Chapter 4

Teacher education for sustainable development

4.1 What should people learn? And how could they be taught?

What should people learn?

There are many global challenges the world faces in the 21st century. In 2015, the 193
members of the United Nations agreed to achieve 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) by 2030. These goals address global problems like climate change, inequality,
unemployment, violence, and more.

Many of the SDGs relate directly to the different STEAM related topics. In fact, most of the
topics in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) align closely with different SDGs. Of
course, many of the SDGs relate to social and political issues so they can be used for language
or history classes as well. Seeing its flexibility, it should not be a surprise that the SDGs can also
be aligned with Common Core.

In the last few years it’s clear that issues like climate change, plastic waste management,
increasing migration, and other major issues are growing global concerns. For the last two years
students have become highly active in protesting and finding solutions to both national and
global issues. In March 2018, students led March for Our Lives with over 1 million participants
to put an end to gun violence in the US. Another ongoing student-led protest that is putting
pressure on governments to tackle climate change is School Strike for Climate. Their
March 2020 protest had 1.4 million students join from 128 countries. 
 How could they be taught?
Traditional education gives students few opportunities to explore, understand, and solve real
world problems. So how are students expected to prepare for all these global issues? The SDGs
can be used as a framework and tool to support students develop their research, critical
thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. Students need these 21st
century skills to prepare them for the real-world problems they will face during their lifetime.
Teaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and exploring them can also support students
in finding their identity and purpose.
Many of the SDGs relate directly to the different STEAM related topics. In fact, most of the
topics in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) align closely with different SDGs. Of
course, many of the SDGs relate to social and political issues so they can be used for language
or history classes as well. Seeing its flexibility, it should not be a surprise that the SDGs can also
be aligned with Common Core.
Thrive and Classtime have teamed up to provide you with an activity/discussion on SDG #13
Climate Action to be used by math, science, language, and history teachers. SDG #13 relates to
the issues of global climate change and the aim is to reduce CO2 emissions in hopes to prevent
global temperature from rising any further. We have done our best to align these activities to
NGSS and Common Core at a high school level.

4.2 Pedagogies and didactics for ESD

4.2.1 Interdisciplinary approach
Interdisciplinary instruction entails the use and integration of methods and analytical
frameworks from more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question or
topic. The hallmark of interdisciplinary education is integration of notions and guiding principles
from multiple disciplines to systematically form a more complete, and hopefully coherent,
framework of analysis that offers a richer understanding of the issue under examination.
Interdisciplinary instruction entails the use and integration of methods and analytical
frameworks from more than one academic discipline to examine a theme, issue, question or
topic. The hallmark of interdisciplinary education is integration of notions and guiding principles
from multiple disciplines to systematically form a more complete, and hopefully coherent,
framework of analysis that offers a richer understanding of the issue under examination.
4.2.2 Critical thinking and problem solving
Critical thinking means making clear, reasoned judgments. During the process of critical
thinking, ideas should be reasoned, well thought out, and judged.
If you don't understand something you need to employ critical thinking strategies to help you
make sense of information.
Critical thinking strategies may include

1. Effective Reasoning: The ability to create claims and support them with logical
evidence
2. Decision Making: The ability to identify options for a choice, to articulate criteria for
evaluating those options, and to evaluate those options based on the articulated
criteria
3. Problem Solving: The ability to identify the key questions in a problem, to develop
possible plans for solving, to follow through on those plans, and to evaluate both the
success of the plan and the solution
 Problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods, in an orderly manner, for finding
solutions to problems (Wikipedia, 2016, para. 1).
If you are presented with a problem you need to employ problem-solving strategies to find a
solution.
1. Define the problem

Diagnose the situation so that your focus is on the problem, not just its symptoms. Helpful
problem-solving techniques include using flowcharts to identify the expected steps of a process
and cause-and-effect diagrams to define and analyze root causes.

