Interdisciplinary Cooperative Educational Approaches to Foster Knowledge and Competences for Sustainable Development

The objective of this paper is to prove that interdisciplinary educational approaches foster knowledge and competences for sustainable development in primary education. The intervention methodology employed is an educational and pedagogical approach to teaching science through physical activities an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marcel Bassachs, Dolors Cañabate, Teresa Serra, Jordi Colomer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8624
Description
Summary:The objective of this paper is to prove that interdisciplinary educational approaches foster knowledge and competences for sustainable development in primary education. The intervention methodology employed is an educational and pedagogical approach to teaching science through physical activities and is based on developing dynamic reflective and cooperative learning environments to strengthen teaching–learning relationships. The educational approach included analyzing students’ reflections from their focus groups, in which five categories of cooperative learning: positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, the appropriate use of social skills, and group processing, were considered. The results show that, to a significant statistical degree, when the interdisciplinary approaches were adopted the primary school students reached higher levels of understanding, reflective and critical thinking development, and that cooperative learning provided them with a greater perception of sustainable development competences through systems and critical thinking, analysis, interpersonal relationships and collaboration, and strategic action.
ISSN:2071-1050