Showing papers in "Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability in 2020"

Promoting Sustainable Social Emotional Learning at School through Relationship-Centered Learning Environment, Teaching Methods and Formative Assessment.

Abstract: Abstract How to promote social emotional learning (SEL) at school depends largely on teachers. Mostly teachers implement specific programs, but they have difficulties in incorporating SEL into the regular curriculum. The main aim of the paper is to present the conceptual model of sustainable integration of SEL into everyday teaching practices in every subject. This approach has been developed in the project ìLearning to Be: Development of Practices and Methodologies for Assessing Social, Emotional and Health Skills within Education Systemsî. This initiative is based on the premise that the assessment of learning at school should go beyond grading studentsí knowledge and should include practices for observing young peopleís personal growth, social skills, attitudes and other general competences. The novelty of this conceptual approach is associated with integrating SEL standards, formative assessment and classroom instruction into a single sustainability-oriented model. The relationship between SEL standards (ISBE, 2003) and formative assessment strategies established by Wiliam (2011) is described, providing a detailed description of specific classroom activities. The objective of this approach is, therefore, towards building emotionally strong and flexible individuals who can deal with complex challenges through prosocial behavior that encourages human prospering and the attainment of the United Nationsí Sustainable Development Goals.

Teacher Educators' and Teacher Trainees' Perspective on Teacher Training for Sustainable Development.

Abstract: Abstract In accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), countries across the globe are striving to ensure equitable access to inclusive, quality and lifelong educational opportunities for all children, youth and adults by 2030. Teacher education has been identified as one of the key factors in the achievement of the SDG 4 targets. As part of the effort to ensure sustainable teacher education for the achievement of SDG 4 in Ghana, this study applied the four key concepts in the SDG 4: quality, equity, inclusion and lifelong learning, to determine the progress with regards to SDG 4 in the context of teacher education in Ghana. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the inclusive pedagogical practices, values, and knowledge that trainees acquire from the Diploma in Basic Education’s Special Education Needs (SEN) course, the adequacy of the course for preparing teachers to create inclusive classrooms and the challenges associated with the delivery of the SEN course. In this study, 167 final-year trainees and 13 teacher educators from Diploma in Basic Education Program in three colleges of education in Ghana were surveyed about their views on the SEN teacher preparation course. The study found out that the SEN course placed much emphasis on medical model view of SEN and only a minority of trainees acquired the requisite inclusive knowledge, values and pedagogical practices. The paper discusses key barriers to the development of inclusive knowledge, pedagogical practices and values among trainees as well as factors that can promote the effective training of inclusive teachers.

Classroom Action Research-based Instruction: The Sustainable Teacher Professional Development Strategy

Abstract: Abstract The purposes of this research were to study the current situation and to compare the consequences of the Child Development Centre teachers on classroom action research-based instruction. The sample was 81 teachers of the Child Development Centre of the Local Administrative Organisation, derived from multi-stage random sampling. The instruments were the semi-structured interview form, and the measurement form of learning management outcomes, which the validity was between 0.80-1.00 and reliability was 0.968. The data were analysed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, content analysis and independent t-test. The results showed that 1) most teachers conducted informal classroom research to solve children’s behaviour problems and to increase the development of children. They usually utilised their research than others, but still not much. 2) the consequences of the classroom action research-based instruction were significantly higher than the standard requirement instruction at the .05 level of significance. The outstanding results have been discussed.

Construction Waste Reduction Awareness: Action Research

Abstract: Abstract The study focused on construction waste reduction awareness as a step within Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The method of collaborative action research was used with a questionnaire as an instrument. Data collected from 61 participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, and t-test) and multiple regressions. Results revealed that there were graduates of different degree levels and non-graduates working at the construction sites, where 4.9 % and 27.9 % had PhD and Master degrees, respectively. Improper material storage was agreed to be the main cause of construction waste, while the most effective reduction measure was applying source reduction through the calculated procurement. Multiple regressions revealed that awareness was significantly positively predicted by gender, qualification and status. However, both cause and reduction of construction waste were noted to be human related, thereby necessitating a campaign against construction waste at various sites, with the aim of raising motivated and inspired change agents.

