Sustainable Education Research Articles

‘We have a great deal of influence’: Finnish early childhood in-service teachers’ agency for culturally sustaining pedagogy

ABSTRACT This qualitative study focused on the role of teacher agency and critical reflection in the context of an in-service training programme for early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers in Finland. The programme emphasised culturally sustainable pedagogy and aimed to support teachers in an increasingly multilingual society. This study aimed to investigate how teachers displayed agency as they tried to promote culturally sustaining pedagogy, and how critical reflection interacted with teachers’ professional agency. The data of the study were versatile, as they consisted of influential texts implemented via the creative writing process, two questionnaires, and interviews with the participants. The data were analysed theoretically and empirically through inductive-deductive reasoning. The investigation revealed four levels at which in-service teachers manifest agency in culturally sustaining pedagogy: individual, child-oriented, institutional, and societal. The results revealed that by writing influential texts, ECEC practitioners significantly challenged their assumptions about their agentic capacity and inspired them to reflect on their practices critically. The findings also revealed that in terms of the targeted audience, participants were not confident in their agentic role in influencing systemic change. These findings highlight the importance of discussing multiple aspects of agency in teacher education by using guided critical reflection.

Sustainable Education for Sustainable Heritage: Managing the Tension Between Professional Practice and Critical Inquiry

ABSTRACT This paper reflects on Uppsala University’s experiences from organizing higher education in conservation, and argues how curricula can be rethought and reorganized to foster a genuine shift towards sustainable education. It discusses various experiences of developing and planning interdisciplinary higher education programs in conservation and how curricula can be transformed to broaden the sustainability competence of future heritage professionals. We need to foster heritage professionals that are capable of exploiting the dynamic and negotiated nature of heritage for the good of society. By embracing change and loss there are opportunities to use heritage in more benign and sustainable ways. But there are profound differences between how heritage and its role in society are understood in conservation as a field of practice and as a field of inquiry. Based on the experience from Uppsala University, the authors argue that there is a need for a conservation curriculum in higher education that balances and integrates normative competence and critical inquiry: a middle path, where opposing perspectives can thrive in parallel.

Students’ Challenges with Online Remote Teaching and Learning in South Africa

ABSTRACT Online remote teaching and learning strategies have become part of tertiary institutions worldwide. This knowledge delivery method became more profound during the COVID-19 era, forcing institutions to keep this method even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Most tertiary institutions in African countries, including South Africa, have also embraced online remote teaching and learning strategies. This study investigated the challenges of built environment tertiary students with online remote teaching and learning methods. A qualitative approach was adopted using open-ended interview questions to solicit the views of the built environment tertiary students regarding the challenges they experience with the online remote teaching and learning method. A thematic content analysis method was used to categorize the data into themes and sub-themes. The results show that students face several online remote teaching and learning challenges. These challenges were categorized into power, schedule, technology issues, lack of focus, communication, and cost-related issues. The tertiary institution authorities must address these challenges to ensure the sustainability of online remote learning and teaching as many students work and attend schools, thus relying on this method to acquire knowledge. The study used data from tertiary institutions in South Africa; hence, the findings may not be generalizable to other countries.

Geography teacher educators’ perspectives on education for sustainability: identity and agency in a period of rapid education policy change in England

Initial Teacher Education in England is in a period of rapid policy change. This is happening at a time when discourse about humans’ relationships with nature is changing, and there is increased recognition of the impacts that people have had on the Earth. Through a questionnaire and focus groups, we engaged with geography teacher educators’ experiences of, and perspectives on, Education for Sustainability (EfS). Using Priestley, Biesta, and Robinson, using the key dimensions of teacher agency model to analyse focus group data, we found that EfS was not consistently engaged with in geography teacher education, and where it was, it varied in the amount of time given to it, and the nature of the ideas, debates and knowledges engaged with through it. Whilst national education policy in England is constraining in some areas, its failure to truly engage with EfS has led geography teacher educators—in their own words—to “navigate” and “subvert” state-imposed policy. The article concludes by arguing for dialogue between geography teacher educators and policy makers to inform teacher education about EfS that supports the agency of young people, teachers and teacher educators in making informed decisions about education practices, as well as their lives and futures.

