<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> This paper presents the design and development of a virtual learning enviroment (VLE) for a M.Sc. programme on information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education for sustainable development (ESD) driven by a learning paradigm that merges three theories of learning, namely: experiential learning, constructivist learning and transformative learning (ExCon- Tra) funded by the European Commission. Learning activities were designed to offer the chance for students to interact asynchronously and synchronously, negotiate meaning and reflect on their learning and viewpoints through collaborative problem solving. The ExConTra learning process is also based on an interdisciplinary approach addressing the four pillars (environment, society, culture and economy) of sustainable development and makes use of an online course design methodology that uses four phases: needs analysis, curriculum design, development and formative evaluation. The VLE that encompasses both the curriculum programme and the online platform with its tools and online technologies merges ICTs with ESD in three ways: a) providing opportunities to target groups for reflective practice; b) using open source ICT tools and ESD-related learning objects available in the Web and c) using ICTs to develop interactive, interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary ESD learning activities</abstract>

Course Curricular Design and Development of the M.Sc. Programme in the Field of Ict in Education for Sustainable Development

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> This paper presents a pedagogical model that emerged during the design of an online Masters programme developed with the support of funding from the Erasmus multilateral programme. The authors are experienced in both the development and implementation of online learning, particularly values-based learning approaches in higher education, and are deeply committed to building alternate theoretical models that stimulate thinking about values-based learning within an online context. This pedagogical model thus represents an alternative theoretical resource for thinking about the role of ethical-values in learning. Garrison, Anderson and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry Framework has been re-conceptualised and a new pedagogical model, titled the “Ethical-values Pedagogical Model”, has emerged. This model posits that a positive ethical-values presence is critical to sustaining teaching, social and cognitive presences and thus the lynchpin for the enablement of appropriate and meaningful cognitive experiences. The ethical-values bases of learners and educators effectively filter the way in which the cognitive experience is created and the manner in which the individual learner makes sense and/or constructs meaning within the learning environment. As such, the ethical-values bases of participants impact significantly on the teaching, social and cognitive presences within the learning environment. The presence of ethical-values that foster authentic, democratic and transformative learning experiences for the individual learner, communities of learners and educators is critical to the success of this Ethical-values Pedagogical Model.</abstract>

School of Education Studies, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland

Ethical-Values Pedagogical Model

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> A radical shift in pedagogy is necessary for information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance teaching and learning for sustainability. Climate change takes an inter/crossdisciplinary approach attempting to synthesise diverse ideas and observations concerning global warming. This paper deals with the integration of climate change across the school curriculum through a web-based hypermedia application entitled ICT-enabled integration of climate change education (CCE) that is used as a resource for the EU-funded project ICT-enabled education for sustainable development (ESD). The web-based environment includes interactive activities and supportive material on climate change and is open to all the six forms at the primary school level. The methodological approach used merges ICT, ESD, critical pedagogy and CCE principles and practices. Drupal (content management system) was chosen as the back-end system of our hypermedia learning environment. The main learning content is composed of learning objects (LOs) created through the authoring tool Adobe Flash. The combination of Drupal and Flash provides a dynamic and adaptable learning environment. Through this web-based learning environment that integrates six thematic areas supported by various ICT tools, learners are expected to gain insight into how climate change is altering the planet, potential impacts on the future, and how they can intervene to address its effects.</abstract>

Professor of ICT in Education, University of Crete, Department of Primary Education.

ICT-Enabled Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development Across the School Curriculum

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Critical and reflective thinking is acknowledged as one of the key skills within education for sustainable development whereas sustainable development requires a shift in the mental models which frame our thinking and inform our decisions and actions. This paper describes the implementation of a blended learning lesson unit which aimed at activating pupils’ reflective thinking in order to negotiate the controversial topic of genetically modified food (GMF). It describes a small case study that was implemented in a semi-rural school in Chania, Crete, with the participation of 23 pupils from Form 6. Specific changes in the pedagogical practices were adopted, pertaining to content, time and space conventions and the use of online learning activities. The instructional design incorporated a five-stage instructional session, which started by the introduction of a problematic situation, continued with the infusion of cognitive dissonance procedures and ended with a reflective evaluation activity. The pupils’ stances towards the open learning procedure and the integration of online activities were positive, while certain changes in their beliefs about the issue of GMF were observed, due to the design of the learning approach.</abstract>

Department of Primary Education, University of Crete, 74100, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece.

