scholarly journals The Direction of Educational Reforms and Challenges for Sustainable Development in Finnish Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2/2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arleta Suwalska
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Reform ◽  
Education System ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Reform Movement ◽  
Educational Reforms ◽  
The World ◽  
Reform Model ◽  
Effective Education ◽  
Pedagogical Principles

The article reveals the elements of education for sustainable development in the Finnish education undergoing a reform. The reform movement in the Finnish education, incompatible with the global educational reform model, has laid the foundations for an effective education system with pedagogical principles fitting into the challenges of sustainable development. Finnish education following its own strategy of educational reforms has led to the smallest differences between the results of PISA tests among students in the world.

Engaging Youth in Education for Sustainable Development: Strategies and Interventions

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khushgeet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Opportunities To Learn ◽  
The World

Although youth are often thought of as targets for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programmes, they are also active partners in creating a more sustainable world and effective ESD programmes. Today, more than ever, young women and men are change-makers, building new realities for themselves and their communities. All over the world, youth are driving social change and innovation, claiming respect for their fundamental human rights and freedoms, and seeking new opportunities to learn and work together for a better future. The education sector is generally seen as the most appropriate forum for involving children and youth in sustainable development, and initiatives to this end have been adopted in many countries. The present paper puts forth such initiatives, interventions and strategies that can be undertaken to engage youth in education for sustainable development at the global as well as the local level.

From environmental education to education for sustainable development in higher education: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Mauricio Acosta Castellanos ◽  
Araceli Queiruga-Dios
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The World ◽  
The United Nations

Purpose In education concerning environmental issues, there are two predominant currents in the world, environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). ESD is the formal commitment and therefore promoted by the United Nations, to ensure that countries achieve sustainable development. In contrast, EE was the first educational trend with an environmental protection approach. The purpose of this systematic review that seeks to show whether the migration from EE to ESD is being effective and welcomed by researchers and especially by universities is presented. With the above, a global panorama can be provided, where the regions that choose each model can be identified. In the same sense, it was sought to determine which of the two currents is more accepted within engineering education. Design/methodology/approach The review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes parameters for systematic reviews. In total, 198 papers indexed in Scopus, Science Direct, ERIC and Scielo were analyzed. With the results, the advancement of ESD and the state of the EE by regions in the world were identified. Findings It was possible to categorize the geographical regions that host either of the two EE or ESD currents. It is important to note that ESD has gained more strength from the decade of ESD proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For its part, EE has greater historical roots in some regions of the planet. In turn, there is evidence of a limited number of publications on the design and revision of study plans in engineering. Originality/value Through this systematic literature review, the regions of the world that are clinging to EE and those that have taken the path of ESD could be distinguished. Moreover, specific cases in engineering where ESD has been involved were noted.

scholarly journals Designing an Education System for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 05022
Author(s):  
Tatiana Matekina ◽  
Marina Soroka ◽  
Valentina Stolyarova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Advanced Education ◽  
The World ◽  
Education Model ◽  
Pedagogical Research ◽  
Technological Model

This article is aimed at theoretical comprehension of foreign and domestic experience in designing and implementing education for sustainable development and creating a technological model of advanced education in a technical university in the interests of sustainable development. Constructing a technological model that includes an integrated system of pedagogical technologies aimed at the formation of personal achievements and opportunities. Each student constructs and reconstructs their own capabilities based on reflection, which can act as a universal goal of using the models of anticipatory learning technologies, being also the result of anticipatory education. The analysis shows that the transition to sustainable development starts with forming a strategy implemented in education for sustainable development. The study considers the basics of the modern vision of sustainable development: the environmental component and education model. Moreover, the education model is considered from the perspective of the future as a forwardlooking education. The paper uses methods of analysis of philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical research and synthesis of theoretical ideas on the problem of conceptualization, design, and modeling, which allowed highlighting the main trends of scientific search in the world and domestic theory and practice of advanced education in terms of its sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development is considered from different positions of domestic and foreign researchers. Experience of education for sustainable development implementation both in Russia and other countries of the world shows that so far, sustainable development in education is represented in the environmental sense; therefore modeling of system concept of education for sustainable development and optimal ways of its implementation is actualized.

scholarly journals Seeing Near and Far: Balancing Stakeholder Needs and Rights in Kazakhstan’s Educational Reform

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jazira Asanova
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Educational Reform ◽  
Education System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Educational Reforms ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Current Reform ◽  
Société Civile ◽  
Stakeholder Needs

