enhancing active involvement of learners both in school and out of school learning initiatives to acquire knowledge about sustainable development issues. The present paper discusses Namibian school teachers’ (n=9) perceptions of ESD and the teachers’ teaching practices using a qualitative-explorative study design. The data were gathered through two semi-structured interviews and lesson observations. The findings have revealed that senior secondary school teachers perceive ESD in terms of knowledge acquisition about the environment in order to use its resources sustainably for the benefit of future generations. The study has also revealed that teachers have positive sentiment toward the inclusion of ESD into the senior secondary school curriculum. Following this, they suggested that ESD should be either implemented as an independent subject or integrated with other existing subjects as a multi-disciplinary subject.

scholarly journals Supporting the role of universities in leading individual and societal transformation through education for sustainable development

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. C. Price ◽  
Rehema M. White ◽  
Kate Mori ◽  
James Longhurst ◽  
Patrick Baughan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Societal Transformation ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Sustainability Leadership ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThere is growing recognition of the value of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for all learners, and of the unique role that universities play in the transformation of individuals, institutions and societies towards more sustainable futures. Universities engage and even lead in several areas: education, research and community engagement, all of which are essential in this transformation. Further, given their focus and influence, universities are pivotal to action needed to realise the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but, to date, UK university integration of ESD and engagement with the SDGs is relatively limited. In recognition that a more urgent and meaningful response is needed to deliver the 2030 targeted socio-economic transformation outlined by the SDGs, the UK ESD Guidance has been comprehensively revised to support universities to deliver education which enables students to acquire sustainability competencies, equipping them to play leadership roles in an increasingly uncertain world. In this case study, we critically analyse the role of universities and explore why ESD needs to be more urgently integrated in teaching and learning. We review the barriers to achieving ESD in UK universities at political and institutional levels. Finally, we explore the policy-practice interface and outline how the new UK ESD Guidance can support universities in leading individual and societal transformation through ESD and act as a stimulus for embedding ESD in university curricula in both UK and international contexts. We conclude that universities have as yet unfulfilled potential to explore and facilitate ESD for sustainability leadership.

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