Veganism… palm oil… tourism… fossil fuels… capitalism… climate change… plastics
The list goes on. They are amongst some of the most hotly debated issues within sustainability today. As people, they are issues we are likely all aware of. As educators, we are responsible for researching and educating ourselves about a wide range of topics, as learning for sustainability (or education for sustainable development) is something we need to teach.
In this blog, we explore what sustainable teaching is, some of the difficulties teachers may face with it, pedagogical approaches and actions kids can take to lead more sustainable lifestyles.
The ESD Strategy states that:
“Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.
Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues in teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption.
It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.
Education for Sustainable Development requires far-reaching changes in the way education is often practised today.”
https://unece.org/esd-strategy
You can see this heavily reflected by Education Scotland’s definition of Learning for Sustainability:
“Learning for sustainability (LfS) is an approach to life and learning which enables learners, educators, schools and their wider communities to build a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society. An effective whole school and community approach to LfS weaves together global citizenship, sustainable development education and outdoor learning to create coherent, rewarding and transformative learning experiences.”
Difficulties
I started my Masters in Learning for Sustainability five years ago. At that point, a lot of these issues were not mainstream. They might feature on Newsround occasionally, but that was rare. I spent so many hours explaining to a wide range of people what my degree was. Five years on, the general public is far more aware of the term sustainability and its wide range of issues.
However, one of the difficulties educators can face with this is a constant evolution of discussions around sustainable issues. One such problem is that of palm oil. I recently included Nutella Day in my suggested dates to be aware of with outdoor learning. I received several emails complaining about the inclusion of this because a key ingredient is palm oil.
Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that is derived from the pulp of the fruit of oil palms. There is no doubt that palm oil is a genuine concern to the world. Large parts of natural forests are killed to make room for these plantations. The estimate is that palm oil kills about an area of 300 football fields of tropical rainforest per hour. This means that millions of acres of natural forests are lost, and numerous species suffer the horrific consequences of this mass deforestation.
Yet, in 2021 Ferrero (the company behind Nutella) came third in the WWF list of companies leading the way with sustainable palm oil use (in the WWF Palm Oil Scorecard – see it here https://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/uploads/WWF_2021_Palm_Oil_Buyers_Scorecard_Full_Report.pdf)
I am not saying that this negates the issue; it does not. But it does open up the chance for a discussion with children about the issues surrounding this. Nutella Day is a perfect time for us to do just that.
The evolving issues with sustainability can make it difficult for teachers to know the up-to-date facts and information. This can lead to us avoiding them or sharing out-of-date information. Research and dialogue are key.
Pedagogical Approaches
Learning for sustainability is more than just having discussions. Plymouth University has identified five pedagogic elements that cover various pedagogical approaches or methods for their teams delivering LfS. These can be transferred to the primary classroom.
Critical reflection – including the more traditional chalk and talk, videos, reflexive accounts, learning journals, and discussion groups
As a teacher, that could be watching a video and, discussing, asking children to reflect upon the issue. I could also ask them to investigate a problem and find out more.
Systemic thinking and analysis – the use of real-world case studies and critical incidents, project-based learning, stimulus activities
The Nutella issue above is a real-life case study of how things evolve. But I also vividly remember being in primary seven when the Braer Oil Spill hit the news. In January 1993, the oil tanker ran aground during a severe storm resulting in the death of hundreds of birds and harm to the environment. This led to my class having a bake sale to raise funds (I made dropped scones with my dad), and we even invited the RSPB into school to teach us more. It was a real-life, teachable, critical incident that is still with me thirty years on.
Participatory learning – with emphasis on group or peer learning, developing dialogue, experiential learning, action research/learning to act, and developing case studies with local community groups and business
This might be your traditional litter pick, heading outdoors for outdoor learning, participating in woodland stewardship etc.
Thinking creatively for future scenarios – by using role play, real-world inquiry, futures visioning, problem-based learning, and providing space for emergence.
Part of my Masters’s degree included trying to redesign the fridge and make it more sustainable. I am not an engineer, but it made me investigate how fridges are made, the curricular economy and more. Yes, this is likely far too advanced for primary school children, but can they think of ways to encourage green transport, reduce food miles etc.
Collaborative learning – including contributions from guest speakers, work-based learning, interdisciplinary/ multidisciplinary working, and collaborative learning and co-inquiry.
Just like my primary seven experience and the RSPB coming into school.
What Kids Can Do
When exploring these issues, it is vital to do so; it is also essential to be aware of the rise of eco-anxiety among school children. They are constantly bombarded with the message that the end is nigh, yet we can help them see the difference they can make and help them with those feelings.
Simple things that kids can do include,
Reading
Information books are essential for providing the facts, and the evolving narrative around sustainability has led to many illustrators and authors embracing the power of storytelling to explore issues such as plastic pollution, climate migration and different cultures around the world. ‘A Planet Full of Plastic: and how you can help’ by illustrator Neal Layton, with its focus on tangible solutions softening any of the eco-anxiety that might result from such conversations, is a great starting place.
Active Actions
We see schools moving towards plastic-free and low waste… this is great, but it can add pressure on parents and school staff. It can also disempower children as they are not the ones shopping or making the choices. Instead, we can highlight using reusable school boxes, recycling the packaging within packed lunch boxes, having food waste bins, etc. Little actions done well can make a huge change. You can also sign schools up for TerraCycle schemes, where the children collect and return crisp packets and lunch box packaging. This is a feasible solution for children of all ages to participate in.
As we all work together and find ways to highlight sustainable issues, we can develop a fundamental change in this world.