This paper examines the schooling reform in the post-socialist transformation of Kazakhstan. Adopting a rights-based approach to education, it looks at the ways in which the current education system addresses (or fails to address) the rights and needs of various stakeholders in the society, including teachers, learners, parents, civil society, and policymakers. Two recent large-scale educational reforms form the focus of the paper: a national standardized assessment and a transition from 11 to 12 years of schooling. Implications of the current reform initiatives for Kazakhstan’s development are also discussed, pointing to lessons for understanding schooling and social change in post-socialist transformation. Cet article examine la réforme scolaire pendant la période de transformation post-socialiste du Kazakhstan. En adoptant une approche basée sur les droits de l'éducation, l'auteur considère les méthodes que l'actuel système d'éducation emploie pour répondre (ou ne pas répondre) aux droits et aux besoins des parties prenantes de la société, y compris, les enseignants, les apprenants, les parents, la société civile, et les responsables de politique. Cet article met au point le deux récentes réformes scolaires à grande envergure: la standardisation de l'évaluation nationale et l'ajout d'une année en plus à l'ancien système scolaire de 11 années. L'auteur y examine aussi les répercussions des initiatives de la réforme actuelle pour le développement du Kazakhstan, et suggère les leçons qui pourront nous faire comprendre l'éducation et le changement de la société dans la transformation post-socialiste.

Educational Reform

2019 ◽  
pp. 414-430
Author(s):  
Joseph Ezale Cobbinah ◽  
Michael Yamoah
Keyword(s):  
Educational Reform ◽  
Educational Reforms ◽  
Social Injustice ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Education Delivery

This chapter aims at examining the nature of educational reforms in general, access how they impact on the lives of the citizens, and identify some of the global perspectives of educational reforms. It examines how education could be reformed to make it equitable, address inequality and social injustice that still persists in our society. Educational programs in many parts of the world continue to undergo reformation due to governments' policy changes or ideology, yet so many people seem not to be satisfied with the nature of education delivery. The chapter concludes that educational reform should not only aim at introducing just new courses, restructure the curriculum per se but should aim at ensuring that it equips the citizenry to make them develop entrepreneurial skills, be able to find solutions to their problems and self-reliant. Reforms must also address the social inequality, social injustice, and lack of equity, social and racial discrimination that still persists in our societies today.

scholarly journals Civic Education for Sustainable Development and its Consequences for German Civic Education Didactics and Curricula of Higher Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Brunold
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Educational Policy ◽  
Civic Education ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Learning ◽  
Global Development ◽  
The World ◽  
The United Nations

Abstract Since the nineties, the principle of sustainable development has increasingly been adopted by policy makers and civil society in Germany and, of course, in many countries of the world. With the acceptance of this principle, the significance of education for sustainable development (ESD) has also been recognised. Increased awareness of the problems of environmental challenges, globalisation and poverty has meant that the concepts of environmental education, global learning, and education in development policy have been consistently oriented towards more sustainability. This leads to an increased awareness that globalisation processes must be shaped in accordance with the objectives of sustainable development, both nationally and internationally. By encouraging the idea of sustainability to take root in all areas of education systems, the World Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005 to 2014 intended to take significant steps towards greater educational sustainability. The curricula for civic education for sustainable development and global learning in Germany are, therefore of course, very closely linked to global development and globalisation processes, and because of that, they are to be seen within the mandate of the United Nations educational policy. The paper shows, that the learning area of global development objectives is structured in an inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary manner. It carries the essential features of a domain: a delimited object area, a specific approach to the world, and the reference to a basic teaching concept in the educational policy traditions of one-world or development-policy education and global learning. Therefore the aim is clear, that these curricula should contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, towards inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as it is mentioned in goal number 4 (United Nations, 2014).

