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Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 22575

Special Issue Editors

Dr. M. Mahruf C. Shohel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Business and Law, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5PJ, UK
Interests: education for sustainable development; global citizenship; access to education and learning; education in emergencies; social justice and education; cultural diversity in education; childhood studies; teaching and learning; continuous professional development; effective professional practice; social science research methods; action research and reflective practice; development management; systems thinking
Dr. Andrew John Howes

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Interests: education for sustainable development; global citizenship; teacher education; STEM education; science education; science teacher education; critical thinking in STEM; collaborative action research; reflective practice; education for social justice; ecological systems theory; socio-cultural theories

Special Issue Information

Education has long been understood as contributing to the development of human potential as well as social growth (Dewey 1899). It has also been seen as a basic human right and as an integral part of access to political power and participation for women and men (Haq 1997; Torres 1990) and as a process of societal development. The social purposes of education are expressed and achieved through the dialogic development of individuals’ behaviour in interaction with ecological systems, and thus, educating future generations is becoming oriented towards the construction and maintenance of a sustainable future. Since the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014), significant efforts have been made in many countries to embed evidence-based learning in relation to sustainability in the curriculum in formal, nonformal and informal education. Sustainable development means ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their needs’ (WCED 1987: 43). As ‘human beings are at the centre for concern for sustainable development’ (UNCED 1992: Principle 1), the centrality of education in contributing to sustainable development is clear. In the context of serious questions about sustainability of development processes, education should contribute to the competence of individuals to participate in and construct a sustainable way of life. However, the link between education and development works in the other direction as well, so that unsustainable development is associated with weaker education for sustainability, with consequences for individual development. More urgently than ever, evidence based on recent educational research is required to support informed decision-making in educational policy and practice, towards educating new generations of global citizens with the deep understanding of the interconnectedness and interdependence of human societies and dealing with sustainability in every sphere of life. In terms of practice, research is needed on how curriculum and assessment can be enhanced and what pedagogical approaches should be incorporated in different levels of education. In terms of policy, sustainable development should be at the heart of the debate in relation to the purposes of education and development. The goal of this Special Issue is to contribute to this developmental debate by presenting findings from recent educational research from diverse contexts in order to stimulate policy, practice and innovation for fostering education for sustainable development, especially how educational institutions of all kinds can take up modes of action which facilitate action for sustainability in local and global policy and practice.

Dear Colleagues,

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a key concept to understand planet Earth, global warming, environmental degradation, disaster and livelihood destruction, and above all the vulnerability of our future generations. ESD is vital for training and preparing our next generations to adapt to the current situation, take care of the planetary health as our shared responsibility, and innovate towareds green policy and practice. To facilitate this process, critical investigations of current policy and practice in ESD are not only essential, they must be effectively showcased for policy-makers and practitioners.

In this context, this Special Issue aims to bring together academics and scholars from different parts of the world to present their research on how to better prepare our new generations through education for sustainable development for a sustainable society. As one of the contemporary issues in the fields of education and development, ESD has received a great deal of attention from policymakers, development workers, and educators to overcome the challenge of educating new generations and contributing to a sustainable world for the generations to come. 

In this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, and discussion papers are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Conceptual and Theoretical Understanding of Education for Sustainable Development
  • Citizenship Education and Sustainability
  • Community-based Approacehes to Education for Sustainability
  • Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in School Curriculum
  • Education for Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals
  • Pedagogical Approaches for Education for Sustainable Development
  • Postcolonial Critics and Education for Sustainable Development
  • Corporal Social Responisbily and Education for Sustainable Development
  • Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development Practice in Edcuational Institutions
  • Whole School Approaches to Education for Sustainable Development
  • Circular Economy and Education
  • Green Enterpreneurship and Education
  • Sustainable Consumption and Education
  • Lifelong Learning and Education for Sustainability
  • Case Studies of Education for Sustainable Development

Dr. M. Mahruf C. Shohel
Dr. Andrew John Howes
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

education

sustainable development

sustainability

global warming

climate change

mitigation

adaptation

curriculum

biodiversity

environmental digradation

disaster

pedagogical approaches

andagogical approaches

teaching and learning

livelihood

lifestyle

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

Published Papers (6 papers)

