Promotion of Sustainable Development within the school community – have we done enough?

1. Promotion of Sustainable Development within the school community – have we done enough? Presentation at 8th Asian-Europe Classroom Network (AEC-NET) Conference 26-30 October, Sønderborg, Denmark By Soren Breiting Research Programme for Environmental and Health Education, DPU – Aarhus University, Copenhagen Photos: Breiting/ www.azfotos.com

2. In short Promotion of Sustainable Development within the school community – have we done enough? Short answer: NO!!! And we will in the coming decades (!) see a revolution in the educational systems as a consequence of ’The impact of Climate Change and Sustainable Development within the School community in Asia and Europe’ and elsewhere in the World

3. The main reason Because our children and youngsters will grow up in a world • With issues of development constanctly around them as a challenge (not only related directly to climate change) • With all countries with a need for having empowered and critical citizens capable of engaging in small and large issues related to change also outside their immediate areas of material interests and able ’to think for themselves’

4. Not teaching the future - but teaching for the future

5. International Alliance of Leading Educational Institutions (IALEI)Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Korea, Singapore, UK, USA, South Africawww.intlalliance.org Climate Change and Sustainable Development: The Response from Education Recommendations and reports to be presented the 11. December 2009 in Copenhagen as a site event to COP15 Three overall recommandations, published in August 2009: * To develop education that provides citizens with competences to actively manage sustainable development. * To integrate climate change within Education for Sustainable Development * To improve conditions for interdisciplinary learning, provide teachers with the necessary competences and transform Education for Sustainable Development from a low priority to a high priority dimension. Læssøe, J., Schnack, K., Breiting, S. & Rolls, S. (2009): Climate Change and Sustainable Development: The Response from Education - A cross-national report from International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes

6. Climate Change Education is best viewed as an important part of ESD A focus on the changing climate is urgent but it is also important to realize the full complexity of issues related to sustainable development Climate change is fine to address in science but that isn’t enough

7. Climate Change Education (CCE) to support Science Education ? • Absolutely a good idea. • To focus on climate change can motivate students and help bring the teaching into a meaningful context. • Students recognize the importance of the scientific concepts, data and scientific methods for their future living conditions.

8. Interdisciplinary Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography and Geoscience • The Changing climate and the mechanisms involved offer a rather unique opportunity to integrate difference areas of the natural sciences in a stimulating way for students • The natural systems are connected • This will strengthen the learning of SCIENCE

9. To know some of the basic mechanism are important for everyone

10. And this curve should be understood by all, too

11. - Not least couppled to the rising sea level

12. Many atempts to engage youngsters in such issues but people are failing ’Diagnose’ The students are forced to become involved by a catastrophy vision The students are forced to solve problems of others Their thoughts and concerns aren’t respected Students aren’t getting insight into what people are concerned about The students aren’t getting any experience in doing real actions (only in doing ’activities’)

13. But !!!!!!!! • If we want our students to grow up to be knowledgeable and active, critical citizens we need to convert • Climate Change Education into • Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

14. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) • Education that takes up questions related to sustainable development to foster • critical, engaged and responsible citizens capable of dealing with complex and controversial issues of importance for local and global development and for living conditions of present and future generations • alone and together with others.

15. The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development • United Nations Decade for ESD 2005-2014 ( DESD) • UNESCO is the responsible UN agency • Mid-term conference in Bonn in spring 2009 with Bonn Declaration • GOAL: a more sustainable and just society for all.

16. The role of the Government • The role of the government is to provide clear guidance to the importance of ESD including CCE as ESD (Ref. Alliance) • To fully support the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development • To promote innovative teaching and participatory learning in ESD • To understand the needed democratic perspectives of ESD • To avoid seeing schools as rather simple systems to pull in a wished direction for issues the society and political system aren’t capable of solving !

17. We need independent citizens as a result of ESD… • Because the whole field of ’sustainable development’ is a heavy complex (hyper complex) area with a lot of conflicts • As already clear from any interpretation of the definition of SD: • "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Brundtland Commission (1987)

18. ESD is anthropocentric • Of cause education for sustainable development has to be anthropocentric • (having the focus on humanity) • because it is about the stewardship of our home the planet for present and future generations • BUT • - ESD isn’t egoistic

19. Our growing population on the Planet

20. Unequality will always be an issue in development

21. Without a democratic basis for development it will not be possible to go for a more sustainable way because the many choices are complex and with lots of conflicts between needs and wishes Development has to build on local communities

22. Vulnarable ethnic groups and difficulties with integration often generate poverty, marginalization, prostitution and illegal affairs, instead of respect and dignity

24. The market and economy – money is the measure • The market forces aren’t as visible as in the traditional markets but the mechanisms are more or less the same and the power isenormous.

