The existential and the instrumental in Environmental and Sustainability Education

Background: Existential experiences often come to the fore in the case of a severe and/or life-threatening disease and in old age. This can evoke a variety of thoughts and emotions. The existential dimension is a concept that encompasses spiritual, religious and secular perspectives. Objective: The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how patients describe the existential dimension of life and whether and in what way the existential questions are raised in conversations and other forms of support within care. Methods: A qualitative design, with in-depth semi-structured interviews with patients admitted to an out-clinic oncology department at one hospital and participants living in a nursing home. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: A total of 15 persons were interviewed. The respondents varied in age from 44 to 96. Two main themes emerged: What are existential questions? and Talk about existential questions. The existential questions refer to life as a whole and death as an end of life. It was summarized into three subcategories: The experience of the life, Existing within context and Spirituality and religion. About half of the participants thought it was important to talk about existential questions. They wanted to choose who to talk to, when and about what. Support was received from loved ones, professionals and experiences beyond conversations. Conclusions: The study provide new knowledge of how patients and elderly experience the existential dimension. The respondents emphasized a desire to be selective with whom they shared these questions and thoughts.

“Speculative Realism in Environmental Education and the Philosophy of Education” was a joint research symposium for the networks on Environmental and Sustainability Education (NW 30) and Philosophy of Education (NW 13), held at the European Conference of Education Research (ECER), 25 August, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland. The symposium aimed to open up discussion on renewed interest in realisms in the field of philosophy, and what that might mean for education research and the field of environmental education research in particular. As backdrop, environmental education harbours strong democratic traditions as well as recognitions of relationships to a world that is composed by more than human positions and desires. The symposium then forms part of an ongoing discussion of how these positions are understood and intermingle in a rapidly changing world. The expectation of the event was to broaden discussion about the voices present in environmental education, human and otherwise, and sharpen engagement with established traditions within the field. In brief, three paper presentations and discussion by Graham Harman probed questions of: (a) the lightness and darkness of the objects of education, (b) who visibly desires which object in/as education, and (c) the risks of literalisms and correlationalisms in, for example, what is alluring to, and pursued by, educators. In other words, what we care about in and as environmental and sustainability education, what is perceived/treated as peculiar, and what is treated as normal and perverse to the realities of education in the Anthropocene, all matter to the work of speculative realism.

: Entering the 21 st century, there was a new phenomenon in higher education world in Indonesia, especially for institution of education and teacher training. In 2000, for example, ten IKIP s (Institut Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan or Institute of Education and Teach er Training) in Indonesia changed their names into university . Accordingly, d iscussing critically educational philosophy and aim in a nation-state is very important and should always be sought for in order to realize the critical society, especially related to the question of how this nation-state will be built. Every nation-state has contextual education philosophy and aim, which is particular in its own historical and social context. Indonesia , as a nation-state , has unique educational philosophy and aim , and it is the next generation’s job to revitalize and implement it in the real educational praxis. This paper tries to discuss the position and role of LPTK (Lembaga Pendidikan Tenaga Kependidikan or Teacher Training Institutions ) as one of higher educational institutions that is responsible to educat e the professional teachers in Indonesia. It is imperative to reformulate and revitalize the educational philosophy and aim of LPTK, especially related to preparing the candidate of such institution participants – who will be the teachers and educators in the future – in order that educational development in Indonesia can educate the people in one side, and can strengthen self identity in other side as civilized, advanced, modern, prosperous , and social justice nation. KEY WORDS : National philosophy, educational aim, teacher training institutions, and reformulate the position and role of institution. About the Authors: Andi Suwirta, M.Hum. is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Studies Education UPI (Indonesia University of Education), Jalan Dr. Setiabudhi No.229 Bandung 40154, West Java; and Joko Purwanto, M.Pd. is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training UMP (Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto), Jalan Raya Dukuh Waluh, Purwokerto, Central Java, Indonesia. They can be reached at: aspensi@yahoo.com How to cite this article? Suwirta, Andi & Joko Purwanto. (2013). “Reformulating the Educational Philosophy and Aim of LPTK (Teacher Training Institutions) in Indonesia” in EDUCARE: International Journal for Educational Studies , Vol.5(2) February, pp.191-200. Bandung, Indonesia: Minda Masagi Press owned by ASPENSI in Bandung, West Java; and FKIP UMP in Purwokerto, Central Java, ISSN 1979-7877. Chronicle of the article: Accepted (December 27, 2012); Revised (January 30, 2013); and Published (February 17, 2013).

