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Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education
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Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 6681

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Dana Perniu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Product Design, Mechatronics and Environment, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Interests: environmental education; education for sustainable development; environmental ethics; inorganic materials for solar energy conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Corina Cace

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: social policy; social work; management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, humanity faces the unprecedented risks of producing abrupt or irreversible environmental changes at the planetary level. Nine planetary boundaries are proposed: climatic change, strospheric ozone depletion, biosphere integrity, land-system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, ocean acidification, atmospheric ozone loading, and novel entities; all of these factors will allow humanity to develop and thrive for generations to come. The boundaries are interconnected processes in the complex Earth system, and the most recent update finds that six of the nine planetary boundaries have been exceeded. Significant changes do not occur overnight: the boundaries together indicate an important turning point after which humans and ecosystems are at risk. In this context, education plays a pivotal role by addressing the challenges posed by planetary boundaries overcoming. It should cover the interconnectedness of the Earth’s systems and the impact of human activities, fostering a sense of responsibility and encouraging transformations in consumption patterns and daily practices. Understanding system complexity needs critical thinking and skills necessary to evaluate information and make informed decisions in different situations. Education inspires innovation, fostering the culture of curiosity and problem-solving, fostering responsibility, and promoting a sense of global citizenship. In this context, environmental education is not only about ecological systems, it is also closely intertwined with education for sustainable development, working together to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills and values required to address challenges posed by planetary boundaries. This Special Issue will provide an opportunity to share the most recent research and project results to empower individuals to become responsible and engaged citizens who can contribute to a more sustainable future by focusing education at different levels, ranging from education policy and curriculum development to innovative teaching strategies and methods in daily educational activities.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue with an eye on the future generations and their safe, healthy and good quality of life on this planet!

Prof. Dr. Dana Perniu
Dr. Corina Cace
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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

  • environmental education
  • education for sustainability
  • planetary boundaries
  • innovative teaching
  • complexity
  • problem solving
  • environmental ethics