Education for sustainable development: an assessment of Australian and Canadian business schools

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether and how business schools in Australia and Canada advocate for education for sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study used a sequential mixed methods design, using a combination of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. During phase 1, sustainability reports developed by Australian and Canadian business schools (SIP reports), which are signatories to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), were reviewed using qualitative content analysis methods. Following that, a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with nine representatives from selected business schools from Australia and Canada were conducted to triangulate and interpret the findings from phase 1. Findings Australian and Canadian business schools incorporate sustainability into their teaching practices through mandatory courses designed around sustainability and its relationship with business and linking sustainability with other business-related courses by including relevant aspects of sustainability with course contents. Sustainability education in Australia and Canada is being addressed through a variety of degree and non-degree programs showing an increasing relevance for sustainability across business schools. However, results also show differences between the two countries, dependence on leadership, at times lack of support and infrastructure and not always clear strategies to place sustainability at the core of business education. Originality/value Despite previous attempts at examining sustainability practices across business schools, there is a dearth of research looking into a cross-country comparison of integrating sustainability in learning and teaching for business education.

Ten Simple Rules for Incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Environmental and Natural Science Courses

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to combat poverty, inequality, and climate change. Recently, integrating these goals into higher education curricula has emerged as essential for fostering positive environmental and civic engagement. Challenges persist, particularly the prioritization of social and economic concerns over eco-centered principles and ecopedagogy. Education must emphasize the politics of environmental issues, advocating sustainable practices that benefit both humans and nonhuman species. This article proposes ten simple rules for incorporating the SDGs into undergraduate courses in ecology, evolution, and environmental science. We conducted a literature review, analyzing 940 publications from 2014 to 2024 using ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar. We focused on fields like Green Sustainable Science and Technology and Environmental Education to identify the best practices for integrating SDGs. Our findings link pedagogical successes to the SDGs, facilitating effective educational strategies. For practical sustainability education, students must grasp the interplay between the environment and societal elements such as diversity, justice, and resilience. Connecting course topics to the SDGs offers a powerful framework for teaching undergraduates about complex environmental challenges. Our research highlights a novel approach to embedding SDGs in environmental education, promoting critical thinking and literacy across various settings.

Principals in Preschool Management and Leadership: A Necessary Combination to Ensure That Preschool Teachers Are Given Conditions to Be Responsible for Teaching in Preschool

Following the educational reforms of 2010 and the revision of the curriculum in 2018, Swedish preschool principals have a special responsibility for ensuring that preschool teachers have the necessary conditions to assume their responsibility for the teaching and to lead the work team. This indicates that integrating leadership with management is essential for a sustainable and successful preschool education. This study explores this assumption. Building on the concepts of management and leadership, with a qualitative research design, this study analyses data from seven interviews with preschool principals. The results showed a lack of a combination of management and leadership among the principals in relation to their special responsibility of ensuring that preschool teachers are given conditions necessary to be responsible for teaching in the preschool. The principals either lacked both management and leadership or focused on management only with a lack of leadership. Our findings suggest the necessity for principals to combine management and leadership and move from a previous flat organisational structure towards a focus on increasing preschool teachers’ responsibilities and leadership within the work team. Support for principals is needed to be able to perform a combination of management and leadership when their mission is complex and time-consuming.

From curriculum to clinic: a qualitative study of junior doctors’ perceptions of global health and sustainable development

IntroductionThe role of global health and sustainable development in medical education is often debated. However, research regarding medical doctors’ views on the application of their global health knowledge in the...

