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From Learner-Centered to Learner-Driven Sustainability Education

Author

Listed:
  • Jaana Herranen

    (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Veli-Matti Vesterinen

    (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland)

  • Maija Aksela

    (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland)

Abstract

Learner-centered sustainability education has been advocated to be used in higher education, but the pedagogy is blurry. In the discussions, also an idea of a learner-driven approach has been promoted. The aim of this study is to study how these pedagogies have been described and suggested to be used by a group of higher education students responsible for planning a teacher education course on sustainability education. This case study uses grounded theory to analyze the higher education students’ beliefs about learner-centered and learner-driven sustainability education. The data was obtained from audio-recordings of the planning process and two semi-structured interviews of five students acting as course designers. The course designers showed to have beliefs about the nature of learner-centered/learner-driven pedagogy, freedom, meaningfulness, acting and making an influence in the learning environment, the nature and ownership of sustainable development knowledge, the diversity of the learners, and pedagogical support. The results indicate that the learner-centered and learner-driven approach are fundamentally different in terms of all of the categories. In conclusion, it is suggested that the terminology concerning learner-centered and learner-driven approaches should be more precise, and sustainability education should be developed towards a more transformative, learner-driven education.

Suggested Citation

  • Jaana Herranen & Veli-Matti Vesterinen & Maija Aksela, 2018. "From Learner-Centered to Learner-Driven Sustainability Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2190-:d:154676
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Yuan Ma & Jingzhi Men & Wei Cui, 2020. "Does Environmental Education Matter? Evidence from Provincial Higher Education Institutions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-13, August.
    2. Qiudi Zhao & Xianwei Liu & Yonghong Ma & Xiaoqi Zheng & Miaomiao Yu & Dongjiao Wu, 2020. "Application of the Modified College Impact Model to Understand Chinese Engineering Undergraduates’ Sustainability Consciousness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, March.
    3. 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.
    4. Raúl A. Barba-Martín & David Hortigüela-Alcalá & Ángel Pérez-Pueyo & José Sánchez-Santamaría, 2020. "Conceptual Analysis of Influential Factors in the Motivation and Involvement of the University Student towards the Assessment in Physical Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-14, October.
    5. Jaana Herranen & Merve Yavuzkaya & Jesper Sjöström, 2021. "Embedding Chemistry Education into Environmental and Sustainability Education: Development of a Didaktik Model Based on an Eco-Reflexive Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    6. Jordi Colomer & Laura Serra & Dolors Cañabate & Teresa Serra, 2018. "Evaluating Knowledge and Assessment-Centered Reflective-Based Learning Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
    7. Maria-Mar Fernandez-Antolin & José-Manuel del-Río & Fernando del Ama Gonzalo & Roberto-Alonso Gonzalez-Lezcano, 2020. "The Relationship between the Use of Building Performance Simulation Tools by Recent Graduate Architects and the Deficiencies in Architectural Education," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Marta Cholewa-Wiktor, 2021. "The Concept of Sustainable Development in the Curriculum of the Medical Universities in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 72-86.
    9. Ólafur Páll Jónsson & Allyson Macdonald, 2021. "Pack for Sustainability: Navigating through Uncharted Educational Landscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-12, December.
    10. Yi-Chen Lai & Li-Hsun Peng, 2019. "Effective Teaching and Activities of Excellent Teachers for the Sustainable Development of Higher Design Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    11. Ksenija Kuzmina & Rhoda Trimingham & Tracy Bhamra, 2020. "Organisational Strategies for Implementing Education for Sustainable Development in the UK Primary Schools: A Service Innovation Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-16, November.

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