Transcript The New Generation of Environmental Education as ESD

The New Generation of
Environmental Education
as ESD (Education for
Sustainable Development)
Examples from
Denmark, Thailand and Hungary
Presentation at 3rd World Environmental Education Congress - Torino, 2-6 October 2005
Presented
by
Soren Breiting,
Danish University of Education,
Copenhagen,
In cooperation with
Nicola Bedlington,
HQ of ENSI, Switzerland.
ENSI is a partner organization to UNESCO for DESD
Considering Primary and Lower
secondary schools



Rationale:
Developing a clear concept and
practice of Environmental Education
has been very stimulating
Called “The New Generation of EE”
See
http://www.uleth.ca/edu/research/ciccte/naceer.pgs/pubpro.pgs/Alternate/PubFiles/1
5.Breiting.rev.htm

How far is NGEE toward ESD ?
Class work: Investigating the use of
a local natural resource
Preparation in class:
Focus on a ‘natural resource’
e.g. WATER – prep for group work
Outdoor in the community:
1. Groups interview older people
in the community about how
the resource was used
in older days and their feelings
2. Interview active people in
the community about the same
resource: How is it used today?
Which problems are there etc.
3. Ask all for their expectations
for the future related to this resource:
What do people expect to happened?
What would they LIKE to see happen?
Back in class:
Back in class:
Groups elaborate on their findings:
Summarizing their interviews
Groups elaborate on their
own observations:
Summarizing their
own impressions
Each student group
prepares
4 big drawings / Posters
Drawing the community
concerning the selected resource through time
Back in class:
Pictures showing
The use of this resource
in the community in old days
Before
Development
The use and problems
with the resource today
Now
Which
future?
Development
Future 1
We fear
Future 2
We expect
Future 3
We hope
(and might
act for)
Advantages with this approach. 1



We are not telling students what to think,
but how to dig into problems related to
development and use of resources
We help students to see the complexity of
development issues
We help build students
ACTION COMPETENCE
Advantages with this approach. 2



The students will get a lot of personal
experienced information from the people (old and
younger) they meet – supporting their ‘episodic
memory’
They will be able to link short-term and longterm effects of change (essential dealing with
sustainable development)
The results from their investigation is visualized
in such a way to make it easy for linking the
concrete content to conceptual development
Advantages with this approach. 3


It generates plenty of possibilities for
being in interaction with local people
of different background and with
different interests related to the
natural resource in focus.
It is a good background for learning
to be influential related to own ideas
- supporting their action competence
Former versions of EE - New Generation of EE - ESD
Former EE
New Generation
EE
Education for SD
Goal:
Behaviour modification
Goal: Action competence
related to environmental
problems
Goal: Action competence
related to developmental
issues
We (environmentalists +
educators) know the solution
to EE issues
All people should be involved
in decisions about the best
solutions
?
We must stop/delay
development
There are many possible
ways of development
?
Balancing the quality of
human life and the quality of
the environment
Balancing the needs of
present generations to the
needs of the future
generations
?
The concept of human health
isn’t prominent in EE
The concept of human health
is very prominent in EE
?
Focussing on different values
Focussing on conflicting
interests related to the use of
natural resources
?
No emphasis between
equality between people
Much emphasis on equality
between people
?
Denmark and other Nordic
Countries: The MUVIN Project


Focus on conflicting interests related
to the use of natural resources
Issues in the community – no
problems in nature
Research results from MUVIN-DK



Students’ real actions related to real
environmental problems they have
identified themselves are of immense
importance
They develop a higher level of interest in
environmental problems
They develop more belief in own influence
Results from EE development in
Hungary

When students work without being
‘behaviour modified’ they become
• More optimistic
• More concerned about their own possibilities
• More participatory
From Breiting & Csobod
Sustainable development is essential about:
• That actions and activities are influencing our future and
• How other people's living conditions are now and in the future
But we have alternatives and choices
daily and political
The Past
Now
Different futures
Which future
do we want ?
Sustainable development needs democratic participation
So does Education for Sustainable Development
Quality Criteria for ESD schools



Inspiration for schools
that want to take
sustainable
development seriously
Helping to avoid
serious mistakes
forgetting real
participation
Making a focus on
ESD as a way to
develop the whole
school
Useful web adresses

:
Quality criteria for ESD schools
http://seed.schule.at/uploads/QC_eng_2web.pdf
From http://seed.schule.at

ENSI.org

ActionCompetence.com

Environmental-Education.net

EducationForSustainableDevelopment.com