scholarly journals A Case Study of ESD Implementation: Signs of Sustainable Leadership

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dzintra Iliško ◽  
Yelena Badyanova

Abstract This article presents a case study of two schools that were identified as a result of UNESCO associated schools survey as cases of sustainable leadership and governance. The aim of the study is to present the two cases that were crystalized in the survey carried out at end of the United Nationsí Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). Prior to the in-depth study of two schools, the authors have carried out a survey of the heads and deputy heads of 26 UNSECO associated schools in Latvia on how schools are succeeding in improving educational outcomes, school development, cooperation with multiple stakeholders, and innovation. The authors have carried out semi structured interviews with the heads and deputy heads of two schools on the following questions: How has ESD updated and improved educational purposes and outcomes in your school? Does ESD improve test scores and/or achieve other desired outcomes? How does ESD help to improve and enrich school curriculum development in your school? How does ESD guide students to have the knowledge, skills and values to care for and solve the sustainable development issues that arise in your school? How does ESD help to strengthen the partnerships between schools and other stakeholders, including the surrounding community? How does ESD promote innovation in the teaching-learning conceptual framework?

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
José de Arimatéia Valadão ◽  
Osmar Siena

O artigo discute a atuação dos Centros Familiares de Formação por Alternância (CEFFAs). Por meio de um estudo de caso, foi analisado até que ponto a Escola Família Agrícola (EFA) Itapirema, localizada no município de Ji-Paraná (RO), tem contribuído para as práticas de desenvolvimento rural sustentável do Território Central no Estado de Rondônia. No quadro teórico são identificadas as principais visões ambientalistas, as vertentes de desenvolvimento sustentável e os conceitos de educação para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Os dados extraídos dos documentos da EFA Itapirema, tratados por meio de análise de conteúdo, permitiram identificar a concepção de desenvolvimento rural sustentável predominante no currículo da Escola. Por meio de entrevistas e observações de campo foram levantadas as áreas nas quais os seus egressos estão atuando e analisado até que ponto as ações desses egressos e suas famílias estão alinhadas com a proposta da Escola. Os resultados indicam que a abordagem ambientalista da Escola se insere numa vertente preservacionista; a proposta de desenvolvimento rural engloba de forma equilibrada as concepções sustentabilista e socioambientalista. Contudo, identificou-se que a prática este equilíbrio não se concretiza, pois a concepção sustentabilista não está sendo exercida satisfatoriamente pelos egressos e suas famílias. Assim, a proposta da Escola EFA Itapirema não tem consequência prática para o desenvolvimento rural sustentável da região onde atua, pois está muito mais alicerçada no seu “ser” do que no seu “fazer”. Palavras-chave: Educação; Desenvolvimento Sustentável; Agricultores Familiares; CEFFAs. Abstract The article discusses the performance of the Family Centers of Formation by Alternation (CEFFAs). Through a case study, it was analyzed how much the School Agricultural Family (EFA) called Itapirema, located in the city of Ji-Paraná, State of Rondônia/Brazil, has contributed for the practices of sustainable rural development of the Central Territory in the State of Rondônia. In the theoretical framework are identified the main environmentalist visions, approaches of sustainable development and the concepts of education for the sustainable development. Data extracted from EFA Itapirema’s documents, treated by means of analysis of the content, permitted to identify the predominant conception of sustainable rural development in the school curriculum. By interviews and field observations were investigated the areas in which their ex graduates are acting and was analyzed how much those ex graduates and their families are aligned with the proposal of the School. The result indicates that the environmentalist approach of the School is inserted in a conception preservationist: the proposal of rural development embodies conceptions of sustainabilism and socio-environmentalist in a balanced form. However, it was identified in practice this equilibrium has not been achieved, because the conception sustainabilist has not being satisfactorily performed by the ex graduates and their families. Thus, the EFA Itapirema School’s proposal does not have practical consequence for rural sustainable development in the region where it acts, because it is much more based in its "being" than on its "doing". Keywords: Education; Sustainable Development; Family Farmers; CEFFAs.


