This article explores sustainability as an emerging paradigm for pre-service preparation of teachers. Sustainability education, which is rooted in Deweyan ideas about the fundamental social purposes of schooling, attends to the tensions created by the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and social equity systems. Sustainability education extends but does not replace environmental education or education for sustainable development, although the latter is considered a problematic idea.
Purpose/ Focus of Study
Nine themes that occur frequently in the sustainability discourse are explored as the basis for sustainability literacy, a complex construct validated through collection of multiple sources of evidence. Specific strategies for integrating sustainability education into the preservice preparation of teachers are linked to a framework for teacher learning that addresses curricular vision, understandings about teaching, dispositions, and professional practices.
Research Design
The article is an analytic essay that examines existing literature in the area of sustainability education and maps this work onto current research pertaining to the preparation of beginning teachers.
Conclusions
Sustainability education represents a new paradigm for the preparation of teachers. It can help new teachers develop a curricular vision that addresses the fundamental social purposes of education in the context of an uncertain 21st century. Sustainability education also can stimulate a conversation about the role of teacher education in the creation and solution of global environmental and social justice challenges.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AgeymanJ. (2005). Where justice and sustainability meet. Environment, 474, 11—23.
2.
AndersonR. C. (1998). Mid-course correction: Toward a sustainable enterprise: the Interface model. Atlanta, GA: Peregrinzilla Press.
BarlettP. F. (2005). Reconnecting with place: Faculty and the Piedmont project at Emory University. In BarlettP. F. (Ed.), Urban place: Reconnecting with the natural world (pp. 39—60). Boston: MIT Press.
BenyusJ. M. (1997). Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature. New York: William Morrow.
7.
BethkeI.FurevikT., & DrangeH. (2006). Towards a more saline North Atlantic and a fresher Arctic under global warming. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L21712.
BirkelandJ. (2004). Designs for sustainability. London: Earthscan.
10.
Blaze CorcoranP.VilelaM., & RoerinkA. (2005). The Earth Charter in action: Toward a sustainable world. Amsterdam: KIT.
11.
BransfordJ.BrownA., & CockingR. R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Research Council.
12.
BransfordJ.Darling-HammondL., & LePageP. (2005). Introduction. In BransfordJ., & Darling-HammondL. (Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (pp. 1—40). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
13.
BrownL. R. (2006). Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a planet under stress and a civilization in trouble. Washington, DC: Earth Policy Institute.
14.
BullardR. D.JohnsonG. S., & TorresA. O. (2005). Addressing global poverty, pollution, and human rights. In BullardR. D. (Ed.), A quest for environmental justice: Human rights and the politics of pollution (pp. 279—297). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
15.
BurroughsR.SchwartzT. A., & Hendricks-LeeM. (2000). Communities of practice and discourse communities: Negotiating boundaries in NBPTS Certification. Teachers College Record, 102, 344—374.
16.
ByrneJ. (2000). From policy to practice: Creating education for a sustainable future. In WheelerK. A., & BijurA. P. (Eds.), Education for a sustainable future: A paradigm for the 21st century (pp. 35—72). New York: Kluwer Academic.
17.
Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy Task Force on Teaching as a Profession. (1986). A nation prepared: Teachers for the 21st century. New York: Carnegie Foundation.
ChaseG., & RowlandD. (2004). The Ponderosa Project: Infusing sustainability into the curriculum. In BarlettP., & ChaseG. (Eds.), Sustainability on campus: Stories and strategies for change (pp. 91—105). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
20.
CoatsworthJ. H. (2004). Globalization, growth, and welfare in history. In Suarez-OrozcoM. M., & Baolian Qin-HilliardD. (Eds.), Globalization: Culture and education in the new millennium (pp. 38—55). Berkeley: University of California Press.
21.
CobbC.GlickmanM., & ChaslogC. (2001). Redefining the meaning of progress: Redefining progress issue brief, 2001. Oakland, CA: Redefining Progress.
22.
Cochran-SmithM., & LytleS. L. (1999). Relationships of knowledge and practice: Teacher learning in communities. Review of Research in Education, 24, 249—305.
23.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2005). Educating for a sustainable future: A national environmental education statement for Australian schools. Carlton South, Victoria, Australia: Curriculum Corporation.
24.
Corral-VerdugoV., & Frias-ArmentaM. (2006). Personal normative beliefs, antisocial behavior, and residential water conservation. Environment and Behavior, 38, 406—421.
25.
CorteseA. (2003, March–May). The critical role of higher education in creating a sustainable future. Planning for Higher Education, 15—22.
