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Teaching and Learning in Sustainability Science

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Abstract

The concept of sustainability does not present the pathway or distinctive solution which needs to be followed and is defined differently by different actors around the globe. Thus, the transition towards sustainability relies on constant negotiation and societal learning processes. To achieve this, education and learning must be seen as key processes. It is the area of education for sustainable development that is concerned with aspects of learning that enhance the transition towards sustainability – an area that can best be described as a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the Earth’s natural resources. This chapter elaborates upon how education for sustainable development translates research outcomes of sustainability science into educational practices and guides the selection of learning objectives, relevant content and appropriate forms of teaching and learning.

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Further Reading

  • Barth M (2014) Implementing sustainability in higher education: learning in an age of transformation, Routledge studies in sustainable development series. Taylor & Francis, London

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  • Much of what could be only touched upon in this overview is elaborated on in my latest monograph, so I hope you forgive me a bit of self-promoting here

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  • Orr DW (2004) Earth in mind: on education, environment, and the human prospect. Island Press, Washington, DC

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  • David Orr’s wonderful book is one of the more elaborate contributions to the debate about what education can or should be. He refers specifically to environmental education, but this, of course, is even more important in education for sustainable development

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  • Rychen DS, Salganik LH (eds) (2001) Defining and selecting key competencies. Hogrefe & Huber Publishers, Seattle

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  • A thorough understanding of key competencies and how to define and select them is provided in this book from Dominique Rychen and Laura Salganik

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  • Wiek A, Withycombe L, Redman CL (2011) Key competencies in sustainability: a reference framework for academic program development. Sustain Sci 6(2):203–218

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  • Arnim Wiek and his colleagues provide us with an overview of how the concept of competencies is used in education for sustainable development and offer a concise concept of sustainability related competencies

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Correspondence to Matthias Barth .

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Barth, M. (2016). Teaching and Learning in Sustainability Science. In: Heinrichs, H., Martens, P., Michelsen, G., Wiek, A. (eds) Sustainability Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7242-6_27

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