IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i23p16315-d995519.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Expanding Formal School Curricula to Foster Action Competence in Sustainable Development: A Proposed Free-Choice Project-Based Learning Curriculum

Author

Listed:
  • Mahima Kalla

    (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia)

  • Micheal Jerowsky

    (Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada)

  • Benjamin Howes

    (Roots & Shoots Program, Jane Goodall Institute Australia, P.O. Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia)

  • Ann Borda

    (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia)

Abstract

A key determinant and outcome of successful environmental education is ‘pro-environmental behavior’, i.e., behavior that involves conscious action to mitigate adverse environmental impacts at personal or community level, e.g., reducing resource consumption and waste generation, avoiding toxic substances, and organizing community awareness initiatives. However, some theorists have sought to move away from rationalist models of behavioral modification, towards holistic pedagogical initiatives that seek to develop action competence. In light of the global push towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emerging evidence suggests that education initiatives should foster action competence so students may be equipped to contribute to sustainable development as part of their education. The UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Roadmap 2030 has also identified key priority areas to strengthen ESD in formal curricula. This article reports two informal environmental education initiatives for promoting action competence and pro-environmental behaviors in school-aged children. The authors recommend that formal education settings (e.g., schools) should incorporate self-directed, free-choice project-based learning to augment environmental education programs and promote students’ action competence for contribution to attainment of SDGs. To this end, we propose a Free-Choice Project-based Learning for Action Competence in Sustainable Development (ACiSD) Curriculum, comprising six implementation dimensions, namely: (1) project duration and teaming arrangements, (2) topic selection, (3) student support, (4) teacher support, (5) learning environments, and (6) digital access and equity. For each implementation dimension, we recommend action steps to help educators implement this curriculum in their own educational settings, with the aid of an illustrative worked example.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahima Kalla & Micheal Jerowsky & Benjamin Howes & Ann Borda, 2022. "Expanding Formal School Curricula to Foster Action Competence in Sustainable Development: A Proposed Free-Choice Project-Based Learning Curriculum," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16315-:d:995519
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16315/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/23/16315/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Binder & Ann-Kathrin Blankenberg & Heinz Welsch, 2020. "Pro-environmental Norms, Green Lifestyles, and Subjective Well-Being: Panel Evidence from the UK," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 1029-1060, December.
    2. Agata Balińska & Ewa Jaska & Agnieszka Werenowska, 2021. "The Role of Eco-Apps in Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behavior of Young People Studying in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-16, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Atif Saleem & Philip Saagyum Dare, 2023. "Unmasking the Action-Oriented ESD Approach to Acting Environmentally Friendly," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-22, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Welsch, Heinz, 2021. "How climate-friendly behavior relates to moral identity and identity-protective cognition: Evidence from the European social surveys," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    2. Li, Zhaotong & Wu, Min & Teo, Chee-Chong & Yuen, Kum Fai, 2024. "An investigation of consumer switching intention on the use of automated courier station from a signaling perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    3. Józef Ober & Janusz Karwot, 2022. "Pro-Ecological Behavior: Empirical Analysis on the Example of Polish Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-27, February.
    4. Pierpaolo D’Urso & Alessio Guandalini & Francesca Romana Mallamaci & Vincenzina Vitale & Laura Bocci, 2021. "To Share or not to Share? Determinants of Sharing Mobility in Italy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(2), pages 647-692, April.
    5. Ewa Jaska & Agnieszka Werenowska & Agata Balińska, 2022. "Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Behaviors of Generation Z in Poland Stimulated by Mobile Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-16, October.
    6. Welsch, Heinz & Binder, Martin & Blankenberg, Ann-Kathrin, 2021. "Green behavior, green self-image, and subjective well-being: Separating affective and cognitive relationships," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. Welsch, Heinz, 2022. "Do social norms trump rational choice in voluntary climate change mitigation? Multi-country evidence of social tipping points," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Sharma, Swati & Weber, Clas, 2024. "Pro-environmental behavior and subjective well-being: Culture has a role to play," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    9. Khine Kyaw & Julio Pindado & Chabela de-la-Torre, 2022. "Disentangling the Bidirectional Relationships Across the Corporate Sustainable Development Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 297-320, August.
    10. Ary José A. Souza-Jr., 2021. "Climate change and behavior: Do environmental attitudes and perceptions impact on subjective well-being in Europe?," Working Papers REM 2021/0207, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, REM, Universidade de Lisboa.
    11. Xiangdan Piao & Shunsuke Managi, 2024. "Determinants of pro-environmental behaviour: effects of socioeconomic, subjective, and psychological well-being factors from 37 countries," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    12. Małgorzata Bogusz & Renata Matysik-Pejas & Andrzej Krasnodębski & Paweł Dziekański, 2021. "The Concept of Zero Waste in the Context of Supporting Environmental Protection by Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-22, September.
    13. Valerie Møller & Michelle Cocks & Susanne Vetter, 2023. "Nature-Connectedness and Well-Being Experienced During Best and Worst Times of Life: A Case for Safeguarding Biocultural Diversity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(3), pages 1053-1089, February.
    14. Angela Yi Jing Tsai & Alex Yong Kwang Tan, 2022. "Analysis of Undergraduates’ Environmentally Friendly Behavior: Case Study of Tzu Chi University Environmental Education Program," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, July.
    15. Thilo K.G. Haverkamp & Heinz Welsch & Andreas Ziegler, 2022. "The Relationship between Pro-environmental Behavior, Economic Preferences, and Life Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Germany," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202204, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    16. Alfonso Piscitelli & Angela Maria D’Uggento, 2022. "Do young people really engage in sustainable behaviors in their lifestyles?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 1467-1485, October.
    17. Katharina Stolz, 2022. "Why Do(n’t) We Buy Second-Hand Luxury Products?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-24, July.
    18. Zakaria Babutsidze & Ann-Kathrin Blankenberg & Andreas Chai, 2023. "The effect of traditional media consumption and internet use on environmental attitudes in Europe," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 309-340, April.
    19. Agata Balińska, 2022. "Analysis of Consumer Pro-Environmental Behavior—The Context of Scientific Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-3, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:23:p:16315-:d:995519. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.