Students’ attitudes towards sustainable development in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-755
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolic ◽  
Tamara Vukic ◽  
Tatjana Maletaski ◽  
Milica Andevski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Education System ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Students Attitudes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine university students’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development and towards the need for the implementation of education for sustainable development into the higher education system. To that end, the paper explores in a process-oriented focus which drivers and barriers are experienced as being the most important ones and how they relate to one another. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on the questionnaire for the evaluation of attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development. This instrument consists of 9 batteries with 83 items presented in the form of the five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire evaluated different aspects of respondents’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development, but students’ attitudes in relation to the items from the following subscales will be presented for this paper: understanding the concept of sustainable development, position of sustainable development in the system of higher education, sources of information about sustainable development and entities responsible for sustainable development. The study sample consisted of students from the University of Novi Sad, specifically from the faculties with accredited programs in the field of humanities and technological sciences. Findings In general, students recognized the main determinants of sustainable development and they support an integral approach to sustainability, i.e. the need to include the knowledge, values and skills for sustainable development in the higher education programs. In addition, they identified a number of obstacles and the uncertainties of overcoming them. In this regard, the students did not recognize the responsibility of the higher education institutions as the key responsibility or their own responsibility in relation to sustainable development, which can be related to their feeling of marginalization and the doubt that their behaviour and decisions can influence the development of the local society, as well as the development of the society as a whole. On the other hand, the respondents acknowledged the role, the importance and the responsibility of the mass media in the process of developing the attitudes towards and opinions about the problems related to environmental protection and sustainable development. Practical implications The results of the study indicate the students’ attitudes towards sustainable development, thus making the directions for higher education reform clearer and in line with the present needs for sustainable development in Serbia. The obtained results can serve as a recommendation to the governing structures, i.e. to the relevant ministries of education and environmental protection, as well as to the universities in terms of which direction their process of planning and creating paths of sustainability should take. This is particularly important in the case of the Republic of Serbia, which is currently in the process of joining the European Union and responding to the requirements set by the process of negotiation for Chapter 27 in terms of improving the strategic framework and plans for the education for sustainable development and building the capacities in response to climate change. On the other hand, linking the results of this research with the results of similar studies around the world contributes to the further enrichment of the scientific knowledge base in this field and confirms the need for stronger and united efforts on the path to a sustainable future. It is a fact that, regardless of the national, economic, socio-political and cultural context, there is a global lack of success in shaping a humane and sustainable relationship between man and nature. Therefore, the results of this research should be considered as an invitation for new research initiatives regarding the ways to support the positive attitudes of students towards the concept of sustainable development and to facilitate their further development in the educational process, as well as in other academic domains. Originality/value This research is inspired by the fact that, in the Balkan countries, education for sustainable development has not been extensively discussed within the scientific discourse on higher education for sustainable development. This is one of the first papers to provide data about students’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development and the need for its implementation in the higher education system in Serbia. The value of the paper lies in its potential to help understand the role that different drivers and barriers play in higher education for sustainable development.

A Letter from the Future: UNESCO and the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Fien
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Lead Agency ◽  
National Education ◽  
The World ◽  
National Education Systems ◽  
The Media

AbstractThis paper begins with a letter of thanks from future generations for the wisdom our generation has shown in initiating a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. It describes the overall goals of the Decade and focuses on the Action Plan being developed by UNESCO to guide its contributions as the international lead agency for the Decade. These are shown to be two-fold. The first is one of leadership, catalysing, coordinating and supporting activities around the world, especially supporting the re-orientation of national education systems and policies in support of sustainable development and encouraging civil society, the private sector and the media to participate. The second is as a substantive implementer of Education for Sustainable Development, itself, helping to create an enabling environment for the achievement of the objectives of the Decade.

Establishing transdisciplinary minor programme as a way to embed sustainable development into higher education system

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-169
Author(s):  
Qian Jia ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Li Fengting
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Education System ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Core Courses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the establishment and development of a minor program in Sustainable Development in Tongji University, China, and how it contributes to embedding sustainable development into higher education system as an alternative platform for researchers and students to involve in a transdisciplinary teaching and learning process. Design/methodology/approach This case reviews the institutional setting and the different studying models and requirements for postgraduates and undergraduates. Postgraduate students have to take four core courses, select one module with four themed courses (4 + 4 fixed) and complete a transdisciplinary essay, and undergraduates can choose any three courses in all modules apart from the four core courses (4 + 3 open), with a transdisciplinary group project. Findings The development of the minor program reveals the popularity and decline of different modules, because of the popularity of the schools and institutes behind them, the university legacy and the media influence. The program design spurs transdisciplinary thinking on sustainable development but brings about challenges including time conflict with students’ major study. In conclusion, this program explores alternative education practices in embedding sustainable development in education system, contributing to and reflect on Education for Sustainable Development and the education reform in China. Originality/value The case presents a unique way of implementing Education for Sustainable Development in higher education system, in which minor education stands between formal and informal curriculum to tackle the barriers in undertaking sustainable development initiatives in curricula, through nurturing the culture and providing organizational support.

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