Education for Sustainable Development as Diffusion of Innovation of Secondary School Students

Abstract: Education for sustainable development (ESD) is essential to study in order to understand environmental changes from the perspective of student character building. This concept is the main foundation that refers to individual personality as a medium to build excellent capacity from an early age. At adolescent age, children experience a period with high emotional growth that encourages changes in attitudes and behavior patterns towards the surrounding environment. This exploratory study aimed at describing the relationship between environmental knowledge and students' attitudes and behaviors, along with challenging factors as the moderating variable, involving 320 participants from two junior high schools in two cities in Central Java, Indonesia. The data were analyzed using partial least square Smartpls v3.0. This study found that junior high school students had low environmental and social knowledge, but there was a good attitude and behavior tendency concerning the environment. The students' knowledge significantly influenced environmentally-friendly attitudes and behaviors, especially the social environment that the obstacles also became a significant moderating variable. Thus, schools and related parties should develop programs to increase the studentsi study orientation towards the environment and to have a collective awareness of the environment, specifically the ability to analyze and synthesize the surroundings.

Spaced E-learning for Sustainable Education

Abstract: The objective of the research is to determine e-learning solutions for the implementation of the spaced learning in university students' sustainable education In the spaced e-learning method, the course content includes few-minute pauses between repetitions, during which students let their brain "rest"with different content and then return to the course Information technologysolutions are based on the identification of students' individual and situational interests and thefollowing promotion of students' interests for personal development by the content of spaces Current research is oriented to the search for benefits from synergy of the technological and pedagogical e-learning developments The study includes three cycles of education action research The first and second cycles aim at finding the most effective method to include content for sustainable personality development in the course At Riga Technical University, a prototype of two blended learningMaster level courses was created and approbated with Master level students Outcomes of the research were evaluated by reflection on students' opinions and analysis of user behavior data in the e-learning environment OpenEdX The results obtained in the first and second cycles of the action research and reflection are the basis for the conceptual development of the Living Lab solution in the MOODLE environment with personalized content Technological solutions for the implementation of personalized content of spaces for personality development are based on the student's self-assessment of his/her individual interests The research shows the potential of the spaced e-learning for instructional learning and personality development, thus leading to learning for sustainability in the broadest sense as a perspective of pedagogy with inherently sustainable nature, that we denote as "fostering"in the study The spaced e-learning method was seriously influenced by the COVID-19 crisis due to the replacement of blended learning with fully online learning © 2020 Janis Kapenieks sen et al , published by Sciendo

Sustainable Development from the Viewpoint of Iranian English Teachers: Practicing what they do not Preach

Abstract: Abstract Considering the importance of sustainable development (SD) in developing countries and lack of research on this topic among Iranian English teachers, this study aims at investigating the Iranian English teachers’ awareness and understanding of this concept and the effects of demographic features on their understanding. To this end, a researcher-made 48-item validated Questionnaire that consisted of eight scales was administered among 233 English teachers teaching at high schools, private language institutes, and universities. The data were analyzed through content analysis of the open-ended question and quantitative analysis of the Likert-scale items. One-way ANOVA was used to find out about the effects of gender, workplace, teaching experience, and academic degree on teachers’ understanding and awareness. The results revealed that although some teachers could not define the term, or provided a general or wrong definition of the term, more than half of the teachers rightly emphasized the economic aspect, protecting natural resources, and caring for present and future lives of people. It was also found that Iranian English teachers highly supported equity, appreciated and protected the nature, enjoyed diversity, asked for education for sustainable development, and led a frugal life. Finally, it was revealed that none of the demographic features influenced teachers’ awareness of SD, except for academic degree and workplace factor that affected three out of eight scales measuring SD. The study ends with several implications for materials developers, English teachers, and syllabus designers.

