Sustainability and climate change represent one of the greatest challenges of our time and higher education has an important role to play in ensuring the sustainable future of our planet through education, research and innovation. In particular, this includes through the preparation of graduates who will be able to critically engage with and address global challenges in their professional and personal lives. Educators in every discipline and profession therefore need to consider how best to prepare their students to address these challenges both now and in the future.
Research in education for sustainable development, and related areas such as climate change education, highlights that learners need not only key areas of knowledge, but also to develop relevant skills and competencies, and to critically reflect on values related to sustainability. Knowing how to do this within teaching practice can be daunting, however, especially for busy educators with many demands on their time. We know from our research in the Development Education Research Centre and through supporting students (most of whom are educators) on the MA Global Learning, that there is an on-going and critical need for support and continuing professional development for educators on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
This support isn’t just about providing relevant knowledge, but also about increasing educators’ confidence, to help them include ESD within their teaching practice. This need is particularly pressing in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their focus on education for sustainable development and global citizenship. It was for these reasons that we created the new Educating for Sustainable Development in Schools and Universities short course for educators.