Part 1 Educational aims today - problematics and guidelines: what are aims? general problems of educational aims problems of educational aims in pluralistic societies guidelines for establishing the educational aims. Part 2 Belief and - educators facing the tasks of educating for life competence: belief convictions as part of life competence modern uncertainty about the ideological side of life competence pragmatic solution - double truth, utility as truth, the priority of utility over truth examples of pragmatic interpretations of belief convictions valuation of pragmatic interpretations of belief convictions from the perspective of a normative philosophy of education. Part 3 Nietzsche's doctrine of necessary illusions: presentation evaluation. Part 4 Balanced education in a society lacking certainty about - balanced education as a personality ideal: foundations of the slogan balanced education in the history of ideas contribution of the slogan balanced education to decisions about personality ideals and educational aims overall and partial - on the educational responsibilities of parents, teachers and the state. Part 5 Values education? - problematics and possibilities: genesis of the slogan values education problematics of the slogan values education educational aims under conditions of ideological pluralism and individualism. Part 6 Education today - shared responsibilities of family and school: ideal conceptions concerning the bearers of and their shared responsibilities the present situation responsibilities of parents, state and schools. Part 7 Professional morals for teachers: educational responsibilities of the shcools and the professional competence of teachers what are professional morals? why do teahcers need professional morals? core areas of professional morals for teachers.

The technological culture explains the relationship between form and technique on the basis of a concrete and existential dimension. «The existential dimension “truth” becomes manifest in history, but its meaning transcend the historical situation. In general the concretization of the existential dimension depends on how things are made, that is, it depends on form and technology» (Schulz, 1979). In this perspective the essay explores theories and praxis of technological culture on the relationship between form and material, and between architecture and technique starting from the concept of technology: from the historical evolution of techniques and building systems to the value of innovation, probing material social and ideological issues that alternate in modern and contemporary process.

This paper revisits and expands a decade-old call to engage the political dimensions of environmental and sustainability education (ESE). With intensifying climate impacts and widening global inequities, global justice has become central to ESE. Climate change is not only a scientific concern but a lived reality shaped by colonial legacies, structural inequalities, and power imbalances. Drawing on critical global citizenship education (GCE) and educational philosophy, we examine the roles of educators amid interwoven environmental, social, and political crises. Teaching sustainability is not merely technical or scientific but also ethical, existential, and political. Inspired by recent scholarship across ESE, GCE, political science, and philosophy, we outline five interrelated educational guidelines for a global justice-oriented ESE. These guidelines support educators in critically addressing intersecting injustices through meaningful, critical engagement. We conclude that ESE’s future lies in creating transformative spaces that foster ethical responsibility, political awareness, and collective action for a just and sustainable world.

In which ways do curricula recognize existential questions of compulsory school students, and what direction is given regarding how to address them? By asking these two questions, this study analyses syllabi for the school subject of religion education and its equivalents in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and in the two German regions of Bavaria and Berlin-Brandenburg. The study forms part of a research project based in Sweden where, in 1969, the theme of ‘livsfrågor’—translated here as ‘existential questions’—was introduced into the curriculum. A qualitative content analysis of the use of the word ‘question’ in the respective languages is the basis for the comparative study of the current syllabi. The Berlin-Brandenburg and Danish syllabi recognize and, in integrated ways, address students’ questions, while the other syllabi do so considerably less. Significant variations in the relationship between the child and the curriculum are exemplified. The results of the study raise both religion educational and general didactic questions of how existential dimensions and subjectification (cf. Biesta in World-centred education, Routledge, 2022) can find their expression in curricula. Additionally, the question is addressed of whether students’ questions can be understood as crucial in their orientation in the world and responded to responsibly, for example in a Bildung context.