26.
CostanzaR. (1987). Social traps and environmental policy: Why do problems persist when there are technical solutions available?Bioscience, 37, 407—412.
27.
CronbachL. J., & MeehlP. E. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52, 281—302.
28.
Darling-HammondL. (2006). Constructing 21st century teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 57, 300—315.
29.
Darling-HammondL.BanksJ.ZummwaltK.GomezL.SherinM. G.GriesdornJ. (2005). Educational goals and purposes: Developing a curricular vision for teaching. In BransfordJ., & Darling-HammondL. (Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (pp. 169—200). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
30.
DennerP. R.SalzmanS. A., & BangertA. W. (2001). Linking teacher assessment to student performance: A benchmarking, generalizability, and validity study of the use of teacher work samples. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 15, 287—307.
31.
DeweyJ. (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, 543, 77—80.
32.
DresnerS. (2002). The principles of sustainability. London: Earthscan.
33.
Earth Charter International Secretariat. (2000). The Earth Charter. Retrieved February 18, 2007, from http://www.earthcharter.org
EdwardsA. (2006). The sustainability revolution. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society.
36.
FedericoC. M.CloudJ. P.ByrneJ., & WheelerK. (2002). Kindergarten through twelfth grade. In DernbachJ. (Ed.), Stumbling toward sustainability (pp. 607—623). Washington, DC: Environmental Law Institute.
37.
FienJ., & MacleanR. (2000). Teacher education for sustainability: Two teacher education projects from Asia and the Pacific. In WheelerK. A., & BijurA. P. (Eds.), Education for a sustainable future: A paradigm for the 21st century (pp. 91—112). New York: Kluwer Academic.
38.
FilhoW. L. (2000). Dealing with misconceptions on the concept of sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 11, 9—19.
39.
ForresterJ. (1968). Principles of systems. Waltham, MA: Pegasus.
40.
FullanM. (2005). Leadership and sustainability: Systems thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
41.
FullanM. (2006). The future of educational change: Systems thinkers in action. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 113—122.
42.
GandinL. A., & AppleM. W. (2004). New schools, new knowledge, new teachers: Creating the citizen school in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Teacher Education Quarterly, 31, 173—198.
43.
GayfordC. (2001). Education for sustainability: An approach to the professional development of teachers. European Journal of Teacher Education, 24, 314—327.
44.
GedicksA. (2005). Resource wars against native peoples. In BullardR. D. (Ed.), The quest for environmental justice (pp. 168—870). San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
45.
GlasserH.NewportH.Dautremont-SmithJ., & WaltonJ. (2007). Draft framework: Campus sustainability rating system (CSRS). Retrieved July 31, 2007, from http://www.aashe.org/rating/CSRSv1.0.pdf
46.
Global Footprint Network. (2006). Global Footprint 2006 Annual Report. Oakland, CA: Author.
47.
GoldbergM. (2007). Relationship between global warming and the Inter-American human rights system: Testimony presented at the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights, March 01, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://www.ciel.org/Climate/IACHR_Inuit_5Mar07.html
48.
GrossmanP. (2005). Pedagogical approaches to teacher education. In Cochran-SmithM., & ZeichnerK. M. (Eds.), Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education (pp. 425—476). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
49.
GruenwaldD. (2003). The best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of place. Educational Researcher, 32(4) 3—12.
50.
HallsmithG. (2003). The keys to sustainable cities: Meeting human needs, transforming community systems. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society Press.
51.
HammernessK. (2006). Seeing through teachers’ eyes: Professional ideals and classroom practices. New York: Teachers College Press.
52.
HammernessK.Darling-HammondL.BransfordJ.BerlinerD.Cochran-SmithM.McDonaldM. (2005). How teachers learn and develop. In BransfordJ., & Darling-HammondL. (Eds.), Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do (pp. 358—389). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
53.
HannerzU. (1990). Cosmopolitans and locals in world culture. Theory, Culture, and Society, 7, 237—251.
54.
HargreavesA., & FinkD. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
55.
HawkinsP.LovinsA., & LovinsH. (1999). Natural capitalism: Creating the next industrial revolution. Boston: Little, Brown.
56.
HendersonH. (2006). Ethical markets: Growing the green economy. White River, VT: Chelsea Green.
57.
HeselinkF., & GoldsteinW. (2000). The role of IUCN—The World Conservation Union—in shaping education for sustainability. In WheelerK. A., & BijurA. P. (Eds.), Education for a sustainable future: A paradigm of hope for the 21st century (pp. 123—142). New York: Kluwer.
