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Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 4733

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. José Manuel Pérez Martín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: biology education; early childhood education; environmental education; higher education; primary education; scientific practices; secondary education; sustainability; teaching methods
Dr. Tamara Esquivel-Martín

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Specific Didactics, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: biology education; early childhood education; environmental education; higher education; primary education; scientific practices; secondary education; sustainability; teaching methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding Environmental Education (EE) is increasingly complex due to its multidisciplinary nature. Traditional EE in teaching has mainly focused on conveying ecological content and raising awareness of environmental issues without a clear emphasis on actionable objectives. This is exacerbated by the neglect of EE content in early education stages, where foundational learning occurs.

Additionally, EE often lacks a health perspective, and Health Education is seldom linked to environmental health. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to contemplate the novel educational direction required to achieve high-quality and transformative "Education for Environmental, Animal, and Human Health (One Health)". This entails educating students about healthy environmental characteristics, signs of deterioration, the impacts of an unhealthy environment on human and animal health, and everyday actions to prevent and mitigate damage. Ideally, this would foster an understanding that environmental issues vary across regions and affect organisms differently.

The One Health approach is typically discussed in the medical and ecotoxicology literature, focusing on topics such as microbial resistance, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic diseases. However, there is limited research on its integration into classroom education. Additionally, many citizens overlook environmental and animal health when considering health issues, reflecting their utilitarian view of the environment and other organisms, as seen in the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Special Issue welcomes original articles exploring "Environmental Education for Sustainability" and the "One Health Approach in Education," especially if they integrate both perspectives. We particularly encourage the submission of studies that investigate how incorporating the One Health approach into classrooms through EE (systematic reviews, intervention proposals, case studies, and so on) can motivate citizens to enhance sustainability. Manuscripts should adhere to journal guidelines and prioritize clarity, coherence, and conciseness.

Prof. Dr. José Manuel Pérez Martín
Dr. Tamara Esquivel-Martín
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • comprehensive literacy
  • early childhood education
  • educational transfer
  • environmental citizenship
  • environmental education
  • one health
  • primary education
  • scientific practices
  • secondary education
  • teaching training

