scholarly journals Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development: Emerging Teaching and Research Developments

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gisela Cebrián ◽  
Mercè Junyent ◽  
Ingrid Mulà
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Extracurricular Activities ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
External Support ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Competencies Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development clearly reflects the urgency to embed the principles of education for sustainable development (ESD) into all levels of education. ESD, understood as an integral part of quality education and all educational institutions, from preschool to higher education and in nonformal and informal education, can and should foster the development of sustainability competencies. This Special Issue entitled “Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development” responds to this urgency and the papers presented deliver recent developments in the field of ESD competencies. They focus on various perspectives: systematic literature reviews; curriculum developments; meta-analysis of the interrelation between sustainability content, competencies developed and pedagogical approaches used; testing and validation of evaluation tools and processes for sustainability competencies; and the development of conceptual models focused on different subject areas and educational levels (higher education, primary education, rural schools, external support services to schools, and extracurricular activities). The contributions indicate how the field of ESD competencies in the area of sustainability has become a major focus in recent years. Further research efforts need to be put into operationalizing sustainability competencies and developing tools to measure and evaluate students’ and educators’ competencies development.

scholarly journals Current Practices and Future Pathways towards Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8733
Author(s):  
Gisela Cebrián ◽  
Mercè Junyent ◽  
Ingrid Mulà
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Model Building ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Group Model ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Competencies Development

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reflects the urgency to embed the principles of education for sustainable development (ESD) into all levels of education. ESD, understood as an integral part of quality education and where all educational institutions, from preschool to higher education and in non-formal and informal education, can and should foster the development of sustainability competencies. This Special Issue entitled “Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development II” responds to this urgency and the papers presented deliver recent developments in the field of sustainability and ESD competencies. They focus on various perspectives: systematic literature reviews and conceptual contributions; curriculum developments and pedagogical approaches to explore competencies’ development, such as action research, serious games, augmented reality, multi-course project-based learning and group model building processes; testing and validation of assessment tools and processes for linking sustainability competencies to employability and quality assurance processes. The contributions show how the field of sustainability and ESD competencies has become a major focus in recent years and present emerging research developments. Further research efforts need to be put into operationalizing sustainability competencies and developing tools that help measure and assess students’ and educators’ competencies development.

scholarly journals Innovation projects in the area of formal, non-formal and informal education for sustainable development

2021 ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
Liudmila Sokolova ◽  
Dmitrii Sergeevich Ermakov
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Positive Individual ◽  
Innovation Projects ◽  
Societal Changes

Education for sustainable development (ESD) has been one of the priority vectors in the activity of international organizations since 1990s. The UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for sustainable development has been awarded since 2015. This article is dedicated to the analysis of innovation projects in the area of formal, non-formal and informal education for sustainable development that have received this award over the period from 2015-= to 2019. The subject of this research is the content of projects and programs of the winner countries in the corresponding areas of ESD. The systemic approach demonstrates that the initiatives that equally affect social, economic and environmental aspects of ESD and lead to positive individual and societal changes become the winners. It is determined that the share of projects and programs in the area of formal and informal education is insignificant  (7 and 13%, respectively). Despite a considerable number for informal ESD (33%), most of the initiatives (47%) are of complex nature. The advanced experience of the award-winning countries complement the existing representations on the opportunities of studying the questions of sustainable development in the area of non-formal and informal education, as well as indicates the benefits of continuous ESD throughout life. For the implementation of ESD, the authors employ general institutional approach that reveals the strategy of activity of the educational institutions oriented towards sustainable development, which results in subsequent “ESD-transformation” of the traditional model of education.

The Impact of COVID-19 and the Role of Higher Education in Making a Sustainable Recovery

2021 ◽  
pp. 461-475
Author(s):  
Sunaina Gowan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The World ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sustainable Recovery

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the implications of COVID-19 to higher education and how universities and colleges can play a critical role in helping shape new ways for the world by adopting environmental sustainability as its academic mission. The effects of the pandemic have reached such proportions that the world may never be the same again. Even though educational institutions have been affected at different levels, there are some measures that can be undertaken to mitigate its impacts. The findings indicate the need for the integration of higher education for sustainable development. This study provides a unique and timely commentary about how coronavirus has altered in positive and negative ways higher education. It suggests that, due to its areas of influence, COVID-19 may also jeopardise the implementation of the sustainable development goals. It sends a cautious warning about the need to continue to put an emphasis on education for sustainable development, so that progress achieved to date is not endangered.

scholarly journals Implementation trajectories of environmental education for sustainable development in formal, non-formal and informal education based on eduScrum project management methodology

2020 ◽  
Vol 169 ◽  
pp. 05002
Author(s):  
Natalya Ryazanova ◽  
Vladimir Naumov ◽  
Natalia Kamennykh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Analytical Form ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Development Of Competencies

