Sustainable Education and Approaches
A section of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Section Information
Education in diverse forms and multiple contexts provides the means whereby each generation passes on its culture, discoveries, successes and failures to the next. Without inter-generational education, very little in a human context can be sustainable. Education is also important to formulate, challenge and disseminate ideas, knowledge, skills and values within communities, from young to not so young, and between communities, nations and continents. Education is identified as a key element of sustainability-focused strategies in many contexts and levels: signatories to the Talloires Declaration1 promise to “educate for environmentally responsible citizenship”; and Agenda 212 declares that education “is critical for achieving environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour consistent with sustainable development and for effective public participation in decision- making.” The critical role of education has been reconfirmed recently in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals3 and the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development4.
And yet, education also provides the means whereby societies can consolidate and perpetuate, or sustain, ways of knowing, being and doing that may nurture economies or individual societies or communities, but may not be sustainable in other respects. The concept of sustainability demands that we consider long time periods, environmental stability, and the needs of people in diverse places and of non-human inhabitants of the planet. A key challenge for this section is, therefore, to help scholarly communities distinguish between educational approaches that seek to sustain the ‘unsustainable’ from those that seek something else, whatever that may be. Research about, or to promote, high-quality education that does not challenge the status quo will not readily find a place within this section.
Accordingly, Section Editors for the section ‘Sustainable Education and Approaches’ are interested in original and scholarly research articles, conceptual articles, review articles and commentaries that link education to environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability and sustainable development. The section ‘sustainable education and approaches’ welcomes the full range of previously-unpublished scholarly communication indicated within the journal’s aims (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/about). Also, in line with this journal’s policy of having no restriction on the overall length of the paper, Section Editors will expect academic communications to be concise, clear and readable. Authors are advised to make full use of ‘supplementary material’ in their submissions.
1 Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future 1994, The Talloires Declaration 10 Point Action Plan. Accessed 15th December 2017 at http://ulsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TD.pdf
2 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992): Agenda 21. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Online at: "http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm".
3 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2017): Education for Sustainable Development Goals. Learning Objectives. Paris: UNESCO. Online at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002474/247444e.pdf
4 United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2014): Roadmap for Implementing the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO. Paris.
Editorial Board
Topic Board
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Sustainable Educational Technology and E-learning (Deadline: 31 August 2021)
- Developing (Transformative) Environmental and Sustainability Education in Classroom Practice (Deadline: 31 August 2021)
- Post-pandemic Technology Enhanced Language Learning (Deadline: 31 August 2021)
- Mobilizing Higher Education for the 2030 Agenda (Deadline: 31 August 2021)
- Influencers: Media Competence and Global Citizenship (Deadline: 1 September 2021)
- Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Education in Teacher Training in Time of Pandemic (Deadline: 15 September 2021)
- Sustainable Technology-Enhanced Education: Learning Processes, Technologies and Environments (Deadline: 15 September 2021)
- Digital Teaching Competences for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Advances in Evaluation of Sustainable Educational Programs (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Design Methodology for Educational Games (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Digital Transformation in Education and Emerging Educational Technologies. Innovation and Research in a Sustainable Society (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- School Violence, Diversity and Psychosocial Environment: Bullying, Cyberbullying, Discrimination and Social Exclusion (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Sustainable Education: The Educational Response to Students with Disabilities (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Engineering Education for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Towards a Sustainable Future through Innovative STEM Education (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Educational Technologies (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Challenges and Sustainable Development of Mid-career Educators (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Intercultural Education and Promotion of Sustainability, as an Improvement in Educational Quality, with a Focus on Technological Advancement (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- The Role of Higher Education Institutions for Sustainability (Deadline: 30 September 2021)
- Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching: Sustainable Education (Deadline: 15 October 2021)
- Innovation and Education for the Sustainable Development of Mineral Raw Materials (Deadline: 15 October 2021)
- Serious Gaming for Sustainability – Educational, Policy, and Research Perspectives (Deadline: 31 October 2021)
- The Future of the Maker Movement (Deadline: 31 October 2021)
- Education as Co-Responding to the More-than-Human World: Towards Thoughtful Practices in Place-Engaged Sustainability Education (Deadline: 31 October 2021)
- ADHD and Related Problems in the Classroom: Perspectives for Sustainability (Deadline: 31 October 2021)
- Education 4.0: Mobilizing for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 31 October 2021)
- Co-education and Sustainability in Higher Education (Deadline: 1 November 2021)
- Sustainability in Educational Travel and Environmental Protection (Deadline: 1 November 2021)
- Games and Learning: Actions for Quality Education as a Sustainable Development Goal (Deadline: 25 November 2021)
- Learning Analytics for a Sustainable Education: Explicit Use of Data for Social Justice (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Geographical Education for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Education to Influence Pro-environmental Behavior (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Active School Concept (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Environmental Sustainability Education in the Anthropocene (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Environmental Education Researches (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Can Education for Sustainability Ignore Assessment? Agreements and Disagreements on Innovative Practices (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Integrated Learning Innovations (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Modelling, Assessment, and Promotion of Climate Literacy (Deadline: 30 November 2021)
- Emergent Approaches to Prospective Thinking for Sustainable Development in Engineering Education (Deadline: 1 December 2021)