An educational needs analysis of sustainable dietary education for nutrition teachers: an application of the IPA, Borich needs assessment and The locus for focus model

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the importance and performance levels of sustainable dietary education across the health, environment, and society domains as perceived by nutrition teachers and evaluate the needs and priorities for sustainable dietary education.Methods: An online survey was conducted for 151 nutrition teachers in Jeollanam-do. The survey included 20 questions across the health, environment, and society domains. The data were analyzed using a paired-sample t-test, the importance-performance analysis (IPA), the Borich needs assessment model, and the locus for focus model. Results: Overall, the average importance levels of the 20 items of sustainable dietary education were significantly higher than their average performance levels (4.44 vs. 3.68). The examination of each educational domain revealed that although the importance of education in the health domain was recognized and actively practiced by the nutrition teachers, the performance was comparatively lower in the environment and society domains. The Borich needs assessment and the locus for focus model identified education on biodiversity conservation, plant-based protein, and the use of local food as the top-priority group in the environment domain along with fair and ethical food, food security, regional food culture, food policy and trade, and family dining culture as the second-priority group in the society domain.Conclusions: The results of this study underscore the need to support the nutrition teachers’ perception and practice of sustainable dietary education in the environment and society domains. We believe that the educational needs and priorities proposed in this study will be considered in the future development and modification of sustainable dietary education programs.

Team roles and challenges in experiential learning in sustainability accounting education: A four-stage learning cycle

ABSTRACT This study aims to provide insights into the process of team-based experiential learning in a sustainability accounting course. A case study of a postgraduate course on material flow cost accounting at a German university was applied. Data were collected from learning journals and in-depth interviews. The findings provide insights into the process of team-based experiential learning. The process is indicated by four team roles of students: interpersonal, information, analytic, and action roles, which move around the four-stage learning cycle. Six challenges in students' experiential learning in teams were found at different stages: the characteristics of team dynamics, the selection of relevant information from the case, confusion and frustration, connecting information in a meaningful manner, time constraints, and the increasingly complex level of the tasks. The study contributes to the accounting education literature and experiential learning literature by extending knowledge about team roles and learning challenges around the learning cycle. Practical implications for educators are discussed to facilitate team-based experiential learning toward sustainability education. These include the adoption of educator role profiles to support students' learning, the creation of a safe learning space for students, and the design of experiential learning activities on the foundation of four-stage learning processes.

VISUAL LANGUAGE DESIGN AS A NEW MEDIA FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD)

The development of educational institutions in Indonesia and globally is currently facing the challenge of how to answer the needs of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in receiving and understanding lecture materials, specifically designed in new media needs to be designed to facilitate and support the learning activities of ASD’s students and the goal of inclusive and sustainable education can be achieved. A visual research method was carried out with 4 stages of analysis, namely the image aspect, technical aspect, maker aspect and viewer aspect, then supported by statements from experts in designing the right visual language to convey the syllabus of the Digital Design Production (DDP) course. The result is that the right visual language will help students with ASD receive the message conveyed during the learning activities.

Sustainability Awareness and Behavior of Management Accounting Students: Basis for Course Activity Development

Sustainability refers to both the planet’s health and humanity’s future well-being, encompassing actions humans take to prevent the depletion of natural resources. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a vital role in course curricula by helping students develop critical thinking, decision-making, socio-emotional, and behavioral skills. This study examined the awareness and behavior of BS Management Accounting (BSMA) students regarding the three pillars of sustainability as well as the relationship between sustainability education and their awareness and behavior. Using the Knowledge-Attitudes-Practices (KAP) and Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) frameworks, this quantitative descriptive research collected data from 349 out of 399 BSMA students (87.47% participation rate) enrolled during SY 2023–2024 at the University of Saint Louis, Northern Philippines. The results revealed that students were generally aware of sustainability and exhibited positive attitudes toward sustainable practices. Enrollment in the SASA 1013 course significantly increased sustainability awareness, but neither year level nor course enrollment had a significant impact on actual sustainability behavior. This study offers insights into the relationship between students’ sustainability awareness and their behavior across the three sustainability pillars. The novelty of this research lies in its focus on BSMA students and the specific role of the SASA 1013 course in fostering sustainability awareness. The study concludes with recommendations for curriculum development and policy initiatives to further promote students’ long-term sustainability awareness and behavior.