The sections below help explain key problem-solving steps. These steps support the
involvement of interested parties, the use of factual information, comparison of expectations to
reality, and a focus on root causes of a problem. You should begin by:

 Reviewing and documenting how processes currently work (i.e., who does what, with
what information, using what tools, communicating with what organizations and individuals, in
what time frame, using what format).
 Evaluating the possible impact of new tools and revised policies in the development of
your "what should be" model.

2. Generate alternative solutions

Postpone the selection of one solution until several problem-solving alternatives have been
proposed. Considering multiple alternatives can significantly enhance the value of your ideal
solution. Once you have decided on the "what should be" model, this target standard becomes
the basis for developing a road map for investigating alternatives. Brainstorming and team
problem-solving techniques are both useful tools in this stage of problem solving.

Many alternative solutions to the problem should be generated before final evaluation. A
common mistake in problem solving is that alternatives are evaluated as they are proposed, so
the first acceptable solution is chosen, even if it’s not the best fit. If we focus on trying to get
the results we want, we miss the potential for learning something new that will allow for real
improvement in the problem-solving process.

3. Evaluate and select an alternative

Skilled problem solvers use a series of considerations when selecting the best alternative. They
consider the extent to which:

 A particular alternative will solve the problem without causing other unanticipated
problems.
 All the individuals involved will accept the alternative.
 Implementation of the alternative is likely.
 The alternative fits within the organizational constraints.

4. Implement and follow up on the solution

Leaders may be called upon to direct others to implement the solution, "sell" the solution, or
facilitate the implementation with the help of others. Involving others in the implementation is
an effective way to gain buy-in and support and minimize resistance to subsequent changes.

Regardless of how the solution is rolled out, feedback channels should be built into the
implementation. This allows for continuous monitoring and testing of actual events against
expectations. Problem solving, and the techniques used to gain clarity, are most effective if the
solution remains in place and is updated to respond to future changes.

4.2.3 Multi-method (word art, drama, debate, life experience etc)

The ability of educational institutions to respond to the complex expectations embedded in ESD
can be enhanced through a multiple-perspective approach to teaching and learning. A multiple-
perspective approach promotes interdisciplinary and intercultural competencies as it addresses
challenges to local or planetary sustainability. Interdisciplinary thinking, in which concepts and
knowledge from different academic traditions are used to analyze situations or solve problems,
allows students to use knowledge in new and creative ways. "Intercultural dialogue contributes
to sustainable development by facilitating knowledge exchange - traditional, local, and
scientific. Through combining all these valuable forms of knowledge, more sustainable practices
can be developed and better resolutions to current issues may be achieved".
I. Teaching through drama
Drama is a teaching tool that allows students to participate, demonstrate, and observe in a
"controlled," or non-threatening, environment. In other words, it provides another "non-
traditional" opportunity for students to learn and to demonstrate learning. At the same time,
drama helps students get in touch with their creativity and spontaneity as well as to develop
confidence in the expression of their ideas. Finally, it teaches self-discipline, acceptance of and
positive response to criticism, and cooperation with others.
II. Teaching through debate
Debate refers to a discussion in which two or more people advocate opposing positions on a
topic or question in an attempt to make an audience (or the other advocates) accept their
position. A reasoned debate allows students to explore and gain understanding of alternative
viewpoints and, for the participants, develops communication, critical thinking and
argumentation skills. The approach is often used in disciplines where practitioners are required
to present and defend particular positions against other parties, such as Law, Politics, and Social
Work. However, while the use of debate as a teaching approach is clear for those subjects
where it is a relatively common part of the working environment, the skills that it helps develop
are widely applicable and so many other disciplines could also benefit from requiring students
to develop debating experience. For example, students in design-based subjects, such as
engineering, graphic or product design, could use the skills they have learned through debating
to give well-qualified justifications for making particular design choices in response to a project
brief.
III. Teaching through life experience
• Doing a pre-lesson assessment of student knowledge of a topic (e.g., leading a discussion) in
order to learn what students know and do not know.
• Asking the students about their personal knowledge and experience related to the lesson.
•Affirming students’ contributions to the class by referring to them later in the lesson
• Give students the opportunity to incorporate their life experience in assignments.
• Asking for the pupil’s opinions or judgements.
IV. Teaching through word art
Story writing – This is an individual assignment. Each student will be assigned to write me a
personal narrative (fiction or nonfiction) about their life, or a character’s life they made up. The
students are expected to use 30 out of their 50 vocabulary words in the narrative.  
4.2.4 Participatory decision-making
Decision-making is usually based on a series of qualitative and quantitative data related to
physical conditions and trends. Cities invest a great deal of time and resources in the collection
information to produce such assessments. However, very little is known about how decisions
are made and the processes that lead to them. Whereas in participatory decision making the
leader encourages his subordinates to contribute their ideas or opinion in the group situations
and share responsibility in them.
Participative decision making techniques involve individuals or groups in process. As classroom
move from centralized decision making to a non-centralized one, it has become important for
all concerned people to be involved in the decision making process so that the decision is the
best possible alternative. Participated decision making techniques range from no participation
to participation of all concerned individuals. Participation techniques are being applied formally
and informally on an individual or a team basis or formally on a program basis. These
techniques may be categorized as follows:

