Abstract
This article proposes a model that describes and frames sustainability commitment. The model is based on didactic theory and pragmatic philosophy and is informed by several empirical studies on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) practice. The intention is for the model to serve as a critical perspective on ESE practices in secondary and upper secondary schools, and to offer a framework for the development of future practice with emphasis on teachers’ choices of content and teaching methods. The model suggests that a sound commitment is situated in the intersection of the intellectual, emotional, and practical aspects of sustainability. It is argued that: The intellectual aspect is essential for giving the commitment scientific rigor and a critical stance; emotions are vital for students to become dedicated; and skills to carry out appropriate actions for change is necessary for playing an active role in providing a sustainable transformation of society.
Highlights
From the Agenda 21 plan of action to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment there has been an international policy aspiration to reorient and implement education towards sustainable development
Exploring the relationship between education and sustainable development, Vare and Scott [3] have emphasized the importance of seeing sustainable development as a social learning process, which concerns the building of capacity to think critically about and explore the dilemmas and contradictions inherent in sustainable transformation
The intention is for the model to provide critical perspective on environmental and sustainability education (ESE) practices in secondary and upper secondary schools that will serve as a framework for the development of future practice with emphasis on teachers’ choices of content and methods when teaching on sustainability issues
Summary
From the Agenda 21 plan of action to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable. The inclusion of sustainability themes in educational policy raises questions about educational and teaching goals and choices of content, forms, and methods. The purpose of this article is to suggest a model that describes and frames sustainability commitment and tentatively answers these questions. The intention is for the model to provide critical perspective on ESE practices in secondary and upper secondary schools that will serve as a framework for the development of future practice with emphasis on teachers’ choices of content and methods when teaching on sustainability issues. We use empirical examples collected from a recent research project called “Teaching global equity and justice issues through a critical lens” (Swedish Research Council, project number 2017-03468) to illustrate the different aspects of the model and the related teacher actions
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