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1557 KB  
Article
Storytelling and Hands-On Science to Engage Children in Climate and Gender-Aware Education
by Sabrina Presto and Cristina Mangia
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031332 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 685
Abstract
Children’s responses to the climate crisis range from mistrust and helplessness to activism and eco-anxiety, highlighting the need for early educational experiences that foster constructive engagement. At the same time, the persistent underrepresentation of women in science highlights the importance of integrating gender [...] Read more.
Children’s responses to the climate crisis range from mistrust and helplessness to activism and eco-anxiety, highlighting the need for early educational experiences that foster constructive engagement. At the same time, the persistent underrepresentation of women in science highlights the importance of integrating gender awareness into science education. While hands-on activities and storytelling are widely recognized as effective educational strategies, less attention has been given to how these approaches can be meaningfully combined within a single learning experience. This exploratory study investigates the integration of hands-on environmental science activities and theatrical storytelling as an interdisciplinary, gender-aware educational design for children aged 6 to 11. The intervention included clean energy and greenhouse effect experiments guided by two actresses portraying pioneering scientists, Eunice Newton Foote and Susan Solomon, situating scientific concepts within narrative, historical, and social contexts. Qualitative observations and an exploratory analysis of children’s drawings indicate that narrative and embodied approaches can support cognitive and emotional engagement while fostering more inclusive representations of scientific practice. The study proposes a preliminary, interdisciplinary approach of engagement and inclusion, providing a starting point for future research on integrated, gender-aware environmental education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education)
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18 pages, 985 KB  
Article
Balancing Skill Standardisation and Ethical Internalisation: Toward a Skill–Ethics Equilibrium Framework for Ecological Physical Education
by Ke-Xiang Yang, Lu-Ming Tao, Shan Huang, Xiao-Long Zhang and Hyun-Chul Jeong
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010139 - 22 Dec 2025
Viewed by 691
Abstract
In response to UNESCO’s call to integrate sustainability into curriculum design, this study examines the structure of ecological physical education (PE) objectives in China and South Korea and how these patterns reflect different approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Using a dual-dimensional [...] Read more.
In response to UNESCO’s call to integrate sustainability into curriculum design, this study examines the structure of ecological physical education (PE) objectives in China and South Korea and how these patterns reflect different approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Using a dual-dimensional framework integrating Weber’s instrumental–value rationality distinction and Hauenstein’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, this study conducts a qualitative comparative analysis of ecological PE objectives from the 2022 national curricula of China and South Korea. The analysis focuses exhaustively on the ecological modules within these curricula rather than the full set of PE standards. The findings indicate that China’s curriculum exhibits a linear, standardisation-oriented progression, with objectives concentrated in the Acquisition and Performance levels (31.6% each) and no Accomplishment-level objectives, suggesting limited formal pathways for higher-order ecological enactment. In contrast, South Korea’s curriculum shows a value-oriented spiral progression, with objectives spanning Assimilation (23.5%), Adaptation (58.8%), and Accomplishment (11.8%) levels, suggesting alignment with national sustainability policies. The study proposes the Skill–Ethics Equilibrium framework as an integrative model that synthesises the complementary strengths of both systems, offering dual optimisation pathways: one to strengthen ethical enactment in China and another to enhance evaluative clarity in Korea. This framework provides a theoretically grounded heuristic for advancing ESD-aligned ecological PE in diverse educational contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education)
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36 pages, 3392 KB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Urban and Metropolis Games: A Typology and Evaluation Framework for Participatory and Educational City-Making
by Katarzyna Mazur, Adam Gil, Tomasz Bradecki, Justyna Nowak, Paulina Siudyka and Karolina Dębczak
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10173; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210173 - 13 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1419
Abstract
Contemporary cities and metropolises, as complex spatial and social structures, require innovative tools for promotion, education, and the identification of development potential. The search for such tools prompted the authors to conduct the research. This article attempts to assess the effectiveness of urban [...] Read more.
Contemporary cities and metropolises, as complex spatial and social structures, require innovative tools for promotion, education, and the identification of development potential. The search for such tools prompted the authors to conduct the research. This article attempts to assess the effectiveness of urban and metropolitan games as tools of territorial marketing and as means of supporting spatial education and social participation. The research is based on the analysis of 42 games with urban and metropolitan themes, selected according to defined criteria. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied, including documentation analysis, comparative analysis techniques, statistical methods, case studies, and coding of games across seven parameters (dimensions), using five descriptors (coded 1–5) per parameter. The research results indicate a high diversity among the analyzed games in terms of structure, function, and application. The proposed typology of games allowed for an in-depth, systematic comparison. The identification of five typological clusters allowed for an assessment of the advantages and limitations of individual game forms. This provided data on the suitability of individual game types for various purposes, including their application in territorial marketing and urban education. The findings confirm that urban and metropolitan games can play a significant role in building spatial awareness, supporting planning processes, and promoting urban areas. They represent an innovative tool supporting the sustainable development of cities and metropolises, particularly in the areas of resident engagement in decision-making processes, collaboration between authorities, residents, and non-governmental organizations, planning with consideration for future generations, as well as fostering—even among the younger generation—a sense of shared responsibility for urban space and the decisions undertaken. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education)
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23 pages, 12457 KB  
Article
Low-Carbon Education: Insights and Trends for Sustainable Development Through Knowledge Graphs
by Yuran Jin and Jiahui Liu
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1933; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051933 - 24 Feb 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1471
Abstract
Sustainability is an inherent requirement of scientific development, and low-carbon development is the key to sustainability. Low-carbon education (LCE) can spread environmental concepts and provide talent support for sustainable development. However, there is still an obvious gap in systematic research on LCE, let [...] Read more.
Sustainability is an inherent requirement of scientific development, and low-carbon development is the key to sustainability. Low-carbon education (LCE) can spread environmental concepts and provide talent support for sustainable development. However, there is still an obvious gap in systematic research on LCE, let alone in visual research. From the perspective of scientometrics, 189 papers on LCE from 2015 to 2024 were systematically analyzed. Software such as Gephi 0.10.1, VOSviewer 1.6.20, and CiteSpace 6.3.3 was used to visually analyze the references and keywords of the collected literature, identifying research hotspots and emerging trends in LCE. The results show that educational subjects, educational methods, educational courses, and educational evaluation are hot topics in the field of LCE. Explosive themes such as “sustainable power generation”, “education facilities”, “higher education expansion”, and “artificial intelligence of things” are emerging trends in LCE. The overall evolution trend in LCE after 2015 can be divided into two stages: an explosive stage (2015–2020) and an emerging stage (2020–2024). University LCE, social LCE, and behavioral LCE are the main research directions of LCE. Through the visual analysis of the LCE literature, the research hotspots and emerging trends in LCE can be more intuitively and comprehensively understood, providing a valuable reference for subsequent research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educating for Sustainability: Advances and Challenges in Environmental Education)
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