58.
HjeresenD. L.SchuttD. L., & BoeseJ. M. (2000). Green chemistry and education. Journal of Chemical Education, 77, 1543—1547.
59.
Holmes Group. (1986). Tomorrow's teachers: A report of the Holmes Group. East Lansing, MI: Author.
60.
Holmes Group. (1990). Tomorrow's schools: Principles for the design of professional development schools. East Lansing, MI: Author.
61.
ImigD. G., & ImigS. R. (2006). What do beginning teachers need to know? An essay. Journal of Teacher Education, 57, 286—291.
62.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2007). WG1 fourth assessment report, climate change: The physical science basis, summary for policymakers. Retrieved February 9, 2007, from http://www.ipcc.ch/
63.
JaegerR. M. (1978). About educational indicators: Statistics on the conditions and trends in education. Review of Educational Research, 6, 276—316.
64.
JamesS., & LahtiT. (2004). The natural step for communities: How cities and towns can change to sustainable practices. Garbriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society Press.
65.
JukerR. (2002). Our common illiteracy: Education as if Earth and people mattered. Frankfurt, Germany: Peter Lang.
66.
KaplanR., & KaplanS (2005). Preference, restoration, and meaningful action in the context of nearby nature. In BarlettP. F. (Ed.), Urban place: Reconnecting with the natural world (pp. 271—298). Boston: MIT Press.
KloppenburgJ.HendricksonJ., & StevensonG. W. (1996). Coming into the foodshed. Agriculture and Human Values, 133, 33—42.
69.
KuhnT. (1996). The structure of scientific knowledge. In ApplebyJ.CovingtonE.HoytD.LathamM., & SneiderA. (Eds.), Knowledge and postmodernism in history (pp. 340—355). New York: Routledge.
70.
LeiserowitzA. (2005). Climate change risk perception and policy preferences: The role of affect, imagery, and values. Climatic Change, 77, 45—72.
71.
LiH. (2006). Rethinking terrestrial pedagogy: Nature, cultures, and ethics. Teachers College Record, 108, 2450—2473.
72.
LightA. (2002). Contemporary environmental ethics from metaethics to public philosophy. Metaphilosopy, 33, 427—449.
73.
LightA. (2005). Ecological citizenship: The democratic promise of restoration. In PlattR. H. (Ed.), The humane metropolis: People and nature in the 21st-century city (pp. 169—181). Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.
74.
LucariniL.CalamentiS., & ArtaleV. (2005). Destabilization of the thermohaline circulation by transient changes in the hydrological cycle. Climate Dynamics, 24, 253—262.
75.
MandersonA. K. (2006). A systems-based framework to examine the multi-contextual application of the sustainability concept. Environment, Development, and Sustainability, 8, 85—97.
76.
Manuel-NavarreteD.KayJ. J., & DoldermanD. (2004). Ecological integrity discourses: Linking ecology with cultural transformation. Human Ecology Review, 11, 215—228.
77.
McKenzie-MohrD., & SmithW. (1999). Fostering sustainable behavior: An introduction to community-based social marketing. Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada: New Society Press.
78.
McKibbenB. (2007). Deep economy: The wealth of communities and the durable future. New York: Times Books.
79.
MeadowsD.RandersJ., & MeadowsD. (2004). Limits to growth. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green.
80.
MessickS. (1989). Validity. In LinnR. L. (Ed.), Educational measurement (3rd ed., pp. 13—103). New York: Macmillan.
81.
MortensenL. (2000). Global change education: Educational resources for sustainability. In WheelerK. A., & BijurA. P. (Eds.), Education for a sustainable future: A paradigm for the 21st century (pp. 15—34). New York: Kluwer Academic.
82.
NeumayerE. (1999). Weak versus strong sustainability. Cheltenham, England: Edward Elgar.
83.
NewtonL. (2003). Ethics and sustainability: Sustainable development and the moral life. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
84.
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. (2007, April). Annual report—2005–2006: Certificates issued and certificated personnel placement statistics. Olympia, WA: Author.
85.
O'NeillB. C., & OppenheimerM. (2004). Climate change impacts are sensitive to the concentration stabilization path. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101, 16411—16416.
86.
OnwuemeI., & BosariB. (2007). The sustainability asymptogram: A new philosophy framework for policy, outreach, and education in sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 81, 44—52.
87.
OrrD. (1992). Ecological literacy: Education and the transition to a postmodern world. Albany: State University of New York Press.
88.
