scholarly journals Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education Curricula through the Project Method, a Global Learning Strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 767 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fuertes-Camacho ◽  
Mariona Graell-Martín ◽  
Mariana Fuentes-Loss ◽  
M. Balaguer-Fàbregas

Higher levels of material well-being lead almost inevitably to giving priority to individualism and personal advancement, often at the expense of civic conscience. A proposal for integrating sustainability into the curriculum is presented in the third year of the degree in Early Childhood Education at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC). Projects on sustainable food are planned and elaborated to this aim. This study seeks to apply a global and systemic approach to solving socio-environmental problems and to check whether education for sustainable development (ESD) helps to develop and encourage actions that promote sustainable development. Quantitative research was conducted using a pre-test/post-test quasi experimental design separated by a period of didactic training in the project method. The results presented in this article show the students’ sustainability competencies (SC) improve after working on didactic proposals in a global manner. It is concluded that elaborating competencies in education for sustainable development enables an integrated approach of knowledge, procedures, attitudes and values in teaching through promoting the project method in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, which enhances future teachers’ sustainability competencies.

Author(s):  
Jubilee Padmanabhan ◽  
Shireesh Pal Singh

Sustainable Development (SD) is one the most discussed issue now days, which is gaining priority day by day due to the exploitation of nature in a drastic way. It is from this apprehension that ‘Education for sustainable development’ (ESD) emerged with an immediate urge to preserve and conserve our nature and natural resources.The concept of ESD entangles the different countries and states across the world as a whole for a sustainable society, which merges the environment, economic and social dimensions. The paper discusses about the effect of integrated approach to education for sustainable development on the students’knowledge on sustainable development.The investigator developed acurriculum by integrating SD concepts into science and social science of VII standard of NCERT syllabus and various learning activities for their transaction by incorporating several pedagogical strategies that lead to constructing knowledge, developing social perspectives and analytical abilities.The study was of quasi experimental in nature withtwo group pre-test-post-test design, whereby the integratedcurriculum was taught to the experimental group for about five months and the control group was exposed to the conventional curriculum and methodology. It was found that there was a significant difference on the knowledge on sustainable development between experimental and control group. The experimental group had a higher mean knowledge score than the control group.On the basis of the findings from the study, it is concluded that there is a sheer need to highlight the importance of integration of SD components in pedagogy at all levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 100
Author(s):  
Rhian Croke ◽  
Helen Dale ◽  
Ally Dunhill ◽  
Arwyn Roberts ◽  
Malvika Unnithan ◽  
...  

The global disconnect between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), has been described as ‘a missed opportunity’. Since devolution, the Welsh Government has actively pursued a ‘sustainable development’ and a ‘children’s rights’ agenda. However, until recently, these separate agendas also did not contribute to each other, although they culminated in two radical and innovative pieces of legislation; the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure (2013) and the Well-being and Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015). This article offers a case study that draws upon the SDGs and the CRC and considers how recent guidance to Welsh public bodies for implementation attempts to contribute to a more integrated approach. It suggests that successful integration requires recognition of the importance of including children in deliberative processes, using both formal mechanisms, such as local authority youth forums, pupil councils and a national youth parliament, and informal mechanisms, such as child-led research, that enable children to initiate and influence sustainable change.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodora Kiryakova-Dineva ◽  
Vyara Kyurova ◽  
Yana Chankova

The aim of this paper is to discuss the soft skills acquisition in the tourism industry as a means of education for sustainable development. A quantitative research approach has been applied in order to investigate the soft skills needed for tourism. The analysis is based on interviews carried out with representatives of the Bulgarian regional Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the Bulgarian hotel and restaurant industry. Additionally, a case study involving three groups of respondents, i.e. Learners, Educators and Representatives of business and Employers in the tourism and hospitality industry in Bulgaria was conducted based on a combined list of soft skills. Whereas some hard skills are traditionally taught at the educational institutions, soft skills, here identified as Core soft skills, Specific soft skills and Managerial soft skills, often remain beyond the educators’ aims. Thus, the study provides some useful insights into the contemporary practice of tourism and hospitality education, on the one hand, and into the paradigm of education for sustainable development, on the other. Keywords: Soft Skills, Tourism, Business, Hospitality, Education, Sustainability, Bulgaria


Author(s):  
Dustin Eirdosh ◽  
Susan Hanisch

Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) examines the emergence and persistence of complex adaptive systems, including human social-ecological systems. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to empower students with the skills to develop and sustain human social-ecological systems that reflect the shared values of our species. The aims of EvoS and ESD have clear overlaps, and yet these two fields remain as distant islands of thought with few academic bridges between them. This chapter explores the connections between EvoS and ESD from historical, theoretical, and applied perspectives and presents the value of an integrated approach. The authors argue the strengths of this approach include its cumulative evidence base from wide-ranging disciplines, its explanatory power, and its overall simplicity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8607
Author(s):  
Kerstin Sonesson ◽  
Birgitta Nordén

This study investigates a reciprocal partnership between two cities in Namibia and Sweden to deepen the understanding of challenges and learning outcomes in a project on education for sustainable development. Since 2008, two municipalities have developed a strong partnership via The Municipal Partnership Programme at the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy. Municipal partnerships are results-oriented collaborations in joint projects on sustainability. The purpose is to describe how eight team members in the mutual South-North project, by addressing similar problems in different contexts, experienced challenges in the implementation of the project plan, solutions and learning processes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the end of the second project year. Transcripts and field notes were analysed using a phenomenographic approach and contextual analysis. Five main categories of description based on collective statements and three dimensions of learning were recognised in the research data. The analysis identifies strategies for critical knowledge formation and capability building to support mutual learning in South-North Municipal Partnerships. The concluding discussion spots the learning dimensions—how sharing experiences by justifying non-formal and transformational learning promotes organisations’ readiness for knowledge formation by conducting mutual global learning towards sustainable development goals.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Brunold

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).


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Hikmah Fitratin ◽  
Dyah Ayu Fajarianingtyas ◽  
Henny Diana Wati

This research aims to find out 1) Remedial teaching implementation using analogy strategy to VII grade students of SMP Negeri 1 Saronggi, 2) Differences of IP science misconception between remedial teaching using analogy strategy and remedial teaching using direct learning strategy, 3) Improvement of student learning outcomes of grade VII after using remedial teaching using analogy strategies. This type of research is quantitative research using quasi experimental design. The sampling technique used cluster random sample technique. Technique of collecting data using test instrument with CRI and non test method. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test. The results showed 1) The implementation of remedial teaching using analogy strategy of 98% with very good category and the implementation of remedial teaching using direct learning strategy of 91% with very good category. 2) Mann-Whitney test result of 0,017 indicating that there is difference of science misconception between remedial teaching using strategy analogies with remedial teaching using direct learning strategy. 3) The result of gain score in the experimental class is 0,71 with the high category, while the control class is 0,52 with the medium category. Remedial teaching using analogy strategies can be used to address misconceptions in students.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 311
Author(s):  
Hazlina Hamdan ◽  
Nurul Shakila Khalid ◽  
Nurul Faizah Baba

Well-designed of an urban park is one of the best ways to achieve the city sustainable development and contributes to the quality of life in many ways. Central to this argument is the claim that the variables need to be considered and thus, this research was conducted to assess the quality of urban park by empirically evaluating through behavioral competencies and psychological well-being from the model of Lawton’s Quality of Life. A quantitative research method was employed for the research with 138 respondents in Taman Lembah Bukit SUK, Shah Alam. Results confirm that the urban park provides the potential for psychological well-being, but it often underutilized and attract the aged of 19-50 years old of a user group.


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