1. Sustainability Education - Developing a deeper understanding
and supporting student learning
Sustainability Education
What is sustainability?
Sustainability and student learning
Student capacity building for sustainability
The Sustainability curriculum framework
knowledge and understanding
repertoires of practice
sustainability action process
For more information on sustainability education
Facilitators Notes
Title slide- click to show session content
This presentation covers some of the issues related to sustainability education in schools and details the results of research and resource development in this area by the Department of Education and Communities.
It is designed to be used by schools to provide additional depth to our understanding of sustainability, to consider how we may build student capacity in the area of sustainability education and action and a brief overview of the Sustainability Curriculum Framework.
This presentation includes opportunity for staff to break for discussion and reflection on questions and issues.
Sustainability Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NSW /09/

2. Facilitators Notes
‘What is sustainability?’
Whilst sustainability is a relatively new term, used frequently in relation to environment but also in relation to the longevity of industries, communities, companies or programs and project.
These four images are like many we see when the media presents modern day challenges to the environment and to sustainability. In the current media, these sorts of images are often matched with phrases like ‘It is estimated that around 1000 species are becoming extinct around the world every day’, ‘scientists agree that greenhouse gasses are causing global warming’, ‘environmental quality and food security are in decline’ and so on.
CLICK THROUGH THESE REMIAING IMAGES

5. Facilitators Notes
‘What is sustainability?’
Many still ask ‘What is sustainability?’
A better way to view sustainability is with a futures perspective. It is the current and future challenges of maintaining and improving the quality of the natural environment and understanding our responsibilities toward it, maintaining and improving the quality of our communities and our way of life now, and into the future.
But as these sorts of images are often in the media, as educators we need to think about how these images and statements impact on our students.
It can be challenging to engage students in a positive way when this is what they commonly see and hear.
Research in NSW schools has identified the importance of engaging young people in actions in school, home and community to improve environmental quality and sustainability is one of the most powerful ways to empower and enable the next generation.
How do and can we do things differently in schools to keep a positive and participatory approach to these issues?
Discuss in your group.

6. ‘Sustainability is a goal in which society meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’
- United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development
Facilitators Notes
Sustainability Education faces a challenge of keeping young people optimistic about the future when they are often hearing very negative stories and strongly conflicting opinions.
A clear and productive way to consider sustainability is through a perspective that includes a reflection on futures, needs and intergenerational equity. This is illustrated in a UN definition of sustainability. ‘Sustainability is a goal in which society meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ from ‘Our Common Future’ - United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (1987, p.54).
Through 2008 and 09 the Department of Education and Communities undertook some research, investigating sustainability from a whole of student learning perspective with a view to developing a sustainability education framework that was broader in scope and would provide an updated policy foundation. It is now over 12 years since the ‘Environmental Education policy for schools’ was released and the community has grown significantly in its understanding and approach to sustainability.
The basis of the research was a question ‘What should a citizen in our society know, be able and motivated to do if we are to create an ecologically sustainable society’
The findings identified building student capacity for acting and living sustainably as a prime objective and using the school as the context and place for developing this capacity. The research findings strongly supported the current positioning of environmental education engagement in the school as the most important learning context
(Parental permission provided for photos provided by Field of Mars EEC for professional Learning material)
Photos by permission

7. What should Sustainability Education look like in our schools?
Nemingah PS
NSW Public Works
Facilitators Notes
CLICK THROUGH THE IMAGES
The research identified that context was critical so we now need to ask ‘What should sustainability education look like in our school’?
Participating in environmental and sustainability education activities and demonstrating good environmental citizenship is part of the fabric of many schools in NSW and a commitment of the Department of Education and Communities.
Evidence in schools includes the grounds improvement and local biodiversity and environmental improvement and projects, student leadership and interest projects related to the environment, environmental events schools participate in and the many ways sustainability and environmental contexts are included in curriculum.
The research indicated the importance of purpose and structure to the activity that is explicit for teachers and for students. This builds good foundation knowledge, develop a broad set of competencies and create connections and commitment.
What does the answer to this question look like in our school? Discuss
Does our school:
engage young people in the activities that help them explore and understand their environment;
provide learning activities for them investigate sustainability issues in their home, school and community,
support students to develop and implement sustainability solutions
or create opportunities to develop and demonstrate environmental citizenship and leadership
To date sustainability and environmental education programs in our schools have achieved improvements in student environmental understanding and awareness, resource use and management and improved environments in and around the schools.
Will these programs continue to equip students with environmental and sustainability problems that will only become more complex in the future.
Note: Images 1, 2 & 3 – Parental permission provided for photos provided by Field of Mars EEC for professional Learning material.
Image 4 Nemingah PS – NSW Public Works
Sustainability Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NSW /09/

8. ‘Sustainability Education should occur as part of everyday lessons for the purpose of developing knowledge, skills and positive environmental attitudes and values, that build the capacity of students to live more sustainably in their school and community’.
‘Critical review of current practice and research of environmental education and education for sustainability for Kindergarten to Year 12 from 1990’
- K. Skamp, Southern Cross University, April 2010
Facilitators Notes
Sustainability can be used as a context for student learning, engagement, leadership and increasing community participation. The literature review (Ref: Keith Skamp from Southern Cross University) identified that whole school approaches to sustainability integrated into curriculum and the school culture were evaluated as being most successful.
Sustainability Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NSW /09/

9. What do I need to contribute to a sustainable future? ?
Facilitators Notes
The research then led to a series of other questions.
The next four slides list these as questions.
personal foundations to being an environmental citizen
the citizenship characteristics we will need to demonstrate
the skills and practices we will need to employ
the knowledge and understanding that will underpin our thinking, actions and commitment.