지속가능발전교육과 연계한 민요 지도방안 - 위도 가래소리의 가사에 담긴 생태관 탐구를 중심으로

This study seeks for a teaching method to explore the value of the ecological perspective contained in Korean folk songs as part of sustainable development education. Korean folk songs, as an oral literature, reflect that Koreans in the past lived a life in harmony with nature. In particular, analyzing the lyrics presented in a single folk song from a literary perspective, we can broadly examine various perspectives on nature. Therefore, among the folk songs included in elementary school textbooks, “Garaesori” has been selected as a piece directly related to the ecological environment and then suggested for educational use. “Garaesori”, a fishery song, used to be performed in the ritual called Wido-ttibaennori to pray for a good catch and well-being, so it helps understand what kind of ideas ancestors had about nature. Through the process of analyzing and understanding the meaning contained in folk songs, we would be able to acquire the ecological view of the Koreans who wanted to live in harmony with nature with a sense of awe for nature. Starting with this study, I hope that the research that can guide the ecological view contained in folk songs will continue to create educational conditions that one can sympathize with sustainable development and practice a life friendly to nature.

Application of the Inquiry-Based Learning Model with Education for Sustainable Development to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills and Sustainable Awareness

To improve the quality of education and develop students' 21st-century competencies, particularly critical thinking, the inquiry-based learning model presents itself as a viable option to enhance students' cognitive abilities and awareness of sustainability. Incorporating Education for sustainable development into the inquiry-based learning model introduces a relevant approach to addressing contemporary global challenges, especially in sustainable development education. This research seeks to assess the enhancement of students' critical thinking skills and sustainable awareness through the application of the inquiry-based learning model infused with ESD content. The research method used in this study is a quasi-experiment with a non-equivalent control group design. This research was conducted on class X students at one of the MAN in Bandar Lampung, with each class consisting of 35 and 36 students. Data were obtained from the results of pre-tests and post-tests of critical thinking skills, sustainable awareness questionnaires, and student response surveys. The results of the study indicate that there was an improvement in students' critical thinking skills between the experimental and control classes. There was also a significant difference in sustainable awareness between the experimental and control classes. The inquiry-based learning model integrated with ESD content showed a significant and fairly strong positive correlation between students' critical thinking skills and sustainable awareness

Transformative Sustainable Education Approach as Environmental Literacy Transformation: Case Study of Ecosystem Material in Elementary Schools

The adiwiyata program has been implemented in several elementary schools in Indonesia, but its implementation has yet to be integrated into learning. The objectives of this research are: 1) To find out the implementation of the Transformative Sustainable Education (TSE) approach in Natural and Social Science (NSS) learning; 2) To find out whether the implementation of the TSE approach is effective in improving students' environmental literacy. This TSE approach is implemented in natural and social sciences learning. This research used an experimental method with pretest-posttest control group design. The population of this study were 5th grade students of MIN 2 Bantul which consisted of class A and class B. The sample was selected by cluster random sampling and the students were selected. The sample was selected by cluster random sampling and class A of 29 was selected as the experimental class and class B of 28 as the control class. The instruments used in this study include observation sheets of learning implementation with the TSE approach and environmental literacy observation sheets. The results showed that: 1) The TSE approach was implemented with a percentage of 95% in the very good category; 2) The TSE approach was effective in improving environmental literacy in the medium category.

Honouring the competences of young children

Guðrún Alda Hardardóttir is a contemporary colleague with joint research interests, anchored in Iceland, and in Sweden. We have both researched preschool pedagogy, the view of the child, play, and education for sustainability. The aim of this article is to highlight the view on toddlers and play in the Swedish preschool, and how universal access to preschools in the Nordic countries has influenced societal and educational understandings of childhood. Parallel to this development, the global policy and implementation of children’s rights has strengthened children’s position in society. Furthermore, the article aims to campaign for children‘s rights as actors in education for sustainability. By analyzing the influence of these access policies and their alignment with global children’s rights initiatives, the article underscores the importance of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, advocating young children as key contributors to transformative societal changes.