- Sustainability on Education Policies (Deadline: 1 December 2021)
- Environmental Education for Nursing Students: Environmental Awareness for Sustainable Healthcare (Deadline: 10 December 2021)
- ICTs in Sustainable Education Environments (Deadline: 15 December 2021)
- The Role of Education and Learning in Creating Agents of Change for Sustainability (Deadline: 15 December 2021)
- Mobile Technology, Gamification and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Sustainability in Education (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Transnational Research Collaboration and Its Impact (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Gender Diversity in STEM Disciplines (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Transversally in Education (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Sustainability Pedagogies for Training with Technologies (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Ensuring Quality Education and Good Learning Environments for Students (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Physical Education and Educational Innovation for Sustainability (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- The Futures of Education in the Global Context: Sustainable Distance Education (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Health Education and COVID-19 Pandemic: Towards a Holistic Sustainability (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Innovative Pedagogies for Cultivating Leadership amidst the Climate Change Crisis (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Education in the New Agenda 2030 (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Feature Papers in Sustainable Education and Approaches (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Locating Cross-Educational Approaches to Develop SDGs (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Promoting Pro-environmental Awareness and Behaviors in Campus (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Applied Sustainability for SDG Implementation (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Environmental and Sustainability Education in Early Years: Global Contexts, Understandings and Perspectives (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- The Application of Social Robots in Sustainable Education (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Education for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 31 December 2021)
- Sustainability in Educational Computing (Deadline: 22 January 2022)
- Socio-Ecological Education for Sustainability (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Understanding Teachers’ Emotions and Well-being for Sustainable School Development (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Thinking Entrepreneurially, Thinking Sustainably: How Do We Learn How? Innovative and Responsible Pedagogy in Entrepreneurship and Management Education (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Educational Research in the Era of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Towards Sustainable Language Learning and Teaching (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Physical Education for Sustainability: Policy and Practice (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Harnessing Sustainability for E-Learning Systems, Platforms, Paradigms and Standards (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Technology-Enhanced Learning and Innovative Practices in Engineering Education (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Social Networks and Citizenship: Towards a Cyber-Connected and Empowered World (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Education for Sustainable Development: Different Routes, Similar Targets (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Care as a Foundational Organizing Principle of Social Sustainability in Early Childhood Education (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Blockchain in Distance Learning Education (Deadline: 31 January 2022)
- Online and Blended Learning Open Environments, Strategies Approaches and Experiences (Deadline: 1 February 2022)
- Aspirations within Interdisciplinary STEM/STEAM Education under the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) (Deadline: 28 February 2022)
- Intersecting Issues of Sustainability and Inclusivity in Engineering Education (Deadline: 1 March 2022)
- Entrepreneurship and Sustainability of Higher Education (Deadline: 10 March 2022)
- Post-COVID-19 Education for a Sustainable Future: Challenges, Emerging Technologies and Trends (Deadline: 11 March 2022)
- Digital Competences for a Sustainable Society (Deadline: 30 March 2022)
- Applied Linguistics and Language Education for Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 March 2022)
- Sustainable Biology Conservation through Teaching and Learning (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- Metacognition, Learning Strategies, and Self-Regulated Learning to Promote Sustained Learning (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- The Application of Robotics in Sustainability Education (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- Education and Sustainable Development Goals: Experience from China and Finland (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- E-learning Personalization Systems and Sustainable Education (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- Sustainable Education and Social Networks (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- Emotional Tutoring System and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Education (Deadline: 31 March 2022)
- Education for Sustainable Development: Commitments and Challenges——Selected Papers from CIEI 2021 (Deadline: 30 April 2022)
- Engaging Students in Sustainable Science Education (Deadline: 15 May 2022)
- University Education in the Age of COVID-19: Creativity, Innovation and New Methodologies (Deadline: 31 May 2022)
- Education for Environmental Citizenship (Deadline: 31 May 2022)
- Sustainability in Water & Climate Change Environmental Education (Deadline: 30 June 2022)
- Impact of Covid-19 on Students and Teachers in Higher Education Institutions. Proposals and Policies for Improvement (Deadline: 30 June 2022)
- Bullying and Cyberbullying: Challenges toward a Sustainable Campus (Deadline: 30 June 2022)
- The Climate Competence in Education (Deadline: 30 June 2022)
- Sustainable Education Technologies in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Era (Deadline: 7 July 2022)
- Advances in Research for Innovation in Teaching in Different Areas of Knowledge: A Step Toward Educational Sustainability (Deadline: 30 September 2022)
- Outdoor Education for Sustainability (Deadline: 31 October 2022)
- Inclusive Education and Digital Transition. A Path to Sustainable Social Inclusion (Deadline: 30 April 2023)
- Socio-educational Globalization and Ubiquitous Technologies for the Development of Sustainable Citizenship during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Deadline: 3 July 2023)
- Education for Sustainable Development: Transversal Skills in Sustainability in Higher Education (Deadline: 12 July 2023)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Approaches and Methods of Science Teaching and Sustainable Development
- Education, Innovation and Training for Sustainable Development in the Context of COVID-19
- Graduate Employment and Sustainability in a Global and Changing Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Higher Education
- Higher Education in Innovation Ecosystems
- Science Education Promoting Sustainability
- Sustainability, Motivation and the Teaching-Learning Process in Physical Education and Sport
- Sustainable Citizenship and Education
- Sustainable Teaching and Learning Strategies in the Digital Age
- Teacher Professional Development in ESD