A response to reorienting teacher education towards sustainability.

Ferreira, Jo-Anne ; Ryan, Lisa ; Tilbury, Daniella 等

It is 7 years since we wrote this article, yet the reorientation of teacher education towards sustainability remains a challenge. However, there have been some pockets of progress internationally and in Australia (Belgeonne, Clough, Inman, Rogers, & Warwick, 2014; UNECE, 2012). The project discussed in this article has had a number of subsequent projects, each seeking to build upon and refine the original concept in the following ways:

* the development and trial (in Queensland and the Northern Territory) of a system-wide framework to serve as a model for others (see Ferreira & Ryan, 2012; Ferreira, Ryan, Davis, Cavanagh, & Thomas, 2009; Ferreira, Ryan, & Tilbury, 2007);

* additional barriers and enablers to mainstreaming EfS using a system-wide approach were explored in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (Steele, 2010); and

* the creation of a network of teacher educators and system stakeholders interested in embedding EfS in their institutions (Stevenson, Davis, Ferreira, & Evans, 2014).

A key factor for success not identified in the original article, but which has since emerged, relates to the need for teacher educators to learn to be leaders for change. Indeed, this requires the development of a whole new skill-set (Ferreira, Ryan, & Davis, 2014; UNECE, 2012).

doi 10.1017/aee.2014.40

References

Belgeonne, C., Clough, Inman, S., Rogers, M., & Warwick, P. (2014). Education for sustainable development and global citizenship: Good practice case studies in teacher education. York, UK: The Higher Education Academy.

Ferreira, J.-A., & Ryan, L. (2012). Working the system: A model for system-wide change in pre-service teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(12), 29-45.

Ferreira, J.-A., Ryan, L., & Davis, J. (2014). Leadership for change: The importance of developing knowledge and leadership capacities for change in pre-service teacher education systems. Manuscript in preparation.

Ferreira, J.-A., Ryan, L., Davis, J., Cavanagh, M., & Thomas, J. (2009). Mainstreaming sustainability into pre-service teacher education in Australia (A report prepared by the Research Institute in Education for Sustainability). Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Ferreira, J.-A., Ryan, L., & Tilbury, D. (2007). Mainstreaming education for sustainable development in initial teacher education in Australia: A review of existing professional development models. Journal of Education for Teaching, 33(2), 225-239.

Steele, F. (2010). Mainstreaming education for sustainability in pre-service teacher education in Australia: Enablers and constraints (A report prepared by the Research Institute in Education for Sustainability). Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

Stevenson, R., Davis, J., Ferreira, J.-A., & Evans, N. (2014). A state systems approach to embedding the learning and teaching of sustainability in teacher education (Final report). Sydney, Australia: Office of Learning and Teaching.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). (2012). Learning for the future: Competences for education for sustainable development. Geneva: Author.

Biographies

Jo-Anne Ferreira is a Senior Lecturer at Griffith University in the School of Environment. Jo-Anne is the immediate past Editor of the Australian Journal of Environmental Education. Email: J.Ferreira@griffith.edu.au

Lisa Ryan is a current PhD student at Griffith University and a highly experienced environmental educator. Email: lisa.ryan2@griffithuni.edu.au

Daniella Tilbury is a Professor of University of Gloucestershire. In 2010, she became Marie Curie Professor in Education for Sustainability, and in 2014, Dean of Sustainability. Email: dtilbury@glos.ac.uk

Jo-Anne Ferreira, (1) Lisa Ryan (1) & Daniella Tilbury (2)

(1) Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

(2) The University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England