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Designing Powerful Learning Environments in Education for Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Framework

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  • Eleni Sinakou

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium)

  • Vincent Donche

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium)

  • Jelle Boeve-de Pauw

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium)

  • Peter Van Petegem

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium)

Abstract

Policymakers have pinpointed the importance of living in a more sustainable society. Education for Sustainable Development aims at developing future citizens competent to take actions in order to cope with Sustainable Development issues. The instructional design that teachers apply in class play a crucial role in students’ learning. This study is a conceptual analysis based on a narrative review of the literature in the field of Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development. It makes use of the CLIA-model (Competence, Learning, Intervention, Assessment), developed by De Corte, Verschaffel and Masui in 2004 to prescribe how a powerful learning environment in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) could be developed. In particular, the study focusses on the Intervention component. Holistic, pluralistic as well as action-oriented teaching in Education for Sustainable Development are thought to be effective in cultivating students’ action competence. This paper presents first the Action-oriented ESD framework. This framework consists of five components: (a) action-taking, b) students’ leadership in their learning and teaching, c) peer interaction, (d) community involvement and e) interdisciplinarity. We then integrate the Action-oriented ESD framework with Holism and Pluralism into the Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation in the ESD framework. Integrating holistic, pluralistic as well as action-oriented teaching in ESD is highly important in theoretical discussion as well as in instructional design. The Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation ESD framework addresses the lack of an integrated conceptual framework in the field of ESD. This framework is motivated by a growing consensus on the importance of these three approaches in ESD teaching. The Holism-Pluralism-Action-orientation in ESD Framework is based on more than three decades of efforts to define knowledge on Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development teaching and on the rich and growing body of research on effective ESD teaching.

Suggested Citation

  • Eleni Sinakou & Vincent Donche & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Peter Van Petegem, 2019. "Designing Powerful Learning Environments in Education for Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-23, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:21:p:5994-:d:281121
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julian Agyeman & Briony Angus, 2003. "The Role of Civic Environmentalism in the Pursuit of Sustainable Communities," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 345-363.
    2. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808, Decembrie.
    3. Sandra Wilhelm & Ruth Förster & Anne B. Zimmermann, 2019. "Implementing Competence Orientation: Towards Constructively Aligned Education for Sustainable Development in University-Level Teaching-And-Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Maria Ojala, 2013. "Emotional Awareness: On the Importance of Including Emotional Aspects in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)," Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, , vol. 7(2), pages 167-182, September.
    5. Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Niklas Gericke & Daniel Olsson & Teresa Berglund, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-25, November.
    6. Eleni Sinakou & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Peter Van Petegem, 2019. "Exploring the concept of sustainable development within education for sustainable development: implications for ESD research and practice," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, February.
    7. Carola Garrecht & Till Bruckermann & Ute Harms, 2018. "Students’ Decision-Making in Education for Sustainability-Related Extracurricular Activities—A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, October.
    8. 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.
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    Cited by:

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    7. Julia Lohmann & Jennifer Breithecker & Ulrike Ohl & Petra Gieß-Stüber & Hans Peter Brandl-Bredenbeck, 2021. "Teachers’ Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review from the Perspective of Physical Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-26, December.
    8. Simona Sternad Zabukovšek & Zdenko Deželak & Silvia Parusheva & Samo Bobek, 2022. "Attractiveness of Collaborative Platforms for Sustainable E-Learning in Business Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-25, July.
    9. Asheena Singh-Pillay, 2023. "Pre-Service Teachers’ Experience of Learning about Sustainability in Technology Education in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-13, January.
    10. Atif Saleem & Philip Saagyum Dare, 2023. "Unmasking the Action-Oriented ESD Approach to Acting Environmentally Friendly," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-22, January.
    11. Eliyawati & Ari Widodo & Ida Kaniawati & Hiroki Fujii, 2023. "The Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Science Teacher Competency to Teach ESD," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-14, February.
    12. Susan Hanisch & Dustin Eirdosh, 2023. "Behavioral Science and Education for Sustainable Development: Towards Metacognitive Competency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-30, April.
    13. Shih-Yeh Chen & Shiang-Yao Liu, 2020. "Developing Students’ Action Competence for a Sustainable Future: A Review of Educational Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-14, February.
    14. Marta Romero Ariza & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Daniel Olsson & Peter Van Petegem & Gema Parra & Niklas Gericke, 2021. "Promoting Environmental Citizenship in Education: The Potential of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire to Measure Impact of Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    15. Bach Quang Ho & Yuki Inoue, 2020. "Driving Network Externalities in Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    16. Patrina Whyte & Geoffrey Lamberton, 2020. "Conceptualising Sustainability Using a Cognitive Mapping Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, March.
    17. Wanda Sass & Sven De Maeyer & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Peter Van Petegem, 2023. "Honing action competence in sustainable development: what happens in classrooms matters," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3649-3670, April.
    18. Chuang Yang & Qi Xiu, 2023. "A Bibliometric Review of Education for Sustainable Development, 1992–2022," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-20, July.
    19. Kate Sposab & Marco Rieckmann, 2024. "Development of Sustainability Competencies in Secondary School Education: A Scoping Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-29, November.
    20. Audronė Telešienė & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Daphne Goldman & Ralph Hansmann, 2021. "Evaluating an Educational Intervention Designed to Foster Environmental Citizenship among Undergraduate University Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-19, July.
    21. 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.
    22. Zhenwen Liu & Hsi-Chi Yang & Yan-Chyuan Shiau, 2020. "Investigation on Evaluation Framework of Elementary School Teaching Materials for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, May.

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