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20 pages, 771 KiB  
Article
The Role of ‘Home School’ in Improving Sustainability for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
by Mahbub Alam Prodip and Goutam Roy
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11860; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511860 - 1 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2813
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most education providers could not offer face-to-face educational support to Rohingya children in the camp at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh; however, some sector partners provided education online, and ‘Home School’ was one of them. This article intends to examine [...] Read more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most education providers could not offer face-to-face educational support to Rohingya children in the camp at Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh; however, some sector partners provided education online, and ‘Home School’ was one of them. This article intends to examine and learn to what extent and how home school education produced new knowledge for Rohingya children and promoted the sustainability of Rohingyas in the camp during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative research approach was used to discern the impact of online education on the sustainable livelihood of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Using purposive sampling, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with Rohingya refugee children, key informant interviews with education providers, and teachers who worked in the camp during COVID-19. The conversation analysis technique was applied to analyse data. The findings of this study uncover that, regardless of some downsides, including the lack of endowment for formal education, the shortage of community mobilisers, the limited subjects offered, the limited duration of class time, and weak internet connection, home school education contributed enormously to ensuring the sustainable livelihood of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh by ensuring a safe and securing learning space and upholding the equal participation of boys and girls, and contributed to recovery from trauma and fear of violence in the camp. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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23 pages, 512 KiB  
Article
Entrepreneurship Education for Training the Talent in China: Exploring the Influencing Factors and Their Effects
by Tangfei Xiong, Jianjun Zhang and Huiyan Huang
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11664; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511664 - 28 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3178
Abstract
The essence of Chinese entrepreneurship education is to build an “upgraded” version of higher education that can enable China’s modernization through innovations and the sustainable development of the planet, in order to comprehensively and scientifically measure the magnitude of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship [...] Read more.
The essence of Chinese entrepreneurship education is to build an “upgraded” version of higher education that can enable China’s modernization through innovations and the sustainable development of the planet, in order to comprehensively and scientifically measure the magnitude of the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education for training the innovative talent, investigate the influencing factors of efficiency, and uncover the existing problems. This study was based on The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp), conducting quantitative research on 606 typical students from 211 undergraduate universities in China who achieved recognition for entrepreneurship achievements at the provincial level or above. This study found that entrepreneurship education has a significant effect on students’ innovation and entrepreneurship literacy, and in descending order of effectiveness, it improves 15 literacies, such as initiative; these are categorized into three domains: innovative action, innovative resources, and innovative thinking. Meanwhile, the more in-depth the entrepreneurship education reform, the more significant the efficiency. Second, there are significant differences in efficacy against the background of different durations of participation, score rankings, and numbers of achievements. There are no significant differences in efficacy between different disciplines and educational backgrounds. Third, the experience of the project leader has a significantly positive effect on efficiency. The current lack of innovative team building is the main factor affecting the effectiveness of innovative talent training in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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22 pages, 2169 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development: A Comparison between the Finnish and the Italian Education Systems
by Nunziata Messina
Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8077; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108077 - 16 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4706
Abstract
The quality of education is a political priority. The European Union contributes through the principle of subsidiarity. In the Finnish and Italian education systems, assessment becomes fundamental and is closely connected to qualitative organization and to the objective of providing reliable information to [...] Read more.
The quality of education is a political priority. The European Union contributes through the principle of subsidiarity. In the Finnish and Italian education systems, assessment becomes fundamental and is closely connected to qualitative organization and to the objective of providing reliable information to plan effective policies with an increase in learning outcomes at various levels (i.e., local, regional, and national). This research explores the Italian and Finnish education systems to outline how they facilitate creating schooling systems that follow the objectives set by Agenda 2030 and are increasingly aimed at sustainability, an essential element in the relationship between humans and the environment. This study was enriched by new ideas and further research perspectives through field experience from a methodological point of view, starting from the international debate linked to the issue of sustainability and examining the OECD survey (PISA, in which European countries took part, specifically the experience of job shadowing in the city of Oulu). This investigation has highlighted the actions carried out in the Finnish educational path with the aim of tracing a “sustainable path” as an international model to follow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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11 pages, 864 KiB  
