Abstract
This paper examines two English policy documents and sets two major questions: (a) what kind of support/input these policy documents provide practitioners (primary school teachers) in relation to EfSD and (b) how effectively this support/input is communicated to teachers via the language used and the practices suggested. This way the study also aims to acquire insights into the interface between Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD). These two documents are the: ‘Cross-curricular dimensions—a planning guide for schools’ (QCA in Cross-curricular dimensions—a planning guide for schools, 2009a, Action—a curriculum planning guide for schools, 2009b) and the ‘Sustainable development in action—a curriculum planning guide for schools’ (QCA 2009a, b). A critical discourse analysis method is employed and examines these two documents in relation to a specific context relevant to EfSD as delineated by: (a) the three important parts of Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD), namely content, active/constructivist pedagogical approaches, values and (b) the former Environmental Education (EE) as one of the major predecessors of EfSD that also addressed aspects relevant with the ones mentioned above (content, pedagogical approaches and values). The results of this analysis identified three gaps, namely a gap between what these policies put forward and teachers’ practices; a gap in the interface between EE and EfSD and a gap between what teachers are asked to do and how children learn about these issues. Thus, a discontinuity is highlighted in the rhetoric of policies that addressed EE and EfSD which can reflect and account for discontinuities in teachers’ practices of EfSD.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aikens, K., McKenzie, M., & Vaughter, P. (2016). Environmental and sustainability education policy research: A systematic review of methodological and thematic trends. Environmental Education Research, 22(3), 333–359.
Ardoin, N., Clark, C., & Kelsey, E. (2012). An exploration of future trends in environmental education research. Environmental Education Research. doi:10.1080/13504622.2012.709823. Retrieved from: http://woods.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/files/an%20exploration%20of%20future%20trends.pdf
Bourn, D., Hunt, F., Blum, N., & Lawson, H. (2016). Primary education for global learning and sustainability. A report for the Cambridge Primary Review Trust.
Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). (1990). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (Exp. ed.). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Collie, P. (2008). Barriers and motivators for adopting sustainability programmes in schools. Schoolzone, Reference: RC08H9 Retrieved from: http://www.se-ed.org.uk/resources/SEEd_Teachers_Need_Focus_Groups.pdf
Foster, J. (2001). Education as sustainability. Environmental Education Research, 7(2), 153–165.
Gee, J. P. (2005). An introduction to discourse analysis. London: Routledge.
GLP-E. (2016). Global learning programme England. http://glp.globaldimension.org.uk. Accessed June 2016.
Jickling, B. (2001). Environmental thought, the language of sustainability and digital watches. Environmental Education Research, 7(2), 167–180.
Learning for Sustainability. (2012). The report of the One Planet Schools Working Group. Retrieved from: www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410480.doc
Macdonald, K. (2005). Using documents. In N. Gilbert (Ed.), Researching social life (2nd ed., pp. 194–210). London: Sage Publications.
Marcinkowski, T. (2010). Contemporary challenges and opportunities in environmental education: Where are we headed and what deserves our attention? The Journal of Environmental Education, 41(1), 34–54.
National Curriculum Council. (1990). Curriculum guidance 3—The whole curriculum. England: Smith Print Group Limited.
OFSTED. (2008). Schools and sustainability: A climate for change. Manchester: Office for Standards in Education. Retrieved from: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/schools-and-sustainability
QCA. (2009a). Cross-curricular dimensions—A planning guide for schools. Retrieved from: http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/el/98010.pdf
QCA. (2009b). Sustainable development in action—A curriculum planning guide for schools. Retrieved from: http://www.dep.org.uk/silo/files/sustainable-development-in-action.pdf05-3
Reid, A., & Scott, W. (2006). Researching education and environment: Retrospect and prospect. Environmental Education Research, 12(3–4), 571–587.
Rogers, R. (2011). An introduction to critical discourse analysis (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Stevenson, R. B. (2007). Schooling and environmental education: Contradictions in purpose and practice. Environmental Education Research, 13(2), 139–153.
Tilbury, D., Coleman, V., & Garlick, D. (2005). A national review of environmental education and its contribution to sustainability in Australia: School education—Key findings. Canberra: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES). Retrieved from: aries.mq.edu.au/projects/national_review/files/volume2/Volume2_brochure.pdf
UNESCO. (2005). United Nation’s Decade of education for Sustainable development (2005–2014): International implementation scheme, ED/DESD/2005/PI/01. Retrieved from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001486/148654e.pdf
Van Poeck, K., Vandenabeele, J., & Bruyninckx, H. (2014). Taking stock of the UN Decade of education for sustainable development: The policy-making process in Flanders. Environmental Education Research, 20(5), 695–717.
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Young, J. (2001). Linking EfS and biodiversity? A UK-wide survey of the status of education within local biodiversity action plans. Environmental Education Research, 7(4), 439–449.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chatzifotiou, A. (2018). Education for Sustainable Development: Vision, Policy, Practices—An Open or Closed ‘Doorway’ for Teachers and Schools?. In: Leal Filho, W., Mifsud, M., Pace, P. (eds) Handbook of Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63534-7_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63534-7_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63533-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63534-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)