Author(s):  
Nelson Santos Machado ◽  
Josiane Weber ◽  
Amélia Silveira ◽  
Leandro Petarnella

This article is part of a research in progress which aims at defining a set of sustainability indicators that meets the specificities of a Higher Education Institution (HEI). The objective was to identify what is the responsibility of the HEIs before sustainability and the sustainable development from the managers' insights. This is a qualitative research with case study design. The collection techniques used were bibliographical and documentary research and semi-structured interviews with ten managers of the institution. It was determined that managers understand sustainability broadly. The managers mention the importance of applying the concepts to management practices in order to be an example to other institutions and to contribute to the sustainable development of the region where it operates. The respondents cited several actions developed in the HEIs. These results provide subsidies for the construction of a sustainability indicator system for monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of the actions developed.


Think India ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 972-978
Author(s):  
Manisha Jetly ◽  
Dr. Nandita Singh

Education for sustainable development (ESD) enjoys a huge momentum worldwide in which the role of teachers for making sustainable development goals a reality has been recognized significantly. Teachers through their knowledge, attitudes and skills can bring the learning about these concepts to the curriculum and class room interaction and are in a position to influence their students. Therefore it is pertinent, that teachers are sensitised towards these issues, so that they prepare and nurture their students for making appropriate and responsible choices which contribute to a sustainable future. At this juncture it becomes crucial to understand their priorities and awareness level in context of the sustainable development. The present research paper aims to analyse the perception of forty post graduate pre-service teachers of the Chandigarh region, towards ESD through the dimensions of economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, social sustainability and cultural sustainability. For this researchers have adopted qualitative content analysis methodology for an in-depth study of the subjective responses through an open ended question. The findings suggest that most of the respondents associated the perception of ESD strongly with environmental sustainability. It is noted that the pre-service teachers lack a holistic approach towards ESD. On the basis of the findings it is recommended that there is an urgent need of integrating the concept of ESD consciously and conscientiously in India’s teacher education programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5234
Author(s):  
Mustafa S. Al-Tekreeti ◽  
Salwa M. Beheiry ◽  
Vian Ahmed

Numerous decision support systems have been developed to address the decision-making process in organizations. However, there are no developed mechanisms to track commitment down the line to the decisions made by corporate leaders. This paper is a portion of a study that establishes a framework for a comprehensive metric system to assess commitment to Sustainable Development (SD) decisions down the line in capital projects, and sets the groundwork for further development of performance indicators for SD outcomes. This ultimately leads to investigating the relationship between commitment to corporate decisions and better project performance in SD parameters. Hence, this study explores the literature to extract relevant parameters that reflect the degree of the project participants’ commitment to SD decisions and to develop commitment indicators. The study created then validated an index to track this commitment along the project stages: the Sustainable Development Commitment Tracking Tool (SDCTT). The SDCTT was tested on an infrastructure project case study. In this paper, techniques relevant to the first stage of projects (planning and definition) are presented. The SDCTT is the groundwork for the future development of performance indicators for SD outcomes, and within the postulated model should ultimately contribute towards reducing project waste, energy use, and carbon emissions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guadalupe Martínez-Borreguero ◽  
Jesús Maestre-Jiménez ◽  
Milagros Mateos-Núñez ◽  
Francisco Luis Naranjo-Correa

Education for Sustainable Development requires improving the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of students at all levels of education. However, this should start from the earliest stages of education, promoting an effective teaching/learning process of key concepts for sustainable development. Accordingly, the general objective of this research was to analyze the concepts of water, energy and waste in the primary education curriculum (6–12 years) in Spain. A qualitative research approach was followed, with an exploratory and descriptive design. A system of categories was established for each of the concepts under study, with the aim of classifying the references found, analyzing their integration into the different subjects, academic courses, curricular elements and levels of cognitive demand required of the students. The results of the lexicographical analysis of the content reveal that the regulations governing primary education in Spain mainly focus on the concept of energy and, to a lesser extent, on the concepts of water and waste. In addition, cognitive levels of knowledge and comprehension predominate based on the taxonomy used. The results suggest the need to develop initiatives for the educational framework that promote not only learning, but also attitudes and behaviors that contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).


