What are the Key Elements and Characteristics of ESD?
The key elements of effective ESD are:
- Curriculum planning
- Curriculum content
- Teaching approaches
- Learning experiences
- A whole school approach
The characteristics of each are described below.
CURRICULUM PLANNING
The curriculum should provide the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that will help all young people to live successful lives both now and in the future. Characteristics of curriculum planning to promote ESD are:
- coherence: the key concepts of sustainable development are clearly identified and coordinated wherever they appear in the curriculum and reinforced through all subject areas;
- baseline: the experience, knowledge and understanding of pupils from their own lives and earlier education are identified and inform the planning process;
- progression: pupils’ awareness and understanding of sustainable development follow a clearly identified path within and across key stages, and work is matched to the needs of the pupil;
- evaluation: procedures for monitoring and evaluating ESD are built in from the beginning;
- relevance: pupils are consulted about what is important and relevant to their own lives;
- flexibility and topicality: schools adapt the curriculum in response to changes and developments in the wider world.
CURRICULUM CONTENT
Achieving ESD is a function of the whole curriculum. Curriculum characteristics that promote ESD are:
- key concepts: ESD involves an understanding of the key concepts of: interdependence; citizenship and stewardship; needs and rights of future generations; diversity; quality of life; sustainable change; uncertainty and precaution;
- skills: development of a wide range of skills, eg critical thinking, finding information, weighing evidence and presenting reasoned argument on sustainable development issues, is central to ESD;
- personal and social development: ESD involves personal and social development, eg an awareness of the needs of others and an appreciation of diverse viewpoints;
- the global dimension: understanding of sustainable development is improved where issues are investigated at a local, national and global level, and where pupils are helped to understand the impact of the global dimension on their own lives;
- systems approach: understanding sustainable development involves pupils considering the interaction between economic, social and environmental systems;
- range of viewpoints and opinions: exposure to many different ideas and views helps pupils to develop an awareness of the complexity of sustainable development issues, and helps them to develop their own attitudes towards such issues;
- futures: pupils are encouraged to develop an understanding of the concept of possible and preferred futures.
TEACHING APPROACHES
Teaching approaches should be consistent with the sustainable development values of respect for human diversity, equity and justice. The characteristics of teaching approaches that promote ESD are:
- making connections: teachers question their own lifestyles and attitudes and are aware that pupils will make a connection between what teachers are teaching and their actions both in and out of school. Pupils are also encouraged to question their own lifestyles and attitudes in the light of what they learn about sustainable development;
- rights and responsibilities: facilitating pupils’ understanding of the concepts of rights and responsibilities enhances their willingness to work towards solutions to sustainable development problems and issues;
- participation: pupils are given opportunities to be involved in the management and development of their own learning.
You can find a professional development activity on the values of ESD in the professional development section of the site.
LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Opportunities should be created for pupils to experience and practice sustainable development in a range of different settings from first-hand practical experiences to using ICT. Characteristics of learning experience that promotes ESD are:
- structured experiences: schools offer pupils experiences that help them to understand sustainable development issues not only in the classroom but also as part of their whole school experience;
- Out-of-school learning: investigations outside the classroom — including fieldwork — in a wide range of environments encourage pupils to develop a sense of environmental concern and protection;
- links with the local community: links with people in local businesses and local government enable pupils to appreciate the significance of sustainable development issues in their own locality and beyond;
- school linking: linking via the internet and e-mail with schools in other areas of the UK and in a range of other countries (both more and less economically developed) provides opportunities for pupils to exchange ideas and views.
WHOLE SCHOOL
The ethos of the school and the school’s management policies should reflect ESD aims. Whole school characteristics that promote ESD are:
- policies: ESD is embedded in school policies which have been developed by pupils, staff, parents and the community, and which are shared widely and updated regularly;
- coherence: there is coherence between the formal curriculum and the hidden curriculum, eg in the school’s policy on behaviour and in the management of buildings and grounds;
- transparency: the school is able to demonstrate that it practices what it teaches in the way it is managed and run, eg through its purchasing decisions and improvements in energy efficiency;
- practice: pupils are given opportunities to participate in decisions that affect how the school is run in a sustainable way, eg through schools councils;
- continuing professional development: schools recognise the importance of ongoing training and professional development in ESD for all staff;
- evaluation: schools regularly evaluate their progress towards ESD.