Article
Internationalisation at Home: Developing a Global Change Biology Course Curriculum to Enhance Sustainable Development
by Laura J. Falkenberg and Patrick W. S. Joyce
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7509; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097509 - 4 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
Internationalisation of curriculum can enhance graduate awareness of global issues, such as climate change, and shape behaviours in ways that facilitate sustainable development. To ensure all students can develop this perspective, internationalisation needs to be done at home using a variety of approaches. [...] Read more.
Internationalisation of curriculum can enhance graduate awareness of global issues, such as climate change, and shape behaviours in ways that facilitate sustainable development. To ensure all students can develop this perspective, internationalisation needs to be done at home using a variety of approaches. There is a growing body of research exploring internationalisation at home; however, much of this research focuses on Western academic institutions, with other regions being largely overlooked. This study investigated the application of an internationalisation at home approach, specifically the use of contemporary media, during the “Global Change Biology” course taught at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Case studies of the international aspects of global change were introduced to students through the use of news articles at the beginning of lectures. Student responses to this activity were identified using surveys conducted at the beginning and end of the course. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to the sharing of case studies and internationalisation of the curriculum, with students at the end of the course reporting increased knowledge confidence about the global effects of climate change. Further, students were able to share more location-specific examples of the effects of global change, and indicated they may shift behaviours in the future so that they adapt more sustainably to climate change. In terms of the teaching approach used, students stated the sharing of news articles provided them with a greater appreciation of the global nature of climate change impacts. Together, these results indicate that internationalisation at home can be effective, and allow an internationalised experience for students regardless of their access to travel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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16 pages, 657 KiB  
Article
Improving the Entrepreneurial Competence of College Social Entrepreneurs: Digital Government Building, Entrepreneurship Education, and Entrepreneurial Cognition
by Xiyuan Xiang, Jing Wang, Zehai Long and Yangjie Huang
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010069 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3635
Abstract
This study examines the pathway of entrepreneurship education (EE), digital government building (DGB), and gender differences on entrepreneurial competence of college social entrepreneurs and analyzes the role of entrepreneurial cognition (EC). A sample of 20,134 college students from higher education institutions in 31 [...] Read more.
This study examines the pathway of entrepreneurship education (EE), digital government building (DGB), and gender differences on entrepreneurial competence of college social entrepreneurs and analyzes the role of entrepreneurial cognition (EC). A sample of 20,134 college students from higher education institutions in 31 provinces of China was used to test the hypothesis. This study found that EE and DGB have positive influence on entrepreneurial competence of social entrepreneurs; compared with men, female social entrepreneurs have a higher level of social entrepreneurship competence. Moreover, EC plays a mediating role among EE, DGB and entrepreneurial competence of social entrepreneurs; however, EC plays a masking role in the relationship between gender and entrepreneurial competence of social entrepreneurs. This study empirically analyzed the mechanisms that influence college social entrepreneurs and provides a new perspective on the role of EC in entrepreneurial competence. It is suggested to strengthen the building of a digital government and entrepreneurship education of college students’ social entrepreneurs in the future, and to pay attention to the important role of individual psychological cognition in individual social entrepreneurship ability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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13 pages, 299 KiB  
Perspective
Service-Learning as an Approach to Educating for Sustainable Development
by Pilar Aramburuzabala and Rosario Cerrillo
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11231; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411231 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4173
Abstract
Higher education has an essential role in the promotion of sustainable development. For this to be possible, the use of methodologies in accordance with principles of sustainability must be fostered. This article theoretically analyzes the characteristics that make service-learning an effective tool in [...] Read more.
Higher education has an essential role in the promotion of sustainable development. For this to be possible, the use of methodologies in accordance with principles of sustainability must be fostered. This article theoretically analyzes the characteristics that make service-learning an effective tool in education for sustainable development. In order to understand the challenges involved in its implementation in higher education, first of all, the concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are defined. Next, the use of education for sustainable development and curricular sustainability in higher education is contextualized. Finally, the pedagogical proposal of service-learning is addressed and linked to the principles of sustainability in the university environment. To conclude, in relation to prospective applications of service-learning, it is argued that it is an optimal methodology to educate about, for, and from sustainability and that its institutionalization in higher education is highly desirable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering the New Generations to Build a Sustainable Society)
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