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 12283 KiB  
Article
Learning Along the GreenWay: An Experiential, Transdisciplinary Outdoor Classroom for Planetary Health Education
by Susan M. Thompson and Nick Chapman
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4143; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094143 - 3 May 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Built environment professionals are instrumental in envisioning, implementing and managing the urban realm to ensure that it is health supportive and sustainable. Central to their education is developing a deep understanding and appreciation of this responsibility and opportunity. Despite some progress in the [...] Read more.
Built environment professionals are instrumental in envisioning, implementing and managing the urban realm to ensure that it is health supportive and sustainable. Central to their education is developing a deep understanding and appreciation of this responsibility and opportunity. Despite some progress in the classroom, challenges continue given the long history of siloed and separated disciplines and curricula. The climate emergency, ongoing chronic health conditions, and more recently the global pandemic demand a continued reframing of education away from the tradition of sequential, separated and unlinked faculty and school-based subjects to be transdisciplinary, experiential and authentic. Such principles are embraced by the Planetary Health Educational Framework and One Health. Against this theoretical context, we present our long-term educational practice using the GreenWay in Sydney, Australia, as an outdoor classroom for school and tertiary students. This multi-purpose, complex and nature-based green corridor in the urban heart of an international city facilitates experiential and transdisciplinary learning from a planetary health perspective. Based on the successes and challenges of our teaching, we reflect on the implications for environmental educators to deliver authentic and experiential outdoor education that inspires and empowers the next generation to create health-supportive and sustainable environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities)
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19 pages, 993 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Student Behavior with the Learner-Centered Approach in Sustainable Hospitality Education
by Shang-Yu Liu, Chin-Lien Hung, Chen-Ying Yen, Yen Su and Wei-Shuo Lo
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 3821; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093821 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
This study aims to implement the concept of education for sustainable development by 2030, which can be applied in the context of hospitality education in the Asia–Pacific region. Specifically, this study focuses on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12, which pertains to responsible consumption [...] Read more.
This study aims to implement the concept of education for sustainable development by 2030, which can be applied in the context of hospitality education in the Asia–Pacific region. Specifically, this study focuses on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12, which pertains to responsible consumption and production, particularly in relation to food. A case study was conducted using a learner-centered approach, wherein students, as active agents, can solve problems using professional skills such as cooking, baking, and beverage preparation. Through participant observations, students learn about sustainability, starting from natural farming and extending to banquet planning and entrepreneurship simulation in a green restaurant. The program was designed as a farm-to-table process for sustainability learning. A conceptual framework of a hospitality–health supply chain was constructed to understand how the program supports the goal of education for sustainable development for 2030—societal transformation. The study has several important implications. Students are trained to be responsible producers in a green dining setting, starting from practical classroom experiences in the kitchen of a green restaurant, which will enhance their becoming the critical human resources in the hospitality industry. This program offers a successful vocational education opportunity, teaching students how to responsibly run an enterprise with low-carbon products and services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities)
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22 pages, 1394 KiB  
Article
Dealing with Urban Biodiversity Through Butterfly Gardens: A Project-Based Learning Proposal for Pre-Service Teachers Training
by Zoel Salvadó and Maite Novo
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2195; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052195 - 3 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1069
Abstract
Research in environmental education points out the need for an improvement in pre-service teacher education training in this area. This proposal follows PBL methodology and focuses on the development of an environmental education project whose final product is the organization of a science [...] Read more.
Research in environmental education points out the need for an improvement in pre-service teacher education training in this area. This proposal follows PBL methodology and focuses on the development of an environmental education project whose final product is the organization of a science fair for elementary school students. The 5-week project addresses the topic of urban biodiversity decline and uses the butterfly garden as an initiative to mitigate it. Four months after the program ended, a survey was administered to the 86 participating pre-service teachers. A mixed-methods approach was used, collecting quantitative data on perceptions of urban biodiversity decline, the One Health concept, and environmental education, along with qualitative keyword responses to open-ended questions about the butterfly garden’s impact and the project’s value for self-learning and professional development. Participants reported positive perceptions regarding butterfly gardens after participating in our environmental program, recognizing them as both a valuable educational resource and an effective initiative to mitigate urban biodiversity decline. Respondents showed a strong pro-environmental attitude, taking seriously their role in transmitting environmental values. Using a butterfly garden for teaching purposes offers insight into environmental literacy, connection with nature, and improvements in well-being and is a powerful platform for deep and meaningful pedagogical learning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities)
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21 pages, 7293 KiB  
Article
Primary-Education Students’ Performance in Arguing About a Socioscientific Issue: The Case of Pharmaceuticals in Surface Water
by Nuria Fernández-Huetos, José Manuel Pérez-Martín, Irene Guevara-Herrero and Tamara Esquivel-Martín
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1618; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041618 - 15 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 848
Abstract
The teaching of environmental education must change to promote critical, sustainable, and reflective engagement with environmental problems. This study introduces a social-science question for primary education focused on pharmaceuticals in surface water. The aims of the paper are to evaluate the level of [...] Read more.
The teaching of environmental education must change to promote critical, sustainable, and reflective engagement with environmental problems. This study introduces a social-science question for primary education focused on pharmaceuticals in surface water. The aims of the paper are to evaluate the level of students’ performance in arguing their answers in relation to the reference answer; their use and interpretation of provided materials from which they draw the evidence to justify their arguments; and the type of solutions they propose in the framework of sustainability. This is carried out by analyzing the content of their written reports and the discourse during their group discussions. Statistical tests are also used to compare their individual and group performance. The results show that students perform at an intermediate level. They use text and video effectively but struggle with graphs and maps. Their proposed solutions are contextually appropriate and consider multiple perspectives. Notably, their performance is similar whether working individually or in groups. All in all, this pedagogical intervention in the framework of scientific practices and transformative environmental education supports the development of scientific thinking and sheds light on how students process information when addressing socio-environmental issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities)
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19 pages, 3116 KiB  
Article
Are Future Teachers Involved in Contributing to and Promoting the Reduction of Massive Waste Generation?
by María Ángeles García-Fortes, Unai Ortega-Lasuen, Patricia Esteve-Guirao, Oihana Barrutia, Ana Ruiz-Navarro, Daniel Zuazagoitia, Magdalena Valverde-Pérez, José Ramón Díez and Isabel Banos-González
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177624 - 3 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Massive waste generation linked to overconsumption is considered one of the most significant socio-ecological issues today, becoming a challenge for health and well-being and a barrier to achieving sustainability. Education is key to raising awareness and involving citizens in the adoption of responsible [...] Read more.
Massive waste generation linked to overconsumption is considered one of the most significant socio-ecological issues today, becoming a challenge for health and well-being and a barrier to achieving sustainability. Education is key to raising awareness and involving citizens in the adoption of responsible consumption habits, facilitating the recognition of the relationship between our daily activities and the production of waste. The aim of this exploratory study is to analyse the perceptions and commitments of future secondary school teachers (FTs) toward this issue and to explore the educational approaches they propose to address it in the classroom (n = 138). In this work, a mixed-methods approach was used based on quantitative and qualitative data collected through a questionnaire. The results show that FTs have difficulties in recognising the different factors involved in the problem of massive waste generation. However, they incorporate the health and ecological vision, which is close to the holistic vision of the One Health approach. The majority of them take personal responsibility for the problem, although they opt for low-effort options. Regarding the educational proposals they design, only a minority can do it following a commitment-oriented approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fostering the One Health Approach in Environmental Education: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities)
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