25. Power relations are important: For who shape the future ? and Who will benefit from the development ? - Not all power relations are as visible as these

26. Keep a critical eye on the situation

27. Education or specific sustainable behaviour modification ? • All kinds of general education should be seen in a long perspective – not as a solution to present days’ problems the society of adults isn’t capable to handle. • Education has education as the short-term goal, but will benefit development in the long run • For ex. more sustainable development

28. Education for empowerment Unfortunately • A goal of empowerment goes very badly together with a narrow behaviour modification approach in teaching • But an empowerment strategy will be the winner in the long run

29. Empowering for more sustainable development through education • In our Danish tradition we will call it to enhance the action competence of the students And at the same time build • A feeling of ownership to development issues (mental ownership)

30. Outcomes of The Action Competence Approach • Enhanced belief in own influence and own capacity • Optimistic view on life and the world • Knowledge of problems • Knowledge of approaches to solutions • Exprience with becoming influential • Knowing the strength of co-operation (= Enhanced Action competence)

31. Where to start? In Nature ???

32. Where to start? In the society ???

33. Where to start with an ESD sequence • Start with people and their concern, wishes, expectations and ideas about the future. • It can be other people or the students themselves, - or • Investigations of other people --------------------------------------------- • With Climate Change Education include the science concepts etc. when they become functional in understanding the situation and the mechanisms behind in connection to people’s concern etc..

34. Class work: Investigating the use of a local natural resource Preparation in class: Focus on a ‘natural resource’ e.g. for ENERGY – prep for group work Outdoor in the community: 1. Groups interview older people in the community about how the resource was used in older days and their feelings 2. Interview active people in the community about the same resource: How is it used today? Which problems are there etc. 3. Ask all for their expectations for the future related to this resource: What do people expect to happen? What would they LIKE to see happen? Back in class: Back in class: Groups elaborate on their findings: Summarizing their interviews Groups elaborate on their own observations: Summarizing their own impressions Each student group prepares 4 big drawings / Posters

35. Back in class: Drawing the community concerning the selected resource through time Pictures showing Which future? The use of this resource in the community in old days The use and problems with the resource today Future 1 We expect Development Before Now Development Future 2 We hope (and might act for) Development

36. Sustainable development is essential about: • That actions and activities are influencing our future and • How other people's living conditions are now and in the future • But we have alternatives and choices • daily and political Different futures The Past Now Which future do we want ? Sustainable development needs democratic participation So does Education for Sustainable Development

37. Advantages with this approach. 1 • We are not telling youngsters what to think, but how to dig into problems related to development and use of resources • We help youngsters to see the complexity of development issues • We help empower youngsters for ACTION COMPETENCE

38. Advantages with this approach. 2 • The youngsters will get a lot of personal experienced information from the people (old and younger) they meet – supporting their ‘episodic memory’ • They will be able to link short-term and long-term effects of change (essential dealing with sustainable development) • The results from their investigation are visualized in such a way to make it easy for linking the concrete content to conceptual development

39. Advantages with this approach. 3 • It generates plenty of possibilities for being in interaction with local people of different background and with different interests related to the natural resource in focus. • It is a good background for learning to be influential related to own ideas - supporting their action competence

40. Which teacher do you think will best be able to enhance the action competence of the students?

41. Results from this approach • Youngsters’ real actions related to real environmental problems they have identified themselves are of immense importance • They develop a higher level of interest in developmental problems • They develop more belief in own influence

42. The role of the teacher • Anyway the teacher has to see herself / himself as • ’theorganizer of the students’ learning processes’

43. Results from EE development in Hungary • When students work without being ‘behaviour modified’ they become • More optimistic • More concerned about their own possibilities • More participatory From Breiting & Csobod

44. What is the most important ressource in education ??? • The teacher • The text books • TV and other media • The computer and computer programmes • The classroom and its atmosphere • The pedagogy • Time

45. When less is more in education • We can drown our students and youngsters in information about all kinds of aspects related to what sustainable development could mean – and what isn’t sustainable. • But this will easily function as information overload • Conclusion: Work more in depth with a real issue and give time and space for all the complexity and the helpful stimulants to excite the students in this issue by having time to investigate reality and to act upon their findings and goals

46. Sunset or sunrise for Sustainable Development in Education ? Perspectives for ESD, based on our experience • In short-term-perspective ESD is best seen as a 100% educational challenge • In the long run ESD should become an important contribution to less un-sustainable development • In the ESD approach: Easier to identify what is not sustainable than what is sustainable • How to see Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as more than just ‘learning something’ • Democratisation – Action competence /empowerment • Renewal / innovation • Mental ownership to development issues

47. How it works Through the focus on working with real participation related to development issues the participants: • Improve their understanding of the issues, their complexity and urgent matters • Improve their action competence related to such issues • Develop mental ownership to such kind of issues

48. Mental Ownership • “… the more involvement and effort to achieve a certain change, process or outcome in a situation, the higher the level of mental ownership (is) possible for those involved. • Theoretically, we can imagine a full continuum of levels of mental ownership, from very low by not having being involved at all, to very high by being the sole person that has decided everything and done everything alone. • Furthermore, it is assumed that the level of mental ownership influences a person’s future engagement and motivation in situations involving the ‘thing(s)’ or situations, to which the person feels ownership.” (Breiting 2007)

49. List of aspects to take into account to support ownership • If all involved participate in the goal setting or strategy formulation, etc. • If all concerned are regarded as “equal” partners in the process. • If all have a direct interest in the changes. • If those involved give input to the process. • If they can find their “fingerprint” in the final outcome. • If they receive some form of recognition for their contribution to the process. (After Breiting, Imene & Macfarlane: Life Science Project Midterm Review. 1997).

50. How to create engagement • Participation  (generates) Ownership • Ownership  (generates)  Participation • --------------------------------------------------------- The self-enforcing mechanism: Participation  Ownership  Participation  Ownership Participation 