This book examines policies and practices within higher education, particularly in the field of teacher education, that foster sustainability from a variety of viewpoints. It sheds light on both common facilitators and obstacles across 18 research-oriented chapters. It scrutinizes global research, policies, and practices, and delves into the…

This article analyses contradictions in the Thai engagement with UNESCO discourse by examining how concepts relating to Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education have been interpreted in key national policies. Thai education policy discourse signals convergence with certain aspects of the international sustainability…

The UNESCO-led Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) underscores the need to increase teachers' capacities to promote sustainable actions through ESD, and several capacity-building teaching guides have been developed with that purpose. From the perspectives of the pluralistic and transformative traditions of…

The adoption of the European Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development (2022) notes the critical role of education, and demonstrates the commitment of Member States to the attainment of sustainable futures. This Recommendation established a solid political foundation for co-operation in the European…

This article provides a conceptual analysis of the two domains of global citizenship education and adult education and learning, along with their similarities and differences. It begins by unpacking the ambiguous and contested concept of global citizenship education and proposing a critical vision of it, within a global social justice framework.…

Recently, the new global policy framework for implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) -- "ESD for 2030" -- was launched officially. Drawing on Foucauldian theory, this paper explores biopolitical elements in "ESD for 2030." The paper contributes to previous research on ESD policy by employing a biopolitical…

This article deals with the question of how teacher education and teacher training in Germany -- of which many aspects have been fragmentized -- can nevertheless provide teachers with an adequate opportunity to systematically develop their professional competences in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD). Based on current…

Within socio-economic transformation processes, the task of education is often reduced to short-term economic factors, that is, a suitable qualification profile of the local population. Transformative education should, however, be based on the broader claim that education contributes to successful transformation processes in the sense of…

Education is often perceived in policy agendas as playing a transformative role in realising sustainable development and the SDGs on the continent. The assumption is based, however, on an insufficiently critical understanding of the historical role of education in supporting unsustainable development. The article provides a critical account of the…

The urgency of the climate crisis demands not only greater coherence and coordination of education efforts, but also a deep reexamination of the education sector's role in the perpetuation of the status quo. This applies across formal education institutions (primary, secondary, and tertiary school), non-formal programs (often delivered by…

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution titled "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The notion of "transformative education" is being mainstreamed in the work of UNESCO within the new framework of the SDGs,…

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is an educational approach that, by being a catalyst of social change, promotes sustainability. Although South African education policy and practice appear to be oriented towards ESD, the concept is contested, and ragged with ambiguity and vagueness. Because the transformation of South African education…

In order to have long-term impact ESD concepts, practices and policies should move into societal, policy and research arenas with high visibility and traction. In the process of going "transboundary", the ESD label may fade but the practice and organization of social and collaborative learning may gain.

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) charges educators with a key role in developing and "securing sustainable life chances, aspirations and futures for young people". Environmental Education (EE) and ESD share a vision of quality education and a society that lives in balance with Earth's carrying capacity,…

This publication is part of our five-strand research project "Flexible Pedagogies: preparing for the future". It identifies six "new pedagogical ideas" offering new pathways for learning. These include: (1) actively involving students in learning development and processes of "co-creation" thereby challenging existing…