Towards Integrating Education for Sustainable Development at Initial Teacher Training: The Case of Lesotho College of Education
This viewpoint paper presents some findings of a participatory action research programme carried out by teacher trainers at the Lesotho College of Education (LCE) in order to integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) into its courses. It reveals how social learning brings about deep meaning as students connect subject content knowledge through participatory learning to their sociocultural backgrounds. Participants were later interviewed to ascertain their views on teaching for sustainable development and on interdisciplinary collaboration as a means of enhancing quality in teaching and learning. The findings indicate that some participants had, as a result of the action research project, been able to emerge from the culture of academic isolation through initiating collaboration with other teacher trainers outside the study area.
SWOT Analysis of Selected Schools involved in Greening and Sustainable Development Programmes
This study aimed to explore the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in greening schools for sustainable development in Tshwane North District in Gauteng Province of South Africa. The research considered whether contextual factors hinder schools from effectively greening their schools for sustainable development. This research is qualitative and employed focus group interviews and observation. The study was undertaken with purposefully sampled members of the school management team and school governing body at three primary schools. Data was analysed through thematic content analysis. The major finding of the study was that school funds were swiftly depleted on resources such as water, energy, paper and equipment. Furthermore, contextual factors emerged emanating from little knowledge of greening and sustainability practices by school role players and a lack of policy framework on how sustainable development and greening schools should be implemented. The findings suggest the creation of an integrative assessment of greening school policies and strategies that embrace a practical activity plan for curriculum and infrastructure to monitor school resource management.Keywords: green school; sustainable development, school role players; Sustainable Development Goals
Children as Decision Makers in Education: Sharing Experiences Across Cultures
Notes on Contributors Introduction Sue Cox, Caroline Dyer, Anna Robinson-Pant & Michele Schweisfurth Part 1: Can We Make Space for Children's Decision-making? Perspectives on Educational Policy 1. Changing Context of Decision-making in English Primary education: Ages, Myths and Autonomy Colin Richards 2. 'Prefigurative' Approaches to Participatory Schooling: Experiences in Brazil Tristan McCowan 3. Grasping Rare Moments for Change: Children's Participation in Conflict Contexts Sheila Aikman 4. Long Time Coming: Children as Only Occasional Decision-makers in Schools Clive Harber Part II: Children's Decision Making: Its Impact on Life in Schools and the Community 5. Children's Clubs and Corporal Punishment: Reflections from Nepal Teeka Bhattarai 6. Participatory School Governance: Children in Decision-Making in the Zambian Context Gina Mumba Chiwela 7. EveryChild: NGO Experiences with Children as Decision-makers in Peru, India and Moldova Liz Trippett with Jane Banez-Ockleford, Daniela Mamaliga, Payal Saksena and Lionel Vigil 8. Paving the Way for Pupil Voice? School Councils Campaign for Fair Trade in Liverpool Anne-Marie Smith 9. Student Voice in Portsmouth: A City - wide Approach Fiona Carnie Part III: Children as Decision Makers: What are We Trying to Achieve? The Ethical and Political Dimensions 10. Assessing the Benefits of Students' Participation Hiromi Yamashita, Lynn Davies and Chris Williams 11. Uprooting Fear of Cultural Diversity: Becoming Participative Together Juan Carlos Barron-Pastor 12. Pedagogy and Cultural Diversity: Children's Participation for Overcoming Differences Rohit Dhankar Part IV: Facilitating Children's Participation in Research and Decision-making 13. Children as Researchers: Experiences in a Bexley Primary School Doug Springate and Karen Lindridge 14. Life in the Classroom: A Pupil Perspective Allan Fowler 15. Children as Researchers: A Question of Risk? Sue Cox and Anna Robinson-Pant 16. Children's Participation: Radio as a Medium in Ghana Esmeranda Manful 17. Children as Research Protagonists and Partners in Governance P. J. Lolichen Endpiece: What can we learn about children as decision makers by bringing together perspectives and experiences from different cultures? Sue Cox, Caroline Dyer, Anna Robinson-Pant & Michele Schweisfurth References Index.