IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jenvss/v10y2020i4d10.1007_s13412-020-00603-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A framework for teaching socio-environmental problem-solving

Author

Listed:
  • Cynthia A. Wei

    (National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC)
    Georgetown University)

  • Michael L. Deaton

    (James Madison University)

  • Teresa J. Shume

    (North Dakota State University)

  • Ramiro Berardo

    (The Ohio State University)

  • William R. Burnside

    (National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC))

Abstract

The urgent environmental challenges we now face, from climate change to biodiversity loss, involve people and the planet, the social, and the environmental. Teaching students to become effective socio-environmental problem-solvers requires clarity about concepts and competencies needed to understand and tackle these challenges. Here, we propose an educational framework that describes what students should learn and how they should apply this knowledge to address socio-environmental problems. This framework emphasizes the process of problem-solving and is based on socio-environmental (S-E) synthesis, an integrative, transdisciplinary approach to understanding and tackling complex socio-environmental problems. In addition to identifying the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices necessary for S-E problem-solving at the undergraduate and graduate levels, we clarify how one draws on such competencies to inquire about problems and generate solutions for them. Our primary goal is to provide a useful tool to help guide development of curricula, teaching materials, and pedagogies for S-E synthesis and interdisciplinary environmental education more broadly.

Suggested Citation

  • Cynthia A. Wei & Michael L. Deaton & Teresa J. Shume & Ramiro Berardo & William R. Burnside, 2020. "A framework for teaching socio-environmental problem-solving," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 10(4), pages 467-477, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:10:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-020-00603-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s13412-020-00603-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13412-020-00603-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13412-020-00603-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shirley Vincent & Will Focht, 2011. "Interdisciplinary environmental education: elements of field identity and curriculum design," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 1(1), pages 14-35, March.
    2. Cynthia Wei & William Burnside & Judy Che-Castaldo, 2015. "Teaching socio-environmental synthesis with the case studies approach," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(1), pages 42-49, March.
    3. Susan Clark & Michelle Steen-Adams & Stephanie Pfirman & Richard Wallace, 2011. "Professional development of interdisciplinary environmental scholars," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 1(2), pages 99-113, June.
    4. Deana Pennington & Gabriele Bammer & Antje Danielson & David Gosselin & Julia Gouvea & Geoffrey Habron & Dave Hawthorne & Roderic Parnell & Kate Thompson & Shirley Vincent & Cynthia Wei, 2016. "The EMBeRS project: employing model-based reasoning in socio-environmental synthesis," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 6(2), pages 278-286, June.
    5. Rodrigo Lozano & Michelle Y. Merrill & Kaisu Sammalisto & Kim Ceulemans & Francisco J. Lozano, 2017. "Connecting Competences and Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Higher Education: A Literature Review and Framework Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, October.
    6. Caldarelli, Guido, 2013. "Scale-Free Networks: Complex Webs in Nature and Technology," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199665174, Decembrie.
    7. Tina Lynn Evans, 2019. "Competencies and Pedagogies for Sustainability Education: A Roadmap for Sustainability Studies Program Development in Colleges and Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-36, October.
    8. Susan Clark & Richard Wallace, 2015. "Integration and interdisciplinarity: concepts, frameworks, and education," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(2), pages 233-255, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wadim Strielkowski & Evgeny Kuzmin & Arina Suvorova & Natalya Nikitina & Olga Gorlova, 2023. "Organizational economic sustainability via process optimization and human capital: a Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) approach," Papers 2311.17882, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2023.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kifah Imara & Fahriye Altinay, 2021. "Integrating Education for Sustainable Development Competencies in Teacher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-17, November.