Exploring Food Processing in Natural Science Education: Practical Applications and Pedagogical Techniques

Food processing is an essential link in the chain that connects agricultural production with consumer nutrition and safety. This paper attempts to discuss how effectively food processing can be integrated into the curriculum of natural sciences to further the understanding of students about scientific principles through practical applications. Discussion of relevance to food processing prepares the ground for biology, chemistry, and environmental science, focusing on such core processes as fermentation, pasteurization, and conservation. This paper outlines how reviewing successful strategies and case studies, concept concretization of science is realized through practical activities and interdisciplinary projects, and larger goals are achieved in education for sustainability, food safety, and healthier eating. Besides, it underscores the place of technology and innovation through digital tools and virtual simulation in making the lessons interactive for the students in a career-oriented manner. The article concludes with the following practical suggestions for educators and advocates of the partnership among schools, industry, and community toward an enriched education preparing students with vocational skills.

Deep learning enabled exercise monitoring system for sustainable online education of future teacher-trainers

IntroductionIn recent years, the importance of effective training methods for future physical education teacher-trainers has grown significantly, particularly in the context of online education.MethodsThis research introduces a pioneering Deep Learning Enabled Exercise Monitoring System aimed at enhancing the online education experience for these trainers. The study employs a skeleton-based approach utilizing the PoseNet model to monitor and provide real-time feedback on physical exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and bicep workouts. The system achieves a remarkable accuracy rate of 99.8% by analyzing key skeletal points extracted from video frames, addressing the challenge of ensuring correct exercise execution without physical supervision–a common issue in remote learning environments.ResultsTo validate the system’s effectiveness, data was collected through a series of controlled experiments involving various exercises. The system’s design focuses on low-resource requirements, making it accessible and sustainable for diverse educational contexts.DiscussionThe findings demonstrate the system’s potential to revolutionize online physical education by offering a balance of technological innovation and educational utility. This research not only elevates the quality of training for future educators but also contributes to the broader field of sustainable digital education technologies.

Guest editorial: Social justice, equity and agency: global challenges linking health, well-being and sustainability education

Guest editorial: Social justice, equity and agency: global challenges linking health, well-being and sustainability education

The Ecotourism Industry's Role in Environmental Stewardship

Indeed, the overall rise in environmental pollution from natural ecosystems has become one of the major threats to biodiversity and the health of any given community across the globe. Traditional tourism has been blamed as one of the prime agents of this environmental degradation; hence, the need for alternatives in sustainability is becoming increasingly pressing. This paper explores in detail the potential this industry holds for transforming the paradigm from pollution to preservation. It demonstrates how ecotourism, through the use of sustainability and environmental education, can be among the most powerful tools in combating the negative impacts of pollution on sensitive ecosystems. The article now discusses a few important case studies from different parts of the world to clearly show how ecotourism efforts have helped reduce pollution, protect natural habitats, and improve biodiversity. The discussion considers how tourism would encourage tourists and locals to take environmentally conscious actions in the interest of the environment, minimizing waste, reducing carbon footprints, and offering protection to natural resources. Besides, the article sets up that ecotourism has economic motives that include providing financial rewards for the conservation of ecosystems and offering sustainable livelihoods to people living within and around the protected areas. The article further talks about the ecotourism challenges, such as "greenwashing" and a rigorous regulatory framework in place, to ensure the ecotourism practices actually help in environmental preservation. This paper will suggest ways in which governments, local communities, environmental organizations, and the tourism industry, in greater ways, should be co-operative in having an optimal benefit on environmental sustainability through ecotourism. In other words, what this article suggests is that ecotourism in itself is not going to solve the problem of environmental pollution, and it remains important in the greater scheme of environmental stewardship. It is possible that this transition-from pollution to preservation-is being led by ecotourism, where responsible travel and conservation, coupled with sensitization about environmental problems, take place. The article calls for continued research and increased investment in the practice of sustainable tourism to finally see ecotourism live up to its promise as a driver of ecological sustainability and an example for other industries to follow.