Sustainability Education
Introduction
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved with the same level of thinking we used to create them." — Albert EinsteinClimate change. Loss of biodiversity. Pollution. Overpopulation. Food security. Habitat destruction. Resource depletion. Humans have been instrumental in creating and accelerating these challenges in pursuit of expansion and economic gain. What we sometimes fail to recognize is that we, as living beings, are part of the ecology of the Earth; what affects the Earth affects us - our health, our well-being, and ultimately our survival. Additionally, we are beginning to feel the effects of our actions more strongly in our communities, country, and across the globe.
In response to the concerns that scientists, activists, conservation groups, and social justice advocates (among others) have raised, concepts of environmental preservation and conservation, and more recently sustainable development and sustainability have emerged as new ways forward to address these challenges (For an overview of these concepts, look back to the introductory module).
So what does this mean in practice? How do we work together towards these goals? Education, in its many forms, plays a vital role in putting these concepts and ideas into practice. Education can teach us about our relationship with nature and bring awareness and knowledge of the challenges we face today. It can also help us develop and build skills to deal with challenges, adapt to changing conditions, and prevent or lessen the impacts of further problems. Education promotes collaboration and trust building, connections with those in your community and beyond. It also provides environments and opportunities to explore new, innovative, and integrated approaches to address the challenges we identified earlier.
Out of the awareness that education is a key component in working towards environmental sustainability, various teaching approaches, principles, definitions, theories, and practices for educating for environmental sustainability have emerged.
This module will explore some of the current trends in sustainability education. We begin by looking at the history of sustainability education, the various terms used, and the context in which it is practiced. We will then examine the goals and outcomes of sustainability education in theory, and conclude by taking a look at how sustainability education is being put into practice.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the module, you will be able to- describe why education is necessary for environmental sustainability;
- define and compare education for sustainability, education for sustainable development, and environmental education;
- describe the theory, aims, and approaches of sustainability education;
- provide examples of how sustainability education has been put into practice, locally and globally; and
- apply sustainability education principles to future learning activities.