10. “What foundations do I need? ”
Facilitators Notes
“What foundations do I need?” …. to contribute to a sustainable future
Discuss in your group.

11. What foundations do I need for contributing to sustainability?
Wellbeing:
Personal, family and community. Focussed on the foundational feelings of the individual and how they may contribute to a positive local and global community. It values self, has elements of resilience, feeling happy and ‘in-tune’ with yourself, with others and with the world as big or small as that may be.
Facilitators Notes
Seek responses from groups on
“What foundations do I need? ” …. for contributing to a sustainability?
The findings on foundations included:

12. “What kind of citizen do I need to be?”
Facilitators Notes
“What kind of citizen do I need to be?” …. to contribute to sustainability
Discuss in your group.

13. What kind of citizen do I need to be if I am to
contribute to sustainability?”
Global Citizen: A sense of belonging to and responsibility within local, national and global communities.
Biosphere Custodian: A sense of stewardship of the natural environment.
Change Agent: The capacity and motivation to act as a agent of change towards sustainability.
Facilitators Notes
Seek responses from groups on
“What kind of citizen do I need to be” …. to contribute to sustainability?
The findings on being a citizen included:

14. “What do I need to be able to do?”
Facilitators Notes
“What do I need to be able to do?” …. to contribute to sustainability?
Discuss in your group.

15. What do I need to be able to do if I am to contribute to sustainability?
World Viewing: Comprehending, reflecting on your own beliefs, principles and values and being willing to change them. Understanding the world view of others.
Systems Thinking: Skills for understanding and working with systems, complexity, uncertainty and risk.
Futures and Design Thinking: Skills for influencing the future, designing and creating sustainable communities.
Facilitators Notes
Seek responses from groups on
“What do I need to be able to do” …. to contribute to sustainability?
The findings on being a citizen included:

16. “What do I need to know?” Facilitators Notes
“What do I need to know?” ……to contribute to sustainability?
Discuss in your group

17. What do I need to know if I am to contribute to sustainability?”
Ecological Systems: Knowledge of the process and interactions of living and physical systems that support the biosphere.
Human Systems: Knowledge of social, cultural, political, economic and technological systems, structures, beliefs and actions. Understanding of how these impact the Earth’s biosphere and capacity of people to live sustainably.
Facilitators Notes
Seek responses from groups on
“What do I need to know” …. to contribute to a sustainability?
The findings on being a citizen included:

18. Sustainability Curriculum Framework
Repertoires of Practice
Knowledge
World viewing
Systems thinking
Futures & design thinking
Ecological systems
Human systems
Sustainability Action Process
Facilitators Notes
How do we bring these four questions together in a coherent way for schools and students?
1st click
The Sustainability Curriculum Framework was developed by the NSW Department of Education and Communities for the Australian Government.
It is essentially a scope and sequence for best practice sustainability education and is written as a guide for curriculum developers to support schools in developing strong sustainability aspects to their learning programs.
2nd click
The Sustainability Curriculum Framework includes:
Core knowledge and understanding of ecological and human systems – this is what we considered with the question
‘What do I need to know if I am to contribute to sustainability?”
3rd click
A set or ‘repertoire’ of practices – World viewing, Systems thinking and Futures and design thinking – this is what we considered when we considered the question ‘What do I need to be able to do if I am to contribute to sustainability?’
4th click
A Sustainability Action Process is a 5 step methodology written specifically for sustainability to engage students in sustainability action.
It brings those together through a specific methodology written for sustainability action.
Called the Sustainability Action Process it has elements of science, geography and technology investigation and solution development processes.
The sustainability education resources developed by the NSW Department of Education and Communities will be using this 5 step methodology to
Making a case for change
Defining the scope
Developing a proposal
Implementing the proposal
Evaluating & reflecting

19. Facilitators Notes
The Sustainability Action Process is the preferred methodology for sustainability investigation, understanding for students.
It is the basis of the Climate Clever Energy Savers program, Product Road map waste education materials and recent teacher professional learning courses.
In the Climate Clever program students are provided with the five steps on a poster to guide their work.
The poster explains the process for students and teachers. We will look at the five step process in more detail.
In step 1 ‘Making a case for change’ – students explore energy as a concept and energy use in their school.
In step 2 ‘Defining the scope’ students think about what is possible for their school and the available resources they have and success criteria
In step 3 ‘Developing the proposal’ students develop their plan of action in some detail
In step 4 ‘Implementing the proposal’ the students put their plan into action, gather evidence of actions like photos
In step 5 ‘ Evaluation and reflection’ students think about their action and measure or evaluate against any criteria they have developed.
Learning materials are being developed using the sustainability action process for student investigations in energy, water, waste and materials, biodiversity, thermal comfort and kitchen gardens

20. Session summary – Questions & Comments Part 2 What is Sustainability?
Student Capacity Building for Sustainability
If I am to contribute to sustainability:
What foundations do I need?
What kind of citizen do I need to be?
What do I need to be able to do?
What do I need to know?
Sustainability Curriculum Framework
Repertoires of Practice
Knowledge
Sustainability Action Process
Facilitators Notes
Summary of presentation.
Sustainability Education
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NSW /09/