 Consultative: In consultative decision making, the right of decision making resides with
the leader and he may consult or have the opinion of other concerned.
 Democratic: In democratic decision making, decision is made by the group as a whole
rather than an individual.
Participatory approaches to learning give students opportunities to become actively engaged in
a wide variety of learning strategies in which the teaching-learning process becomes more of a
shared responsibility between teachers and students. Students become responsible for:
• applying prior and new knowledge to sustainability issues,
• collaborating with peers, community members and teachers in making sense of the new
situation,
• using discussions and other forms of communication to develop a shared sense of purpose,
and
• proposing new solutions to sustainability events and challenges that are respectful of
environmental, social and economic dimensions. Participatory approaches can lead students,
through personal meaning-making, to commit to ESD principles and strategies, including wise
use of resources, now and for future generations.
The goal of participatory approaches is to promote an orientation to action, based in
knowledge and expressed publicly through words or deeds, which result in changes in
environmental, social and economic inequities to ensure quality of life.
4.2.5 Applicability
When something is applicable, it is suited to something or useful for a task. The applicability of
a thing refers to how useful it is in a given situation. On a resume, talking about your favorite
movie probably would have no applicability: it's pointless. A plunger has great applicability in a
bathroom, but no applicability anywhere else. You can think of applicability as usefulness plus
timeliness. If something has applicability, it will come in handy at the moment it is needed.
Role play assuming the discourse, the attitudes and actions of another individual, especially in a
make-believe situation in an effort to understand a differing point of view or social interaction.
Place-based learning (PlaceBL) helps communities solve community problems through the
efforts of students, teachers and school staff. PlaceBL uses the local community as one of the
primary resources for learning. PlaceBL draws on the unique history, environment, people,
culture, economy, literature, art and music of a particular place. Community members are
regarded as resources and partners in the learning process. The focus on the local community
creates opportunities to pair relevance with academic rigor, while promoting action-oriented
citizenship (The Rural School and Community Trust, n.d.).
4.3 Themes of ESD Curriculum: (climate change, eco-efficiency, green and sustainable
chemistry, sustainable, green engineering design for the environment, sustainable
manufacturing, sustainable architecture, sustainable mobility sustainable agriculture, forestry
and fisheries, pesticide pollution and deforestation, organic agriculture., ecologically
sustainable resource management, cleaner production and sustainable consumption.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency, pollution prevention, waste management, corporate
social responsibility, human population control.)
4.4 Create and implement a plan to reduce personal/ school ecological footprints
4.5 Identify and compare strategies to influence behavioral change
4.6 Create or continue to implement an action plan/ activity to make schools and/or
communities more sustainable
4.7 Identify resources and organizations to help bring about environmental change in schools
and communities