Abstract
If we accept that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a necessary part of the further education (FE) curriculum, then the impact of this may be explored. The context of FE will be outlined and the views of students, teachers and employers explored. Although there is much good work, there are limited signs that ESD in FE is having a constructive effect on students and the workplace. The ensuing analysis responds by considering how ESD in FE could more effectively translate into benefits in the workplace, calling for systematic research to evaluate impact; working with schools, higher education and industry to develop a more joined-up, effective ESD curriculum; and nurturing social enterprises as part of broader entrepreneurial initiatives to embed sustainability in the economy.
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Further Reading
Stephen Sterling’s (2014) article Separate Tracks or Real Synergy? Achieving a Closer Relationship between Education and SD, Post-2015 highlights the critical potential of ESD to transform the way we dwell on earth. It argues that ‘the quality of the human and biospheric future depends on our capacity and ability to learn and change’. It also shows us how we need to unlearn established patterns of thinking and relearn new, more sustainable paths of thought and behaviour. It will not only give you a good insight into past and current research but also reinvigorate your ESD practice.
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Matthews, P. (2016). Education for Sustainable Development in Further Education: A Reality Check. In: Summers, D., Cutting, R. (eds) Education for Sustainable Development in Further Education. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51911-5_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51911-5_15
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