“How were we supposed to know?” – the problem of embedding education for sustainable development in the learning process. Examples of New Zealand, France and Poland

To solve the “wicked problems” of sustainability, education for sustainable development (EfSD) that raises the young generation to become change agents is necessary. For this purpose, fieldtrips that educate students in the real world about other stakeholders are effective, but since sustainable issues do not have clear solutions, cooperative learning (CL) in which students learn from each other is useful. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influence of the learning process on learning outcomes and their influence on learning objectives in real-world EfSD using CL. A hypothesis model consisting of seven hypotheses was set up, and a questionnaire survey of high school students who participated in the real-world EfSD was conducted. Results of the structural equation modeling of data from 2441 respondents supported all seven hypotheses. Implicit learning as a learning process promotes knowledge acquisition as a learning outcome, while explicit learning enhances self-efficacy. Although knowledge acquisition promotes citizenship development as the learning objective of EfSD, self-efficacy does not promote citizenship development. Self-efficacy affects knowledge acquisition more than implicit learning. This study contributes to EfSD research by clarifying the difference in the effects of the learning process.

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Environmental Education: A Place in the Curriculum?

The New Zealand Annual Review of Education ◽

10.26686/nzaroe.v0i14.1496 ◽

2004 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Bolstad

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

New Zealand ◽

Environmental Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Teaching Practice ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Education For Sustainable Development ◽

Curriculum Project ◽

Place Based Education ◽

Oriented Approach

This article examines the place of environmental education/education for sustainable development (EE/ESD) in the school curriculum. Despite international calls for EE/ESD to form the pillar of a re-oriented approach to school curriculum, teaching, and learning, in most schools the principles of EE/ESD are poorly understood, and it occupies a marginal place in curriculum and teaching practice. This article considers the “place” of EE/ESD in the New Zealand curriculum, and the potential to align EE/ESD with a “place-based” education (PBE) approach in New Zealand schools. Current directions from the New Zealand Curriculum Project may create new possibilities for this to occur.

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About Higher Education for Sustainable Development and for Sustainability in New Zealand, and Elsewhere

Education for Sustainability - Higher Education for Sustainability ◽

10.1007/978-981-15-1940-6_1 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 3-12

Author(s):

Kerry Shephard

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

New Zealand ◽

Education For Sustainable Development

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Students’ perceptions of education for sustainable development in the accounting and business curriculum at a business school in New Zealand

Meditari Accountancy Research ◽

10.1108/medar-12-2012-0042 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 130-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Umesh Sharma ◽

Martin Kelly

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

New Zealand ◽

Business School ◽

Business Students ◽

Education For Sustainable Development ◽

Business Practices ◽

Business Curriculum ◽

Development Education ◽

Sustainable Business ◽

Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore students’ perceptions and understandings of, and attitudes towards, education for sustainable development (ESD) at Delta Business School (DBS) in New Zealand[1]. The aim is to extend the limited literature on students’ perceptions of ESD within an accounting and business curriculum. Design/methodology/approach – To ascertain the students’ evaluations of their ESD, a survey was administered to 60 accounting and business students at DBS. The survey data were supplemented with interview evidence from 20 of the 60 students to obtain a deeper understanding of the students’ evaluations. Findings – A majority of the students perceive ESD as a “good thing.” Students were supportive of the sustainable business learning experience offered at DBS. The results suggest that students’ knowledge of sustainable business practices improved significantly from their studies. Practical implications – The paper should assist education providers to assess how students perceive ESD. This may help bring about changes, to improve the teaching of sustainable development. Universities can be the main providers of ESD, but other educational providers such as the professional accounting bodies will also need to manage the development of ongoing education processes. Most students at DBS believe they are obtaining a good understanding of the concept of sustainability. Originality/value – There is a shortage of research concerning how students perceive sustainable development education. This paper contributes to the discussion of what to incorporate in sustainable education programmes, to help students properly to understand sustainable development. We believe accounting and business education should develop graduates into broad-minded thinkers with a capacity for independent and critical thought. This will prepare them for future leadership roles.

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Identifying Assessment Opportunities in Postgraduate Learning for Sustainability

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education ◽

10.2478/dcse-2021-0011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 151-175

Author(s):

Jaya Gajparia ◽

Glenn Strachan ◽

Paul Vare ◽

Therese Ferguson

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Appreciative Inquiry ◽

Learning Process ◽

Education For Sustainable Development ◽

Master's Level ◽

Pedagogical Approach ◽

Postgraduate Level ◽

Key Characteristics

Abstract This paper offers a rationale for how ESD related learning at postgraduate level can be assessed. It proposes a framework for evaluating whether assessments in Master’s level programmes align with the pedagogical approach of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). If assessment is to contribute to the overall learning process, then the nature of the assessment should reflect the pedagogy, values and principles associated with ESD. Utilising an Appreciative Inquiry model, existing models of competences for sustainable development have been used to develop the framework. The framework is not aimed at the performance of the students; rather, it is applied to the course itself to identify if assessment opportunities are in keeping with an ESD approach. The framework is applied to three examples from Master’s programmes, with which the authors are affiliated in England and Jamaica. The findings identify key characteristics that should feature in assessing learning for sustainability. The framework enabled the authors to gauge the extent to which their assessment regimes are in line with the aims, purpose and content of their programmes. While the examples cited are from the field of education, the framework can be applied to any Master’s programmes containing elements of sustainable development.

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