Abstract
Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came into effect, both UNESCO and other international organisations recommend empowering youth to implement the SDGs in universities. Getting started with the SDGs at university level is of special relevance in pre-service teacher training since future teachers are powerful agents of change in the lives of young people. Future teachers need to acquire competencies in sustainability to be able to promote meaningful changes in sustainable behaviour. To that end, holistic approaches to facilitate their acquisition need to be developed. The aim of this study is to explore which teaching methodologies are suitable for the development of competencies in sustainability and research in Higher Education (HE). The participants taking part in the study are students in pre-service teacher training. The experimental educational model used for the development of competencies in sustainability and research consists of a methodological sequence of Project-Oriented Learning (POL) and a Cross-disciplinary Workshop on Sustainable Food. This study provides evidence that POL is an excellent methodology for developing competencies in sustainability and facilitates the relationship between sustainability and research competencies.
Highlights
Considering the Earth continues to speed down an unsustainable path, several educational actors identified the need to create programmes [1,2] to raise citizen awareness and encourage sustainable behaviour
The experts’ evaluation results of the students’ competencies in sustainability and the research competency regarding the activity of the Cross-disciplinary Workshop on Sustainable Food were highly positive
The overall marks of the research projects presented by the students oscillate between 7.13 and 9.88 out of 10
Summary
Considering the Earth continues to speed down an unsustainable path, several educational actors identified the need to create programmes [1,2] to raise citizen awareness and encourage sustainable behaviour. The publication in 2015 of the UN 2030 Agenda includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that should be a priority for all governments and citizens until 2030. These 17 SDGs are the reformulation of the Millennium Development Goals, seeking to promote sustainable development (SD) in an integrated manner, as reflected in the preamble of the declaration [3]. The vast majority of environmental issues, in addition to damaging ecosystems, are linked to problems affecting human health and the livelihood of numerous human populations. Scientists agree we are facing a new epoch called the Anthropocene, characterised by global environmental degradation problems of human origin [4]. More peaceful and sustainable world, a collective effort is required by all individuals and societies and this is where Education for Sustainable development (ESD) has a crucial role to play, transmitting knowledge, competencies and values [5]
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