Abstract
This chapter develops a conceptual and operational framework on education for sustainability based on a teacher training program located in the south of Chile. Nurtured by the experience collected by the programs' participation in different international networks, it put emphasis on the idea of the importance of combining local knowledge and an integrated science approach to foster action for climate and sustainability from an early stage. After presenting the conceptual and empirical framework, the chapter describes the implementation of culturally-relevant research projects based on the experience of eight schools. It concludes by proposing an operational model and declaring the main constraints and opportunities of project-based-learning for sustainability and climate action. The authors present some recommendations to combine local and scientific knowledge for teacher practice and educational policy, considering the importance of having a critical look at our daily practices as educators given the global socio-ecological crisis.
TopSustainable thinking requires proper scaffolding, starting with providing education on attitudes, knowledge, and skills for sustainability, beginning in preschool. According to a systematic review of education for sustainable development (ESD) for children aged four to ten years (Bascopé et al., 2019), ESD must be transversal and not discipline-bound, exploring the fundamentals of cosmopolitan citizenship and the ways we interact in the context of our everyday lives. Therefore, it is important to focus on the problem of how to promote local actions that will train learners to think globally from an early age, in order to develop resilience. The authors highlight the importance of transdisciplinary, science-integrated opportunities, value-oriented learning and PBL, and argue that PBL and outdoor education are two suitable methodologies for achieving this objective. In this sense, there is a need to develop educational opportunities that combine indigenous knowledge, intergenerational exchange, scientific knowledge, traditional lifestyles, and local practices. These integrative inter- and transdisciplinary methods also provide opportunities to foster agency and collaborative skills among children.
Unfortunately, there is limited empirical literature that tests and demonstrates the dynamic, underlying processes of project work in the context of the early childhood classroom (Clark, 2006). Therefore, research on project-based teaching needs to be expanded.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Mapuche People: Group of indigenous inhabitants of present-day south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common linguistic heritage as Mapudungun speakers. They are the largest ethnic group in Chile.
Project-Based Learning: In the context of this chapter it refers to research projects implemented by kids and guided by teachers and community partners, to tackle local challenges in the school community or surroundings. It has a direct link with Education for Sustainability and climate change education, since it is focus on children’s action towards complex socioecological issues. It has an interdisciplinary focus, considering diverse knowledge, tools and skills to affront local problems.
STEAM Education: In accordance with the classical STEM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), this acronym incorporates the A for “Arts”. It corresponds to educational approaches with a holistic approach, considering the applied science STEM approach, (problem or project oriented), and incorporating artistic expressions to give meaningful educational experiences.
Place-Based Education: The notion of “place” refers to not only the natural but also the social surroundings of the school or educational institution. Place-based education, put the schools’ context in the center of the educational process, giving voice and importance to the excluded, revindicating silent actors, narratives and knowledges. It intends to foster students’ sense of agency and to give a concrete propose to the learning experience.
Culturally Relevant Learning: Based on the framework proposed by Ladson-Billing (1995), it refers to learning opportunities addressing academic success, cultural competencies, and sociopolitical awareness through an inquiry-based learning approach. In the context of education for sustainability, it puts an emphasis in making environmental and STEM education approaches culturally aware.