Scholarship in Teaching & Learning: ACU Initiatives

ALTC Citation, 2008Lyn Carter & Caroline Smith

For leadership in the development and

implementation of an Education for Sustainability (EfS) focus within teacher education and

professional learning programs

www.goma.demon.co.uk

Ecological footprints (global hectares)

2006 data

Australia – 6.6

US – 9.6

China - 1.6

UAE – 11.9

World average - 2.2

http://www.panda.org/

2005 – 2014 United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

2000 - 2003 Australian Government’s policy on environmental education: Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future – National Action Plan (NAP ESD)

2005 Department of Environment and Water Resources commissioned National Environment Education Statement (NEES)

2006 – ’07

2009 New National Action Plan (NAP ESD) specifically targeting education at all levels

Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI)

Preservice Teacher

Education

Education for Sustainability

(EfS) in schools

Selected Criteria

• Statement addressing criterion 2: Development of curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field

• Statement addressing criterion 5: Scholarly activities and service innovations that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching

Preservice Teacher

Education

Research Literature:•Australian Journal of Environmental Education•Environmental Education•Environmental Education Research•Canadian Journal of Environmental Education•Journal of Environmental Education

Other Universities:•Australian Association of Environmental Education (AAEE)•ozEENews

ARIES (Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability):•A review of models for preservice teacher education•Mainstreaming EfS into preservice teacher education

What we do at ACU:•Core Units: EDST 204 EDST 401 EDST 446•Fieldtrip•Electives

Other:•Government Organisations•Non-government Organisations•Community Groups

International Activities:•UNESCO•Journal of Education for Sustainable Development (JESD)

Education for Sustainability (EfS)

in Australian Schools:

some examples

AuSSI (Vic) Schools•St. Francis in the Fields•Mildura West Primary School

SiMERR (Science, ICT and Maths Education in Rural and Regional Australia) Research

•Galen College•Frayne College

ASISTM (Australian School Innovation in, Science, Technology and Mathematic Projects)•Yarrawonga School Cluster •Tasmania project•Sustainability by the Bay project

Elements for addressing Criterion 2:

• In 2007 we were commissioned by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), in conjunction with the Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE), to conceptualise and develop an EfS curriculum for pre-service teacher education, as part of the Victorian response to the AuSSI.

The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI Vic) modules

• 1. Core (background concepts including eco-footprints)

• 2. Energy

• 3. Water

• 4. Waste

• 5. Biodiversity/Habitat

AuSSI (Vic)

Administered by:

Sustainability Victoriahttp://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au

Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES)

http://www.ceres.org.au/

• On the strength of our pre-service AuSSI curriculum, we have been invited to represent pre-service teacher education on the AuSSI advisory group convened by the State Government body, Sustainability Victoria

• The evaluations also provide clear evidence of transformational learning, exemplified in comments such as: “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, it’s changed my way of thinking, and I now have so many issues and questions to work out and solve” , “I have learnt through this unit that I can personally make a difference which is something I never thought before” and “I am looking forward to educating in a future of changed attitudes and educated people regarding sustainability” (evaluation, 2007).

Elements for addressing Criterion 5:

• Science Education (ERA -A* publication) 2008

• Professor Masakata Ogawa visit and return visit to Japan as an EfS scholar in 2008

• Leading international scholars in EfS examine related doctoral theses

• researched and produced a substantial report titled ACU National: Providing Leadership in Transitions to a Sustainable Future.

• Completed research under the Federally funded Science, Information and Communication Technology and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR)

»St. Francis in the Fields

Polytunnel/Greenhouse for propagating plants

»Mildura West Primary School

Water Tanks

• In-service professional learning to consultants, in-service teachers and their students. We have presented to a range of system-based professional organisations from all sectors and at all levels; examples are St Margaret’s School (’04), Sustainable Living Festival Schools’ Day (’05), Trinity Grammar and Carey Grammar (’06), Catholic Education Offices (Melbourne and Bendigo) (’06; ’07), Kambrya College (’07), the VAEE (’07) and Swinburne University of Technology (’08).

Together these activities give us a theoretical and practical command of this broad and rapidly developing field, and valuable insight into the ways in which sustainability is being enacted, all of which we are able to bring to our own students’ learning.