Discussing Sustainable Development among Teachers: An Analysis from a Conflict Perspective.

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development has been discussed as problematic, as a top down directive promoting an ―indoctrinating‖ education. The concept of the intertwined dimensions (economic, social-cultural, and environmental) of sustainable development is seen both as an opportunity and as a limitation for pluralistic views of sustainability. In this paper we study possibilities that allow different perspectives of sustainability to emerge and develop in discussions. We focus on the conflicting perspectives of the intertwined dimensions in some main theoretical models in combination with the use of Wertsch’s function of speech framework to construct a conflict reflection tool. As an illustrative case, we apply this conflict reflection tool to an analysis of a discussion among seven secondary school teachers on climate change. The results in this particular example show the dynamics of speech genre and content in developing different perspectives. We conclude our paper with a discussion of the conflicting view of the integrated dimensions of sustainability in relation to an agonistic pluralistic approach, and we consider its relevance in an educational context.