Existential/spiritual questions often arise when a person suffers from a serious and/or life-threatening illness. "Existential" can be seen as a broad inclusive term for issues surrounding people's experience and way of thinking about life. To be able to meet patients' existential needs, knowledge is needed about what the existential dimension includes. The aim of this study was to investigate how professionals caring for people with life-threatening disease perceive the existential dimension of care. This study is based on a mixed method design utilizing a digital survey with open- and closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were applied to closed-ended questions and a qualitative descriptive approach was used for the responses to the open-ended questions. Healthcare professionals at specialized palliative care units, an oncology clinic and municipal healthcare within home care and a nursing home in Sweden answered the survey. Responses from 77 professionals expressed a broad perspective on existential questions such as thoughts about life and death. Identifying existential needs and performing existential care was considered a matter of attitude and responsiveness and thus a possible task for any professional. Existential needs centered around the opportunity to communicate, share thoughts and experiences, and be seen and heard. Existential care was connected to communication, sharing moments in the present without doing anything and was sometimes described as embedded in professionals' ordinary care interventions. The existential dimension was considered important by the majority of respondents. This study indicates that with the right attitude and responsiveness, all professionals can potentially contribute to existential care, and that existential care can be embedded in all care. The existential dimension of care can also be considered very important by health professionals in a country that is considered secular.

INTRODUCTION In response to concerns about global warming and climate change (Letcher, 2009), the perceived estrangement of humanity from the natural world (Louv, 2008), and fears that the carrying capacity (1) of the earth will soon reach its limits (Orr, 1992), a growing number of educational scholars have proposed a re-orientation of schooling around the concept of sustainability and its themes (Orr, 1992; Bowers, 1995; Gruenewald & Smith, 2007; Jickling & Wals, 2008; Smith, 2002, 2010; Smith & Williams, 1998; Sobel, 2004; Sterling, 2004). Termed sustainability education, (2) this approach to schooling works to help students acquire the knowledge, values, skills, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs they will need to work toward a more just and ecologically sustainable world (Smith, 2010). More than environmental education, which focuses on the study of natural systems (how they function and how to manage them) (Palmer, 1998), sustainability education incorporates topics and themes related to social, political, cultural, and economic systems, in an effort to help students recognize the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. Sustainability education also works to examine many of the ideological principles and values found in Western society (e.g., the concepts of dualism and anthropocentrism; the equation of progress with unlimited economic growth), so that students may develop new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving (e.g., thinking systematically, and recognizing that economic growth is bounded by ecological limitations) (Coates, 2008). Although numerous efforts to enact sustainability education have been made around the world, a single, replicable model of sustainability education fails to exist. Sterling (2004) attributes this actuality to the emphasis environmental and sustainability education places on diversity. McKeown-Ice (2000) acknowledges that diversity is a key component of environmental and sustainability education and explains that a single, replicable model of sustainability education would be entirely inappropriate [given its highly localized nature] (p. 12). Without a model to follow or adapt, educators looking to enact sustainability education are left to decide for themselves what this orientation towards education and the school curriculum should look like. Such a process is challenging. It calls for--among other things--an examination of the core knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, skills and behaviors that individuals are expected to possess as inhabitants of a sustainable world. It also calls for an assessment of how one's conceptualizations fit within the traditional and contemporary aims of the field. The purpose of this case study was to examine how the founding members of a secondary charter school designed a comprehensive model for schooling around the concept of sustainability. By focusing on how the founding members created their school, I intended to document both the processes and complexities involved. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A majority of the research conducted on environmental and sustainability education has focused on the effectiveness of this approach to schooling (Lieberman & Hoody, 1998; National Environmental Education Training Foundation, 2000; Volk & Cheak, 2003; Athman & Monroe, 2004; American Institutes of Research, 2005; Chawla, 2007; Power, 2004). This makes sense given that the field is working hard to justify itself and its intentions (Gruenewald & Mantaew, 2007, as cited in Stevenson, 2007; Smith, 2010; Sterling, 2004). Another area of inquiry for the field has been on challenges to program implementation. In particular, several studies have documented the challenges involved with implementing environmental education and sustainability-based programming in the public school setting (Cotton, 2006; Paul & Volk, 2002; Plevyak, Bedixen-Noe, Roth, & Wilke, 2001; Stevenson, 2007; Summers & Kruger, 2003). …

Notes on the Existential and Interactional Dimensions of Authenticity: A Symbolic Interactionist Study of Breast Cancer Internet Forums

The Ecological Curriculum: Ecoliteracy, Ecojustice, Ecopedagogy and Sustainability Education