OrrD. W. (2004). Earth in mind: On education, environment, and the human prospect. Washington, DC: Earth Island Press.
89.
PalmerJ. (1998). Environmental education in the 21st century: Theory, practice, progress, and promise. London: Routledge.
90.
PierrehumbertR. T. (2006). Climate change and the tropical Pacific: The sleeping dragon wakes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97, 1355—1358.
91.
PlattJ. (1973, August). Social traps. American Psychologist, 641—651.
92.
Portland State University. (2007). Leadership in ecology, culture and learning. Retrieved July 29, 2007, from: http://www.pdx.edu/epfa/lecl.html
RahmstorfS. (2007). Thermohaline ocean circulation. In EliasS. A. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quaternary sciences (pp. 739—750). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
97.
RistS., & Dahdhouh-GuebasF. (2006). Ethnosciences: A step towards the integration of scientific and indigenous forms of knowledge in the management of natural resources for the future. Environmental Development and Sustainability, 8, 467—493.
98.
ShavelsonR. J.McDonnellL., & OakesJ. (1991). What are educational indicators and indicator systems?Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation, 211. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=2&n=11
99.
SobelD. (2005). Place-based education: Connecting classrooms and communities. Great Barrington, MA: The Orion Society.
100.
SterlingS. (1996). Education in change. In HuckleJ., & SterlingS. (Eds.), Education for sus-tainability (pp. 18—39). London: Earthscan.
101.
SterlingS. (2004). An analysis of sustainability education internationally: Evolution, interpretation, and transformative potential. In BlewittJ., & CullingfordC. (Eds.), The sustain-ability curriculum: The challenge for higher education (pp. 43—62). London: Earthscan.
102.
StermanJ. D. (2002). All models are wrong: Reflections on becoming a systems scientist. System Dynamics Review, 18, 501—531.
103.
StevensonR. B. (1987). Schooling and environmental education: Contradiction in purpose and practice. In RobottomI. (Ed.), Environmental education: Practice and possibility (pp. 69—82). Geelong, Victoria, Australia: Deakin University Press.
104.
StoneM. K., & BarlowZ. (Eds.). (2005). Ecological literacy: Educating our children for a sustainable world. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
105.
ToorW., & HavlickS. W. (2004). Transportation and sustainable campus communities: Issues, examples, solutions. Washington, DC: Island Press.
United Nations. (1992). Agenda 21, Chapter 36: Promoting education, public awareness and training: Report of the Nations Conference on Environment and Development. New York: Author.
108.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Commission on Sustainable Development. (1998). Measuring changes in consumption and production patterns. New York: Author.
109.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Commission on Sustainable Development. (2002, August). Report of the world summit on sustainable development. New York: Author.
110.
United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (2004). United Nations decade of education for sustainable development: Draft international implementation scheme. New York: Author.
111.
United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. (2005). Guidelines and recommendations for reorienting teacher education to address sustainability: Education for sustainable development in action (Technical Paper No. 2). New York: Author.
112.
United Nations Statistics Division. (2005). Living beyond our means: Natural assets and human well-being: Millennium ecosystems assessment. New York: Author.
113.
United Nations Statistics Division. (2006). The millennium development goals report 2006. New York: Author.
114.
U.S. Department of Labor. (1991). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000 (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills). Washington, DC: Author.
WackernagelM.MonfredaC.MoranD.WermerP.GoldfingerS.DeumlingD. (2005). National footprint and biocapacity accounts 2005: The underlying calculation method. Oakland, CA: Global Footprint Network.
117.
WackernagelM.SchulzB.DeumlingD.Callejas LinaresA.JenkinsM.KaposV. (2002). Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99, 9266—9271.
118.
WagnerM. (2007). Relationship between global warming impacts and human rights. Testimony presented at the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights March 01, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://www.ciel.org/Climate/IACHR_Inuit_5Mar07.html
119.
Watt-CloutierS. (2007). Global warming and human rights. Testimony presented at the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights March 01, 2007. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://www.ciel.org/Climate/IACHR_Inuit_5Mar07.html
120.
WheelerB.WheelerG., & ChurchW. (2005). It's all connected: A comprehensive guide to global issues and sustainable solutions. Seattle, WA: Facing the Future.
121.
WigginsG., & McTigheJ. (2006). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
122.
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
123.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature. (2006). Living planet report 2006. Gland, Switzerland: Author.
124.
WunschC., & FerrariF. (2004). Vertical mixing, energy, and the general circulation of the oceans. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 236, 281—314.