The aim of the study is to study approaches to localization of the topic of SDG in higher education in Russia and some tracks for implementation of environmental education for sustainable development (EESD). The objectives were: to formulate a goal setting for each of the approaches; to develop a methodology for the introduction of the SDG ideology into EESD; to implement the personal and collective role of research team members in working on the project; to create effective collaborations and introduce an interdisciplinary approach; to be able to present the results obtained in a visual and analytical form; to expand the professional outlook of environmentalists, to form a worldview based on the development of competencies for sustainable development. The research methodology in formal education was based on the hypothesis that modern environmental education should be based on the triad of SDG clusters, and all didactic units of university programs should be filled with this ideology. The information approach was implemented through the introduction of project laboratory technologies, case studies and youth models. Strategically, the higher education institutions participating in the experiment developed a methodology for tracking higher education for sustainable development and introduced methods for working with the subjects of SDG.

scholarly journals HIGHER ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION OF UKRAINE: HISTORY OF FORMATION AND CURRENT STATE

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-51
Author(s):  
Tamerlan Safranov
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Modern Concept ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Current State ◽  
History Of ◽  
Environmental Component ◽  
Personal Level

The environmental component of education determines the socio-economic foundations of society and is the basic component of the state environmental policy. The nature of interaction with the environment at the personal level and society makes it possible to implement the concept of sustainable development, and therefore the assessment of the current state of higher environmental education in Ukraine is an urgent problem. The purpose of article is to analyze the formation and current state of higher environmental education in Ukraine, which is the central link in the system of continuous environmental education. An important step in the development of the system of continuous environmental education, in particular higher environmental education, was the development of the Concept of Environmental Education of Ukraine (2001), the principles of which were not properly implemented. The content of higher environmental education is reflected in four generations of standards for higher environmental education in Ukraine, which took into account changes in the relevant regulatory and legislative documents and requirements for the content and results of educational activities of higher educational institutions within certain areas of training and specialties. The article describes the structure and content of standards of higher environmental education in Ukraine. Despite the fact that the environmental component currently prevails in the form of education that most consider education for sustainable development, yet this is only the beginning of the formation of a new system-integrated model of education for sustainable development. The importance of greening and ideas of sustainable development is reflected in the current standards of higher education in Ukraine for applicants for higher education "bachelor" of all specialties. But the environmental component is still absent in the educational programs and curricula of many specialties of "non-environmental" higher education institutions, is not due attention is paid to the greening of higher education in Ukraine. Some provisions of the existing Concept of Environmental Education of Ukraine are no longer relevant, which leads to the development of a modern Concept, and, perhaps, a separate Concept of higher environmental education in Ukraine. In recent years, there has been a decline in state interest in the training of environmentalists, so it is advisable to develop measures to improve the training of applicants for higher environmental education.

Education for Sustainable Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Meghna Tare
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

In 2003, in response to the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the United Nations University (UNU) Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability launched a global multi-stakeholder network of Regional Centers of Expertise (RCEs) on education for sustainable development (ESD). RCEs facilitate multi-sector collaboration and utilize formal, non-formal, and informal education to address sustainable development challenges in local and regional communities. In essence, RCEs are a tool for transformation to a more sustainable society, combining education and action for sustainable development. As we enter the new "ESD for 2030" decade, RCEs will continue to construct platforms for cross-sectoral dialogue between regional stakeholders and actors to promote and strengthen ESD at the local level. RCEs have committed to helping advance the five priority areas of action established in the Global Action Program on ESD and the new UN decade "ESD for 2030": advancing policy by mainstreaming ESD, transforming learning and training environments using whole-institution approaches, building capacities of educators and trainers, empowering and mobilizing youth, and accelerating sustainable solutions at the local level. RCEs are uniquely positioned to serve as shepherds in the realization of the new "ESD for 2030" decade. As of January 2019, 174 RCEs have officially been acknowledged by UNU worldwide, with eight RCEs in the United States: Georgetown, South Carolina; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Greater Atlanta, Georgia; Greater Burlington, Vermont; Greater Portland, Oregon; North Texas, Texas; Salisbury, Maryland; and Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. RCEs serve an essential role in the achievement of "ESD for 2030" goals by translating global objectives into the local contexts of our communities.

scholarly journals Strategic Shift from Transmissive to Transformative Higher Education for Sustainable Development

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Jama Madar ◽  
Mustafa Din Bin Subari ◽  
Shadiya Mohamed Saleh Baqutayan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
National Development ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Transformative Education ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Important Approach ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Investment Portfolios

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a global initiative towards transforming education for sustainability. The integration of SD into the education portfolio is considered to be an important approach that ensures strategic alignment of higher education with SDGs. A document review was used to identify and discuss the difference between transmissive and transformative education in relation to SDGs and in the context of Somali education. In this trajectory, it is expected that the concept of ‘‘transformative education is likely to become more common to meet the emerging social, economic and environmental issues, yet practical challenges remain in Somaliland HE sector. The roadmap towards addressing transformative education for sustainability is not included in the Somaliland national portfolios; particularly ESD has not been presented. In this regard, this paper proposed a generic framework that spotlights the integration of HEIs and the national development goals (NDGs) in Somaliland. Meanwhile, developed and developing countries are prioritizing structural transformation in their HEIs that are tailored to national and regional development programs. Consistent with the Rio + 20 outcomes, the authors analyzed the concept of the ‘‘sustainable university’’ and identified the fact that it is practically divided into three interrelated and complementary categories, namely social-, environmental-, and economic-oriented university in pursuit of actualizing SD. The paper recommends major reforms in the education sector including availing investment portfolios for R&D, renovation of education goals and transforming universities for sustainability

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