This chapter proposes a conceptualisation of ubuntu philosophy of higher education as justice. A case is made for the necessity of a philosophy of higher education given the normative problems that the assumed aim, context, epistemologies, policies and practices of higher education raise. Meaningfully addressing and averting such problems inevitably requires a philosophical approach and a philosophy of education, respectively. At a minimum, education arguably aims at equipping people with certain universal knowledge and skills, irrespective of the social situatedness of the people. However, education conceptualisation and practice are indisputably context-embedded. This entails that the philosophical perspectives through which to imagine ideal education should be grounded in the metaphysical or ethical outlook of the social context without necessarily reproducing the society. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect philosophy of education to be relatable to people’s experiences. This chapter thus argues that an ubuntu philosophy of education demands that higher education should aim to achieve humanness or human well-being. Since the means to attain humanness in ubuntu is to act in accordance with the inseparable self-regarding and other-regarding virtues, higher education should promote self-actualisation and broader human well-being in its study programmes and research endeavours. Ultimately the chapter argues that an ubuntu philosophy of higher education is, in principle, a demand that all forms of higher education should conscientise its students and research endeavours to achieve social justice and ameliorate especially man-made human suffering. Furthermore, drawing from the deliberative feature of ubuntu, it is submitted in this chapter that ubuntu higher education should engage different epistemological traditions without being prejudiced against any other. Ubuntu higher education should not tolerate knowledge provincialism. The chapter also advances the argument that the deliberative feature of ubuntu, aimed at concretely engaging the other, entails that what constitutes a human community is no longer limited by geographical or ethnic boundedness. Thus, ubuntu education is global in outlook yet simultaneously recognises the differences that concretely particularise individuals and societies.

Prior research has reported that experience in undergraduate anatomy did not significantly affect students' grades in professional schools, yet students would still recommend anatomy experience prior to medical school. It has been further posited that this prior experience may have benefits that do not appear in grade outcomes, such as decreased stress levels or different study strategies. The present study investigated whether different study strategies in anatomy were reported between students with and without prior experience. The data were collected using surveys administered near the beginning and the end of the medical anatomy course. The surveys included questions about study strategies used for the course, basic demographics, and prior experience in anatomy and/or physiology. Results confirmed very few differences in course outcomes between students with and without prior experience in anatomy and/or physiology; however, differences were noted in the study strategies reported. Students with prior experience in anatomy were more likely to report use of a wider variety of strategies and less changes in strategies between the surveys. However, these differences were only noted with prior courses of a certain number and level. It is posited that students with prior experience may have already created a basic scaffold of information in their mind that they could then plug additional information into rather than creating an entirely new knowledge structure. While this did not largely change course outcomes, it is likely to have positive effects on students' perceptions of stress and feelings of being overwhelmed during the course.

This chapter examines the relationship between the two fields of science education and philosophy of education to inquire how philosophy could better contribute to improving science curriculum, teaching, and learning, especially science teacher education. An inspection of respective research journals exhibits an almost complete neglect of each field for the other (barring exceptions).While it can be admitted that philosophy has been an area of limited and scattered interest for science education researchers for some time, the subfield of philosophy of education has been little canvassed and remains an underdeveloped area. To help bring science education closer into the fold of educational philosophy and theorizing, the historical development of science education and philosophy of education are sketched to reveal their common roots, interests, and concerns. Thereto, the contours of a new philosophy of science education are presented (as an integration of three academic fields). Arguments are provided which seek to illustrate why philosophy in general and philosophy of education in particular can make positive contributions to teacher education and the research field together with suggesting future directions and possible reform contributions (scientific literacy, educational aims, educational theory, pedagogical content knowledge, science teacher, and curricular epistemologies).

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of social commerce trust, and how it impacts company trust and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) intention based on trust transfer theory. The authors also examine how customers’ prior transaction experience could impact their social commerce trust development and the trust transfer process.Design/methodology/approach– The proposed research model is empirically examined using a survey method consisting of 375 users of a social commerce web site (SCW). The statistical analysis applies a method based on variance using partial least squares.Findings– The results confirm positive impacts of social commerce trust on company trust, and their subsequent influences on consumers’ eWOM intention. Also, consumers’ prior experience is found to moderate the trust transfer process from information-based social commerce trust to company trust.Originality/value– The present study is one of the first few studies that attempts to explain trust development and transfer with SCWs with a theoretical foundation as well as examine the role of consumers’ prior experience during trust transfer. It provides practical guidance for the improvement of trust and eWOM in social commerce.