Summary
This study is concerned with the investigation of current teaching contributions to Education for Sustainable Development in the context of secondary school education in cross curricular settings. It looks at three different subject areas – science, social science and language. The study delineates the similarities and differences in the teaching methods implored through analysis of teachers’ own descriptions of ESD. The arising research questions are: 1. What are the specific ESD teaching contributions to the different subject areas of science, social science and language. 2. How are these contributions unique and how do the overlap. The methodology utilised for this study was in the form of group discussion inspired by the focus group method. Group discussion creates a productive atmosphere and can often encourage healthy debate on topics revealing information on teachers apprehensions of, and reflections on, their teaching practices. 10 groups were invited to participate in the group discussions. The group discussions followed a three phase process. 1. 5-10min – Individual descriptions on Post-it notes, 2. 15-20min Group discussion and sorting through the post-it notes, 3. 40-50min Group discussion about changes in teaching.
Findings from the group discussion (taken from table 2.)
Science
What - Scientific facts primarily in environmental science, use and production of energy, ecology, toxics, radiation, global warming and UNESCO’s seventeen global goals.
How - Teacher-centred and text-book teaching, lecturing and short occasional group work.
Why - Students should learn scientific facts to know how to act according to science, students’ scientific knowledge
Social science
What - Natural resources and fair distribution, globalisation, climate change, sustainability, world trade, consumption, human rights, population and growth transport.
How - Lecturing, group works and political discussions, different actions to promote abilities through role-play and local community collaborations
Why - Students should learn how to act and relate to other people in a wide cultural sense, students themselves related to other people
Language
What - ESD content mainly from the media, climate change, recycling, travel, consumption, the climate effect of food, news from the media and material from NGOs, e.g. World Wildlife Fund
How - Quite teacher-centred teaching Information and presentation support for science and social science collaborations. Discussions in pairs, small groups, role-play and an active use
of websites.
Why - Students should learn about themselves and form their identity
through communication, students’ emphasis on identity and communication
Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This study is relevant to the enhancement of ESD literature and thus contributes to the development of teaching at HEIs. The study finds what teachers perceive to be the primary issues of sustainable development, how they should be taught and why they are valuable. The he insight into teachers understanding and abilities into the teaching ESD across three different subjects opens room for discussion or further research into cross-curricular teaching. While the study conducted under the context of secondary education, this could be scaled third level education under the same research aim.
