2 Sustainable pedagogies and educational curricula

You are now asked to consider who should use sustainable pedagogies.

The place of sustainability in educational curricula is contested. As exemplified in Table 2 below, in Scottish and Welsh school curriculum documents it is envisaged as interwoven throughout all curriculum areas, whilst in England, which has a knowledge-based curriculum, it is very much seen as part of the teaching of science and/or geography. In higher education settings where the curriculum is not prescribed in the same way, guidance is offered encouraging sustainability to be included in the curriculum.

Table 2 Extracts from UK curricula guidance

England

The English government focuses its policies on the environmental aspect of sustainability, and whilst admitting there are social and economic aspects of sustainability, it states ‘the UK requires the education sector to play its role in positively responding to climate change and inspiring action on an international stage’. There is some discussion of how understanding climate change and instilling a love a nature may help prepare young people to act; it seems to consider introducing examination in natural history and environmental science an adequate response. There is some indication that such teaching should lie within the Science area of the curriculum.

  • Department for Education (2022) Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems, UK Government.
Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the World Around Us (WAU) is a thematic primary school curriculum component and has some alignment with sustainability. However, in 2015 the Northern Ireland school inspectorate (ETI) highlighted that the importance of WAU needed some re-emphasis. Peace building continues to have a prominent place in schools’ curriculum development plans and culture and the curriculum strand of learning for life and work has a global citizen strand.

The eco-schools initiative exists to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of Northern Irish schools. Eco-Schools endeavours to extend learning beyond the classroom and develop responsible attitudes and commitment, both at home and in the wider community. It uses a participatory approach and a combination of learning and action to improve the environments of schools and their local communities. It promotes sustainable living through whole-school action supported by learning resources, management tools and a Green Flag award scheme.

  • The World Around Us theme in the primary curriculum.
  • The Learning for Life and Work curriculum.
  • The Eco schools programme exists to promote environmental awareness in schools in Northern Ireland.
Scotland

The Scottish government make learning sustainably part of every education professional’s role and part of every subject discipline. In its Learning for Sustainability Action Plan, Education Scotland (2016) states that every learner is entitled to experience ‘Learning for Sustainability’ (LfS) which it states is ‘a cross-curricular approach which enables learners, educators, schools and their wider communities to build a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society. An effective whole-school and community approach to LfS weaves together global citizenship, sustainable development education and outdoor learning to create coherent, rewarding and transformative learning experiences.’ (Education Scotland, 2016, p. 1) It goes onto say that learning for sustainability is an important component of Scotland’s national curriculum (Curriculum for Excellence), and a core part of teachers’ professional standards.

  • Education Scotland (2016) Learning for Sustainability Action Plan, Scottish Government.
Wales

The Welsh Government) has published documents intended to help the education sector understand how to implement ideas about Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC).

The Welsh Government does not consider ESDGC as an additional subject but rather as being about values and attitudes, understanding and skills, an ethos that can embedded throughout school life. ESDGC looks at the world and the ways that all living things relate to each other, recognising social injustices in a world which can shaped and changed by the attitudes, values and behaviour of the people who populate it. ESDGC ‘supports the development of thinking skills, and helps involve and engage young people in their own learning.’ (Welsh Government, 2008, p. 4)

  • Welsh Government (2008) ESDGC: A Common Understanding for Schools.
In Higher Education

Advance HE (2021) has produced Education for Sustainable Development Guidance jointly with the QAA which covers what education for sustainable development could look like in higher education institutes.

It states that sustainable development should be seen as an aspirational ongoing process of addressing social, environmental and economic concerns to create a better world and that education for sustainable development is the process of creating curriculum structures and subject-relevant content to support sustainable development. The guidance considers that all key players must be involved, beginning with students and continuing through all organisations, academics, professional service teams, governance and communities.

  • the executive summary
  • the full guidance

Each of the four UK nations takes a different stance on how and whether sustainable development competencies are to be developed in schools.

  Explore

For a clear resume of these policies access:

  • Bamber, P., Bullivant, A., Glover, A., King, B. and McMcCann, G. (2016) ‘A comparative review of policy and practice for education for sustainable development/education for global citizenship (ESD/GC) in teacher education across the four nations of the UK’, Management in Education, 30(3), pp. 112–120. Available at: DOI: 10.1177/ 0892020616653179 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

What does this mean for these learners as they leave compulsory education in terms of the contributions they can make towards sustainable futures? For those moving on to study in Further Education Institutes or as university students, what implications does this have for the curriculum (and pedagogies) they, and society, need?

The next activity asks you to think about how the differences in emphasis in different school education contexts will affect the pedagogies of higher education educators in UK higher education institutes, who may draw students from across the four nations.

Activity 1.2  Who is responsible for developing sustainability competencies?

Timing: Allow around 35 minutes: 15 minutes (Part A), 20 minutes (Part B)
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4.  Post a summary of your thoughts in the Activity 1.2 forum discussion.

Read others posts and consider how they add to your understanding.

Now you have considered the importance of developing competencies for sustainable development the next section will focus on the pedagogies required for this important enterprise.

1.1 The UN sustainable development goals

3 What makes pedagogy sustainable?