IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v5y2013i12p5135-5152d30946.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Learning for the Future? Effects of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on Teacher Education Students

Author

Listed:
  • Klas Andersson

    (Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden)

  • Sverker C Jagers

    (Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden
    Political Science Unit, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå SE-971 87, Sweden)

  • Annika Lindskog

    (Department of Pedagogical, Curricular, Professional Studies, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 100, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden)

  • Johan Martinsson

    (Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sprängkullsgatan 19, P.O. Box 711, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden)

Abstract

Currently, politicians, university representatives, scholars and leading NGOs share a strong belief in the ability of educational systems to generate positive attitudes to sustainable development (SD) among citizens, with the idea of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as perhaps the most apparent expression of this conviction. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether ESD might have the intended effects on teacher education students. More specifically, we account for the results from a panel study on the effects of a course on SD held in autumn 2010 at the University of Gothenburg (n = 323) on teacher education students. The surveys consisted of questions about the students’ concerns about various issues, including issues related to SD, and their attitudes towards SD and views of moral obligations to contributing to SD. The study included a control group (n = 97) consisting of students from the teacher-training programme at University West, which had not and did not include ESD. We find positive effects of ESD on almost all attitudes and perceptions, including e.g., personal responsibility in relation to SD and willingness to contribute to SD, while there is no noticeable effect in the control group. We conclude the paper by discussing the implications of our results for the idea of ESD in teacher training programmes at Swedish higher education institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Klas Andersson & Sverker C Jagers & Annika Lindskog & Johan Martinsson, 2013. "Learning for the Future? Effects of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on Teacher Education Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:12:p:5135-5152:d:30946
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/12/5135/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/5/12/5135/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Niklas Harring & Sverker C. Jagers, 2013. "Should We Trust in Values? Explaining Public Support for Pro-Environmental Taxes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Andrew Dobson, 2007. "Environmental citizenship: towards sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(5), pages 276-285.
    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. Eva-Maria Waltner & Werner Rieß & Antje Brock, 2018. "Development of an ESD Indicator for Teacher Training and the National Monitoring for ESD Implementation in Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Eva-Maria Waltner & Katja Scharenberg & Christian Hörsch & Werner Rieß, 2020. "What Teachers Think and Know about Education for Sustainable Development and How They Implement it in Class," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Alexander Georg Büssing & Maike Schleper & Susanne Menzel, 2018. "Do Pre-service Teachers Dance with Wolves? Subject-Specific Teacher Professional Development in A Recent Biodiversity Conservation Issue," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, December.
    4. Liyuan Liu & Steven Donbavand & Bryony Hoskins & Jan Germen Janmaat & Dimokritos Kavadias, 2021. "Measuring and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Active Citizenship Education Programmes to Support Disadvantaged Youth," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-10, October.
    5. Lorenz Probst, 2022. "Higher Education for Sustainability: A Critical Review of the Empirical Evidence 2013–2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-24, March.
    6. Steven Donbavand & Bryony Hoskins, 2021. "Citizenship Education for Political Engagement: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, April.
    7. Julia Morgan & Casey Canfield, 2021. "Comparing Behavioral Theories to Predict Consumer Interest to Participate in Energy Sharing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-17, July.
    8. Pedro Vega-Marcote & Mercedes Varela-Losada & Pedro Álvarez-Suárez, 2015. "Evaluation of an Educational Model Based on the Development of Sustainable Competencies in Basic Teacher Training in Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-20, March.
    9. Kevin Handtke & Lisa Richter-Beuschel & Susanne Bögeholz, 2022. "Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Teaching ESD: A Theory-Driven Instrument and the Effectiveness of ESD in German Teacher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-32, May.
    10. Teresa Nogueira & Rui Castro & José Magano, 2023. "Engineering Students Education in Sustainability: The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    11. D. Brent Edwards & Manca Sustarsic & Mina Chiba & Mark McCormick & Melissa Goo & Sara Perriton, 2020. "Achieving and Monitoring Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-57, February.
    12. Carola Garrecht & Till Bruckermann & Ute Harms, 2018. "Students’ Decision-Making in Education for Sustainability-Related Extracurricular Activities—A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, October.

