Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD; also often called Education for Sustainability (EfS)) is a key lever of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which emphasize the need for everyone to have the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of creating a more sustainable world. H...
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doaj-e056725e1e664cf3be19463f9fe210f62021-03-07T00:01:22ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502021-03-01132854285410.3390/su13052854Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, ResultsQuentin Ssossé0Johanna Wagner1Carina Hopper2Independent Researcher, 75020 Paris, FranceIndependent Researcher, 75015 Paris, FranceIndependent Researcher, 08028 Barcelona, SpainEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD; also often called Education for Sustainability (EfS)) is a key lever of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which emphasize the need for everyone to have the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of creating a more sustainable world. However, while we can find examples of ESD across the globe, its potential to scale effectively and its impact on achieving the goals of sustainable development as compared with traditional curricula are often questioned. This literature review, at the crossroads of econometrics, educational sciences and psychology, aims to foster scaled ESD research and initiatives by offering a better understanding of the doubts that surround its potential impact. To that end, we (1) shed light on the methods and good practices for assessing this impact; (2) underline the specificity of the data to be collected in the context of these methods of assessment; and (3) outline the existing conclusions of impact studies dedicated to ESD that have served to highlight the limits and challenges for accurate measurement. These impact studies suggest that ESD will only achieve its objectives if pedagogical approaches are renewed. The inclusion of studies showing de facto poor results for ESD makes it possible to complete the picture of the endogenous and exogenous factors determining sustainable behavior that must be taken into account, both in the design of impact assessment tools and in the concrete implementation of ESD.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2854education for sustainable developmentsustainability educationenvironmental literacycompetences for sustainable developmentsustainability citizensimpact assessment |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Quentin Ssossé Johanna Wagner Carina Hopper |
spellingShingle |
Quentin Ssossé Johanna Wagner Carina Hopper Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results Sustainability education for sustainable development sustainability education environmental literacy competences for sustainable development sustainability citizens impact assessment |
author_facet |
Quentin Ssossé Johanna Wagner Carina Hopper |
author_sort |
Quentin Ssossé |
title |
Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results |
title_short |
Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results |
title_full |
Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results |
title_fullStr |
Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessing the Impact of ESD: Methods, Challenges, Results |
title_sort |
assessing the impact of esd: methods, challenges, results |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD; also often called Education for Sustainability (EfS)) is a key lever of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which emphasize the need for everyone to have the knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of creating a more sustainable world. However, while we can find examples of ESD across the globe, its potential to scale effectively and its impact on achieving the goals of sustainable development as compared with traditional curricula are often questioned. This literature review, at the crossroads of econometrics, educational sciences and psychology, aims to foster scaled ESD research and initiatives by offering a better understanding of the doubts that surround its potential impact. To that end, we (1) shed light on the methods and good practices for assessing this impact; (2) underline the specificity of the data to be collected in the context of these methods of assessment; and (3) outline the existing conclusions of impact studies dedicated to ESD that have served to highlight the limits and challenges for accurate measurement. These impact studies suggest that ESD will only achieve its objectives if pedagogical approaches are renewed. The inclusion of studies showing de facto poor results for ESD makes it possible to complete the picture of the endogenous and exogenous factors determining sustainable behavior that must be taken into account, both in the design of impact assessment tools and in the concrete implementation of ESD. |
topic |
education for sustainable development sustainability education environmental literacy competences for sustainable development sustainability citizens impact assessment |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/5/2854 |
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AT quentinssosse assessingtheimpactofesdmethodschallengesresults AT johannawagner assessingtheimpactofesdmethodschallengesresults AT carinahopper assessingtheimpactofesdmethodschallengesresults |
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