    2. Rosina Bierbaum & Marissa Lazaroff, 2022. "From Theory to Practice: The Student Experience Evaluating Development Projects Focused on Nature-Based Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Nicole Motzer & Aleta Rudeen Weller & K Curran & Simon Donner & Ronald J. Heustis & Cathy Jordan & Margaret Krebs & Lydia Olandar & Kirsten Rowell & Linda Silka & Diana H. Wall & Abigail York, 2021. "Integrating Programmatic Expertise from across the US and Canada to Model and Guide Leadership Training for Graduate Students in Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Steven Gray & Eleanor J. Sterling & Payam Aminpour & Lissy Goralnik & Alison Singer & Cynthia Wei & Sharon Akabas & Rebecca C. Jordan & Philippe J. Giabbanelli & Jennifer Hodbod & Erin Betley & Patric, 2019. "Assessing (Social-Ecological) Systems Thinking by Evaluating Cognitive Maps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Helen Lee Curtis & Lucas Catalani Gabriel & Marlyne Sahakian & Sandro Cattacin, 2021. "Practice-Based Program Evaluation in Higher Education for Sustainability: A Student Participatory Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-14, September.
    6. James Proctor & Jennifer Bernstein & Richard Wallace, 2015. "Introduction: unsettling the ESS curriculum," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5(2), pages 195-199, June.
    7. Luiza Olim de Sousa, 2021. "Learning Experiences of a Participatory Approach to Educating for Sustainable Development in a South African Higher Education Institution Yielding Social Learning Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-16, March.
    8. Yared Nigussie Demssie & Harm J. A. Biemans & Renate Wesselink & Martin Mulder, 2020. "Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Modern Education to Foster Sustainability Competencies: Towards a Set of Learning Design Principles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Emily Canosa & Joseph Trumpey & Luis M. Espinoza Bardales & Jacqueline Cardoza, 2022. "Living Learning Communities as Climate Change Pedagogy: Understanding the Impact of the Sustainable Living Experience on Climate Change Leadership among First Year Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-25, November.
    10. Wayne Nelles & Supawan Visetnoi & Carl Middleton & Thita Orn-in, 2022. "Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(9), pages 10975-10996, September.
    11. Douglas T. Bolger & Karen Hutchins Bieluch & Flora E. Krivak-Tetley & Gillian Maggs-Kölling & Joseph Tjitekulu, 2018. "Designing a Real-World Course for Environmental Studies Students: Entering a Social-Ecological System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-19, July.
    12. Rocío Valderrama-Hernández & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Lucía Alcántara Rubio & Dolores Limón-Domínguez, 2019. "Methodology to Analyze the Effectiveness of ESD in a Higher Degree in Education. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    13. Xiaodan Zhou & Ling-Hsiu Chen & Chin-Ling Chen, 2019. "Collaborative Learning by Teaching: A Pedagogy between Learner-Centered and Learner-Driven," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, February.
    14. Nijolė Burkšaitienė & Robert Lesčinskij & Jelena Suchanova & Jolita Šliogerienė, 2021. "Self-Directedness for Sustainable Learning in University Studies: Lithuanian Students’ Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    15. Werner Riess & Monika Martin & Christoph Mischo & Hans-Georg Kotthoff & Eva-Maria Waltner, 2022. "How Can Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Be Effectively Implemented in Teaching and Learning? An Analysis of Educational Science Recommendations of Methods and Procedures to Promote ESD Goa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    16. Carolina Feliciana Machado & João Paulo Davim, 2022. "Higher Education for Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach—What, Where and Who Is Doing Research in This Subject?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, April.
    17. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro-Gen & Francisco J. Lozano & Kaisu Sammalisto, 2019. "Teaching Sustainability in European Higher Education Institutions: Assessing the Connections between Competences and Pedagogical Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, March.
    18. Mirjam Braßler & Martin Schultze, 2021. "Students’ Innovation in Education for Sustainable Development—A Longitudinal Study on Interdisciplinary vs. Monodisciplinary Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    19. Kenneth E. Wallen & Karen Filbee-Dexter & Jeremy B. Pittman & Stephen M. Posner & Steven M. Alexander & Chelsie L. Romulo & Drew E. Bennett & Elizabeth C. Clark & Stella J.M. Cousins & Bradford A. Dub, 2019. "Integrating team science into interdisciplinary graduate education: an exploration of the SESYNC Graduate Pursuit," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 9(2), pages 218-233, June.
    20. Pilar Colás-Bravo & Patrizia Magnoler & Jesús Conde-Jiménez, 2018. "Identification of Levels of Sustainable Consciousness of Teachers in Training through an E-Portfolio," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jenvss:v:10:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s13412-020-00603-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.