Investigating Home Economics Teachersí Food Waste Practices and Attitudes

Abstract: Abstract Although studies highlight the role of education in sustainable Food Waste (FW) behaviors, few studies examine basic education pedagogies concerning FW. The present research explores Finnish comprehensive schoolteachersí food and FW attitudes, personal FW practices, and FW pedagogy - educational approach, learning environment, classroom actions, and learning materials. Principal Component Analysis and Spearman correlation analyses of data from a convenience-sampled survey examined FW attitude and practice connections. Respondents (n=52), mostly females (85 %) and Home Economics teachers (62 %), reported two main attitudinal components. Wide Range Responsibility (WRR) represented holistic, global, and communal FW perspectives, while Restricted Responsibility (RR) represented individual and hedonistic FW views. WRR together with school related environmental activities correlated significantly with teacher pedagogical practices to enhance pupilsí ability to recognize factors influencing their FW practices. As personal attitudes may carry into teachersí pedagogical practices, future research should examine teachersí personal values and their consistency with basic curriculum values.

Exploring EFL Teachers’ Moral Identity: The Case of Iranian Teachers

Abstract: Abstract Educating teachers for sustainability requires that teachers be considered as the mediators of change. To achieve this goal, a constructive teacher-learner relationship is essential where values and ethicality play a crucial role. Investigating language teachersí moral identity as an important aspect of teacher cognition can yield useful insights into the kind of relationship which is congenial to the desired whole-person development. The present qualitative study intended to explore the nature of moral dilemmas in language classes and teachersí criterial beliefs in responding to these dilemmatic situations. A systematic coding analysis of the recorded interviews with eight Iranian experienced EFL teachers revealed that they encountered moral dilemmas in both disciplinary and educational aspects of the teaching process. They referred to their knowledge, experience, intuitive sense as well as the teaching context and learnersí history as sources of their moral judgment. The findings on teachersí moral identity uphold implications for teacher education.

Establishing Sustainable Teacher Education with Weekly School Practice - Identifying Teacher Students’ Experiences of Didactic Dilemmas in the Swedish Primary School Classroom

Abstract: Teachers face dilemmas of different kinds in their everyday practice. It is therefore essential that teacher students become aware of the dilemmas they will face in their future profession. By inte ...

Interdisciplinary Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning of Sustainability in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Saudi Arabian citizens, including university students, are in an interesting and precarious situation -- they care for sustainability, but their economy thrives because of oil production. This study used an author-developed instrument to briefly explore 135 Saudi university students' (nine disciplines) knowledge, awareness, evaluation and convictions of how to facilitate the nation to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) per "Vision 2030" despite living in an oil-based economy. Within this context, the paper then reports 31 female Saudi pre-service teachers' (also university students) experience with and reaction to using inquiry-based learning (IBL) to teach sustainability. Their feedback as emergent educators is invaluable for Saudi initiatives concerned with Education for Sustainability (EfS). Study participants were from Saudi's Eastern Province (convenience and snowball sampling) with data collected in fall 2019. Recommendations include integrating IBL into teacher education, supporting IBL with Saudi cultural and religious practices, and communicating anthropogenic impact to Saudi citizens.

Opportunity Inequality in Accessing Higher Education and Presentation of Equity Promotion Model to Achieve Sustainable Development: A Case Study of West Azerbaijan Province in Iran

Abstract: Abstract This study was aimed to investigate the inequality of opportunity of access to the higher education centers and to present a model of reducing inequality of opportunities and to administer justice and fairness in order to achieve a sustainable development among the 17 cities and towns of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. This research was a descriptive-analytic and survey type of study in nature. The participants included 890 pre-university high school students who completed a set of questionnaires eliciting their perceptions on opportunity inequality in accessing higher education. Moreover, documents adopted from the responsible governmental bodies on this topic were analyzed. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, cluster analysis, path analysis and neural networks by means of Topsis, SPSS, and Excel softwares. The findings showed that there is inequality of opportunity of access to the higher education centers in cities of West Azerbaijan. Based on the path analysis, admission and individual-family indexes had the most and the least impacts on inequality of achieving higher education, respectively, among the cities of West Azerbaijan. Moreover, the neural networks model showed that the education indexes were the most important and the individual-family indexes were the least important ones in predicting the opportunity of accessing higher education in these cities. This study reveals that a three-componential model (namely, education, admission, and family-individual) along with their sub-components could be the basis for achieving education for sustainable development.