Sustainable Education in the Nordic Countries (SENC) aims at moving compulsory education in the Nordic countries closer to sustainability. The objective of the current work was to create a knowledge base on the situation as it currently is in the Nordic countries. To do this, a group of experts in the field of sustainability education was created with each country and autonomous area appointing an expert in the field. The group of experts also included representatives from teacher unions and teacher students to include the voices of current and future teacher. Among the task undertaken was to send a survey to teachers in all the Nordic countries, in seven languages, to gather information about the status of sustainability education. Findings show a mixed picture. The work has opened up diverse issues highly relevant for a re-visioned Nordic perspective on sustainability education.
Authors
Jónsson, Ólafur Páll, Demant-Poort, Lars, Wolff, Lili-Ann, Witzel Clausen, Søren, Walk-Johansson, Emilia, Oras, Riku, Gunnarsdóttir, Guðný Jórunn
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.6027/nord2024-038
- ISBN
- 978-92-893-8071-3 (electronic) 978-92-893-8072-0 (electronic)
- OAI
- oai:DiVA.org:norden-13318
- Pages
- 93
- Published in
- Copenhagen: Nordisk Ministerråd
- Responsible organisation
- Nordic Council of Ministers, Nordic Council of Ministers Secretariat
- URN
- urn:nbn:se:norden:org:diva-13318
- Year
- 2024
- pages
- 93
Table of Contents
- 6 1. Introduction 3
- 7 1.1 A Paradoxical Situation 3
- 11 1.2 Young Peoples Worries about the Future 3
- 14 1.3 The Need for Sustainability Education 3
- 15 2. The Mandate and Definition of the Work 3
- 16 2.1 Members of the SENC Group 3
- 19 3. Sustainable Development as an Educa tional Aim 3
- 22 3.1 Main Trends in Sustainability Education 3
- 24 3.2 Transformation Competencies and Bildung 3
- 27 3.3 Approaches to Sustainability Education 3
- 4. Status of Sustainability Education in the Nordic Countries 3
- 37 4.1 What Has Changed since 2020 3
- 43 5. Inspiring Examples 3
- 44 Sustainable Energy Supply in the Local Area 3
- 45 A Student-initiated School Garden Project 3
- 46 Guidebook for Fostering Sustainability Education 4
- 46 Climate Guide for Teachers 4
- 47 Belonging to Nature 4
- 47 A School Project on Water 4
- 48 A School Reinvention through Sustainability 4
- 49 Clean Ocean 4
- 49 Norheim School 4
- 50 Drøbak Montessori Secondary School 4
- Peer Learning as Key for Professional Development amongst Teachers 4
- Backebo School Created Sustainability Councils for Students and Staff 4
- 53 Kökar Primary School 4
- Nordplus Advancing the Nordic Vision 2030 through Cross- Border Educational Collaboration 4
- 55 6. NGOs and Sustainability Education 4
- 55 6.1 Inluence of NGOs in the Field of Sustainability Education 4
- 56 6.2 International NGOs 4
- 58 6.3 Local Programmes 4
- 59 7. Surveying Teachers Educational Approaches 4
- 59 7.1 Methodology 4
- 59 7.2 Main Findings 4
- 71 8. Implications for Continued Work 5
- 72 8.1 Policy Curricula and Educational Vision 5
- 74 8.2 Educational Leadership for Sustainability 5
- 76 8.3 Conlicting Norms and Traditions 5
- 78 8.4 Weak Status of Sustainability in Teacher Education 5
- 80 8.5 Continued Research 5
- 82 9. Preparing Agents of Change 5
- 84 Resources 5
- 92 About this publication 5
- 1. Introduction 6
- 1.1 A Paradoxical Situation 7
- 1.2 Young Peoples Worries about the Future 11
- 1.3 The Need for Sustainability Education 14
- 2. The Mandate and Deinition of the Work 15
- 2.1 Members of the SENC Group 16
- 3. Sustainable Development as an Educa tional Aim 19
- 3.1 Main Trends in Sustainability Education 22
- 3.2 Transformation Competencies and Bildung 24
- 3.2.1 Transformation 24
- 3.2.2 Competence and competency 26
- 3.2.3 Bildung 26
- 3.3 Approaches to Sustainability Education 27
- 3.3.1 United Nations and UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals UN SDGs and Key Competences 27
- 3.3.2 European Commission GreenComp 30
- 3.3.3 OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 31
- 3.3.4 Council of Europe Reference Framework on Competences for Democratic Culture 33
- 4. Status of Sustainability Education in the Nordic Countries 35
- 4.1 What Has Changed since 2020 37
- Denmark 37
- Finland 37
- Greenland 39
- Iceland 39
- Norway 40
- Sweden 40
- Åland Islands 41
- 5. Inspiring Examples 43
- Sustainable Energy Supply in the Local Area 44
- A Student-initiated School Garden Project 45
- Guidebook for Fostering Sustainability Education 46
- Climate Guide for Teachers 46
- Belonging to Nature 47
- A School Project on Water 47
- A School Reinvention through Sustainability 48
- Clean Ocean 49
- Norheim School 49
- Drøbak Montessori Secondary School 50
- Peer Learning as Key for Professional Development amongst Teachers 51
- Backebo School Created Sustainability Councils for Students and Staff 52
- Kökar Primary School 53
- Nordplus Advancing the Nordic Vision 2030 through Cross-Border Educational Collaboration 54
- 6. NGOs and Sustainability Education 55
- 6.1 Inluence of NGOs in the Field of Sustainability Education 55
- 6.2 International NGOs 56
- 6.2.1 Eco-Schools 56
- 6.2.2 World Wildlife Fund Finland 57
- 6.2.3 UNESCO Global Citizenship Education 57
- 6.3 Local Programmes 58
- 7. Surveying Teachers Educational Approaches 59
- 7.1 Methodology 59
- 7.2 Main Findings 59
- 7.2.1 Teachers Personal Experiences related to Sustainability 60
- 7.2.2 Teachers Teaching Experiences 63
- 7.2.3 Teaching Development 66
- 7.2.4 Teachers Experienced Obstacles for Teaching Sustainability 67
- 8. Implications for Continued Work 71
- 8.1 Policy Curricula and Educational Vision 72
- 8.2 Educational Leadership for Sustainability 74
- 8.3 Conlicting Norms and Traditions 76
- 8.4 Weak Status of Sustainability in Teacher Education 78
- 8.5 Continued Research 80
- 9. Preparing Agents of Change 82
- Resources 84
- About this publication 92
- Sustainability Education in the Nordic Countries 92
- Disclaimer 92
- Rights and permissions 92
- Nordic co-operation 93