Author(s):  
Laura Ballerini ◽  
Sylvia I. Bergh

AbstractOfficial data are not sufficient for monitoring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): they do not reach remote locations or marginalized populations and can be manipulated by governments. Citizen science data (CSD), defined as data that citizens voluntarily gather by employing a wide range of technologies and methodologies, could help to tackle these problems and ultimately improve SDG monitoring. However, the link between CSD and the SDGs is still understudied. This article aims to develop an empirical understanding of the CSD-SDG link by focusing on the perspective of projects which employ CSD. Specifically, the article presents primary and secondary qualitative data collected on 30 of these projects and an explorative comparative case study analysis. It finds that projects which use CSD recognize that the SDGs can provide a valuable framework and legitimacy, as well as attract funding, visibility, and partnerships. But, at the same time, the article reveals that these projects also encounter several barriers with respect to the SDGs: a widespread lack of knowledge of the goals, combined with frustration and political resistance towards the UN, may deter these projects from contributing their data to the SDG monitoring apparatus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4247
Author(s):  
Elena Bulmer ◽  
Cristina del Prado-Higuera

The seventeenth Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations, Partnerships for the Goals, aims to strengthen the means of the implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. The successful implantation of the UN’s seventeenth Sustainable Development Goal will aid the execution and achievement of the other sixteen goals. This article explores the importance and viability of Sustainable Development Goal 17, using a case study based in Valencia, Spain. The study presents an illustrative stakeholder situation, where we see that there are conflicting interests among conservationists, fishermen, municipality representatives, and others. Data collection was done using desk-based research and semi-structured interviews. The interview process was performed between October 2018 and October 2019. In total, 21 different stakeholders were interviewed. For the data analyses, a stakeholder register, Power–Interest Matrices, and a stakeholder map were used, and, to complement the latter, narratives were developed. The different analyses showed that most project stakeholders supported the project, while there was really only one stakeholder, the fishermen themselves, who were reticent about participating. However, it was shown over time that, by developing a common vision with them, the fishermen came on board the project and collaborated with the scientists. Stakeholder engagement analyses are especially useful in the application of Sustainable Development Goals at the project level. Although this case study is specifically applicable to a marine conservation context, it may be extrapolated and applied to any other Sustainable Development Goals’ context.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Rhian Croke ◽  
Helen Dale ◽  
Ally Dunhill ◽  
Arwyn Roberts ◽  
Malvika Unnithan ◽  
...  

The global disconnect between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has been described as ‘a missed opportunity’. Since devolution, the Welsh Government has actively pursued a ‘sustainable development’ and a ‘children’s rights’ agenda. However, until recently, these separate agendas also did not contribute to each other, although they culminated in two radical and innovative pieces of legislation; the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure (2013) and the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015). This article offers a case study that draws upon the SDGs and the CRC and considers how recent guidance to Welsh public bodies for implementation attempts to contribute to a more integrated approach. It suggests that successful integration requires recognition of the importance of including children in deliberative processes, using both formal mechanisms, such as local authority youth forums, pupil councils and a national youth parliament, and informal mechanisms, such as child-led research, that enable children to initiate and influence sustainable change.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Marwa Biltagy ◽  
Doaa Gamal

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should play a fundamental role in achieving the international 2030 sustainable development (SD) agenda. Quality education is the fourth of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and one of the targets related to this is to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD. Therefore, the SDGs provide a motive for HEIs to integrate SD concepts into their day-to-day practices. This study aims to introduce a framework for HEIs’ sustainable development assessment. Such a framework guides HEIs and educational leaders to support their countries’ commitments to achieving the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study analysis of the role and successful techniques of HEIs in achieving SD in three countries, namely, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Primary data was collected by semi-structured interviews with three Cairo University officials, while secondary data was collected by reviewing the universities' official websites, reports, publications and related papers. This study introduces a novel framework for HEIs' SD analysis and assessment, which guides HEIs and educational leaders to support SD to fulfill their countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs. This framework is based on the following five categories: strategic direction and institutional working practices, supporting students, supporting university staff competencies, supporting society's stakeholders and networking and sustainable campus. Consideration is given to the potential role of HEIs to support SD in each of these areas. Findings Cairo University could learn from the novel and pioneer practices of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and the University of Tokyo to fill in the gaps it has in different roles. It can also put more effort into adopting the suggested higher education programs of Egypt's Vision 2030. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to a case analysis comparing three countries, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Second, this study has not considered school education, which is equally essential in countries' SD. Practical implications HEIs can use the framework and the findings in this paper to evaluate their current roles in supporting SD, identify the gaps and take actions accordingly to address their weaknesses. Originality/value The paper compares three universities, one in each of the case study countries. It draws conclusions that identify ways in which the paper's framework and findings can guide SD practice in HEIs internationally, especially those in the developing world.


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