    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. Sedlacek Sabine & Kurka Bernhard & Maier Gunther, 2009. "Regional identity: a key to overcome structural weaknesses in peripheral rural regions?," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 1(4), pages 180-201, January.
    2. Niklas Harring & Sverker C. Jagers, 2013. "Should We Trust in Values? Explaining Public Support for Pro-Environmental Taxes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Gaston Fornes & Abel Monfort & Camelia Ilie & Chun Kwong (Tony) Koo & Guillermo Cardoza, 2019. "Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability in MBAs. Understanding the Motivations for the Incorporation of ERS in Less Traditional Markets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-22, December.
    4. Agneman, Gustav & Henriks, Sofia & Bäck, Hanna & Renström, Emma, 2024. "On the nexus between material and ideological determinants of climate policy support," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    5. Douenne, Thomas & Fabre, Adrien, 2020. "French attitudes on climate change, carbon taxation and other climate policies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    6. Mathias Zannakis & Sverker Molander & Lars-Olof Johansson, 2019. "On the Relationship between Pro-Environmental Behavior, Experienced Monetary Costs, and Psychological Gains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Gevrek, Z.Eylem & Uyduranoglu, Ayse, 2015. "Public preferences for carbon tax attributes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 186-197.
    8. Ariel Sarid & Daphne Goldman, 2021. "A Value-Based Framework Connecting Environmental Citizenship and Change Agents for Sustainability—Implications for Education for Environmental Citizenship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-19, April.
    9. Felicia Robertson & Sverker C. Jagers & Björn Rönnerstrand, 2018. "Managing Sustainable Use of Antibiotics—The Role of Trust," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, January.
    10. Odland, Severin & Rhodes, Ekaterina & Corbett, Meghan & Pardy, Aaron, 2023. "What policies do homeowners prefer for building decarbonization and why? An exploration of climate policy support in Canada," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    11. Elisabete Linhares & Pedro Reis, 2023. "Education for Environmental Citizenship in Pre-Service Teachers: Potentialities and Limitations of a Pedagogical Approach Applied at a Distance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-21, October.
    12. Claudio Siminelli, 2017. "Consumer behaviours and attitudes towards a circular economy: Knowledge and culture as determinants in a four-market analysis," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2017(1-2), pages 135-169.
    13. Jae Young Lim & Kuk-Kyoung Moon, 2020. "Examining the Moderation Effect of Political Trust on the Linkage between Civic Morality and Support for Environmental Taxation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-15, June.
    14. Pariman Boostani & Giuseppe Pellegrini-Masini & Jørgen Klein, 2024. "The Role of Community Energy Schemes in Reducing Energy Poverty and Promoting Social Inclusion: A Systematic Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-29, July.
    15. Joseph Anthony L. Reyes, 2021. "How Different Are the Nordics? Unravelling the Willingness to Make Economic Sacrifices for the Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-31, January.
    16. Karolina Ertmanska, 2021. "Sustainable Consumption Among Youth Consumers," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 3), pages 203-219.
    17. Dolors Setó-Pamies & Eleni Papaoikonomou, 2020. "Sustainable Development Goals: A Powerful Framework for Embedding Ethics, CSR, and Sustainability in Management Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-8, February.
    18. Z. Eylem Gevrek & Ayse Uyduranoglu, 2015. "Public Preferences for Carbon Tax Attributes," Working Paper Series of the Department of Economics, University of Konstanz 2015-15, Department of Economics, University of Konstanz.
    19. Filippo Maria D’Arcangelo & Ilai Levin & Alessia Pagani & Mauro Pisu & Åsa Johansson, 2022. "A framework to decarbonise the economy," OECD Economic Policy Papers 31, OECD Publishing.
    20. George Marbuah, 2019. "Is willingness to contribute for environmental protection in Sweden affected by social capital?," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 21(3), pages 451-475, July.

    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:5:y:2013:i:12:p:5135-5152:d:30946. 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.