1.Finland and Pisa inside information 2. Reforms in higher education towards more quality in education 3. Education for sustainable development

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1 Capacity building in education and in education for sustainable development Paula Lindroos PhD, director Centre for lifelong learning at Åbo Akademi university and Nova university of applied sciences 1.Finland and Pisa inside information 2. Reforms in higher education towards more quality in education 3. Education for sustainable development Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 2 1. Finland and the PISA-studies - PISA= Programme for International Students Assessment (OECD) Strengths: 1. The unified school system - 9 years primary school for all 2. Teachers education - All qualified teachers have education at Masters level 3. Health care, free meals for pupils PISA, continued: Weakness: - Even if pupils perform well, they do not always feel well Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 4 PISA, continued: OECD Education Ministers noted that sustainable development and social cohesion depend critically on the competencies of all of our population. Competencies cover: knowledge, skills, attitudes and values PISA, continued. On this basis competencies can be further classified as: 1. Subject competencies 2. Methodological competencies 3. Social competencies 4. Personal competencies Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 6 1

2 2. Reforms in higher education towards higher quality in education Ongoing changes: - Bologna process (bachelors and masters, 3+2 years) - University reform January 1, Learning outcomes to be defined Quality static and dynamic: without dynamic quality an organisation cannot develop, without static quality it cannot last (Robert Pirsig, 1982) Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 8 Learning outcomes: A. Campus-wide B. Discipline/programme/profession Defining learning outcomes will change the focus from teaching towards learning. Defining learning outcomes will change the role of the teacher Example: Portland State University Campus-wide learning outcomes: 1. Disciplinary and/or Professional expertise 2. Creative and Critical Thinking 3. Communication 4. Diversity Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 10 Portland Sate University Campus-wide learning outcomes, cont: 5. Ethics and social responsibility 6. Internationalization 7. Engagement 8. Sustainability 3. Education for sustainable development In his follow-up report of the Johannesburg meeting in 2002, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes: Education at all levels is a key to sustainable development. Educating people for sustainable development means not just adding environmental protection to the curriculum but also promoting a balance among economic goals, social needs and ecological responsibility. Education should provide students with the skills, perspectives, values, and knowledge to live sustainably in their communities. It should be interdisciplinary, integrating concepts and analytical tools from a variety of disciplines. Few successful working models of education programmes for sustainable development currently exist Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 12 2

3 1. The UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development Phase 1: : Regional and national strategies and action plans for the implementation of ESD Phase 2: : Good practices and capacity development UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development 31 March 2 April 2009 Bonn, Germany Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 14 The Bonn Declaration calls for action from 1) policy level in member states, 2) the practice level and 3) the UNESCO. 2. Practice level: - Develop and extend ESD partnerships to integrate ESD into training, vocational education and workplace learning - Value and give due recognition to the contribution of traditional and local knowledge for ESD. ESD is situational - Reorient curriculum and teacher education programmes to integrate ESD. Support improvement in the pedagogical practices for ESD. - Develop knowledge through ESD networking. - Intensify efforts in education and training systems to address critical and urgent sustainability challenges, such as climate change. UNESCO ESD Quality education criteria: 1. Interdisciplinary and holistic approaches, where learning for SD is integrated in the whole curriculum and not only as an independent discipline 2. A common value base for SD 3. Development of critical thinking 4. The use of several teaching and learning methods Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 16 UNESCO ESD Quality education criteria (cont): 4. Integration of local, regional and global aspects in education 5. Participatory decision-making where students participate in decisions regarding their learning OECD definition of ESD competencies: 1. Subject competencies knowledge, facts, definitions, concepts, systems 2. Methodological competencies skills, fact-finding, analysis, problem-solving 3. Social competencies communicating, working interactively, active citizenship 4. Personal competencies attitudes, values, ethics Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 18 3

4 Courses Concepts Systems Measurement Practices. Primary School Single pillars taught broadly in general lessons Economic Environment Social Markets Ecosystems Society Wealth Eco-footprints Voters Fundraising Eco-schools Citizenship Secondary School Integration of two (or more) pillars taught in existing courses (e.g. social studies) -Economic/ Environment -Economic/ Social -Social/ Environment -Carbon trading -Human capital -Transport -Costs of climate inaction -Income distribution -Measures of wellbeing -Green entrepreneurs -Poverty reduction -Fairtrade Tertiary Level Integration of three pillars taught in standalone units (SD studies) -Economic/ environment and social -Intergenerational concerns -Participatory processes -SD strategies (NSDS) -Sust. consumption & production strategies (SCP) -ESD strategies -Capital-based indicators -Sustainability indices -Sustainability impact assessments -Sustainable production -Sustainable consumption -Corporate responsibility Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 20 ESD for teachers Integrated or as a separate discipline? - Sustainable development in each discipline? - Sustainable development as a discipline of it s own? What do we also need to know? Sustainable development is an evolving concept: - It changes over time - There is a different focus in different parts of the globe Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 22 Teachers training programmes include: *Background: - The global, national and local policies and strategies - The important topics, locally, regionally and globally - Change in pedagogy: from teaching towards learning * Teachers 5 competencies for ESD: - competencies related to knowledge - competiences related to values and ethics - systems thinking - competencies related to emotions - competencies related to action www. csct-project.org Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 24 4

*Teachers ESD competencies also include: - The competencies needed include resource management, demand management, and - The competence to handle conflicting interests.

5 *Teachers ESD competencies also include: - The competencies needed include resource management, demand management, and - The competence to handle conflicting interests. - Communication of uncertainty and risk (whereas traditional evolution of knowledge aims at minimizing uncertainty). *Sharing of experiences: - The teachers role is changing - Learning materials (incl guides for teachers - Good cases - Networking Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 30 5

6 Thank you for your attention! Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo Åbo Akademi University - Domkyrkotorget Åbo 32 6

Towards sustainability audits in Finnish schools Development of criteria for social and cultural sustainability

Towards sustainability audits in Finnish schools Development of criteria for social and cultural sustainability Erkka Laininen Planning Manager The OKKA Foundation The OKKA Foundation Is a foundation for