Instructional practices in Education for Sustainable

Development: teachers’ and students’ perspectives

Eleni Sinakou, Vincent Donche, Peter Van Petegem

University of Antwerp
Introduction
Aim of Education for Sustainable Theoretical background
Development: students to get knowledge and In Education for Sustainable Development
skills to take actions towards SD issues • holistic,
(Hungerford, 2010).
• pluralistic and
Teachers’ instructional beliefs & instructional
• action-oriented instructional practices
practices in ESD are important for the
contribute to the development of students’
cultivation of students’ action competence
action competence
towards SD issues (Sinakou, Donche, Boeve-de Pauw (e.g., Sinakou, Donche, Boeve-de Pauw & Van
& Van Petegem, 2021). Petegem, 2019).

Research aim: to combine teachers’ & students’ perspectives.

Research questions (RQs): In design
phase ready
What are Flemish elementary school teachers’ profiles regarding their
for data
instructional beliefs & instructional practices in holistic and pluralistic ESD.
collection
What are their students’ perceptions about their teachers’ instructional
practices in action-oriented ESD?
Students’ instrument
Teachers’ instrument
Holism- Pluralism -Action-orientation in ESD questionnaire
Holism- Pluralism in ESD questionnaire (HPAESD-Q-Students)
(HPESD-Q)
Reliable & valid
Instructional practices that Instructional practices that
happen students wish
Instructional Instructional
beliefs practices

Holism Holism Holism Holism

3 items* 3 items*
9 items 9 items

Pluralism Pluralism
Pluralism Pluralism
5 items 5 items 8 items in the 8 items in the
initial instrument* initial instrument*
(Sinakou, Donche, Boeve-de Pauw &
Van Petegem, 2021)
Action-orientation Action-orientation
31 items in the initial 31 items in the initial
instrument* instrument*
Expected outcomes
* It remains to get validated.
• Teachers’ clusters with specific profiles
• Gap between teachers’ beliefs and their References
Hungerford, H. R. (2010). Environmental Education (EE) for 21st century: where have we been? Where
practices within clusters are we now? Where are we headed? Journal of Environmental Education, 41(1), 1-6.
Sinakou, E., Donche, V., Boeve- de Pauw, J. & Van Petegem, P. (2019). Designing Powerful Learning
• Gap between teachers’ and students’ Environments in Education for Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Framework. Sustainability,
11(21), 5994, doi: 10.3390/su11215994.
perspectives Sinakou, E., Donche, V., Boeve- de Pauw, J. & Van Petegem, P. (2021). Development and validation of a
questionnaire on teachers’ Instructional Beliefs and Practices in Education for Sustainable Development.
Environmental Education Research. DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2021.1921115

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@EleniSinakou
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