Transforming the Classroom into a Reflective Community: A Blended Learning Instructional Approach

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> This paper deals with a web-based learning environment that introduces primary school learners into the issue of children’s rights and climate change education. The methodological approach used is based on critical pedagogy and hypermedia technology. Through open source learning technologies and authentic learning activities that are enriched by open education resources and learning objects largely elicited from the Web, learners are being informed and construct knowledge related to six key areas of children’s rights affected by climate change.</abstract>

ICT-Enabled Climate Change Education and Children Rights

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The paper describes an action research during the implementation of an e-learning course on commercial studies in a bachelor’s programme. The action research study aims to: 1) determine the effectiveness of action research in a technologically-based learning environment and 2) establish how group work in e-learning environment affects students’ interest in, and need for, communication and discourse. Qualitative and statistical methods of data analysis were used in this mixed-methods study. The present paper analyses the experience of students working in three action phases to design their personal frames of reference for evaluation of the content and metacontent of business fundamentals. The study identified several possibilities for improving e-learning environment with techniques that make this form of learning more sustainable.</abstract>

PhD candidate, Distance Education Study Centre, Riga Technical University, Azenes Street 12, Riga LV-1048, Latvia.

Action Research for Creating Knowledge in an E-Learning Environment

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> How should teacher education for sustainability (TEfS) respond to new information and communication technologies that can enable new forms of social and environmental relations and new forms of pedagogy? To answer that question, this article will consider the potential of Web 2.0 technologies or social media to enrich the content and pedagogy of education for sustainable development in both university and school classrooms. It will suggest that teachers should be introduced to critical social theory that seeks to explain the role of these new technologies in the recent wave of capitalist development that precipitated economic and ecological crisis, and their potential to bring about more sustainable alternatives. Such alternatives will be based on more radical and deliberative forms of democracy and citizenship enabled by the new technologies, and TEfS should equip teachers to explore these through appropriate forms of citizenship education and model them in their classrooms via new forms of critical pedagogy. Such ideas as those of Erik Olin Wright on real utopias and Manuel Castells on network society provide such TEfS with appropriate theory, while consideration of how YouTube videos might be used to develop critical digital and sustainability literacies in the classroom, illustrates how such theory might be related to practice.</abstract>

Teacher Education for Sustainability in Network Society: Combining Digital and Sustainability Literacies

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The paper will explore the potential of new technologies in helping educators to play an active role in creating and promoting the learning that is needed for local and global communities to live sustainably. In particular, it will examine the potential of the virtual world to develop local and global communities for transformative learning for sustainable development. It is organised into three sections: 1) the need for new ways of knowing, learning and understanding; 2) the challenges an opportunities of the virtual world; 3) the role of virtual learning communities in education for sustainable education; 4) regional centres of expertise as a mobilising mechanism. Faced with the major challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and social inequality, it is clear that learning to live sustainably has never been more urgent. The credit crunch has thrown these into sharp relief and provided an opportunity to take stock of our current ways of organising the world economy which have led us to this unsustainable impasse. We are faced with a critical moment in world history which offers the chance to make the changes needed to set human beings on a path to a more sustainable future. In order to address these immense challenges, new forms of learning are needed, and the paper will argue that all educators, as responsible members of local and global communities, need to play key roles as agents for change. Globalisation and new technologies have changed the way we think about the world and about what constitutes the global and the local. It is clear that both local and global solutions must be found to address the serious dilemmas of the 21st century. This paper will see to examine the opportunities and challenges of the virtual world in enabling and supporting the development of effective ESD communities of practice.</abstract>

Pedagogy, Places And People

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The Sustainable School Award is a project for schools that aims to integrate a sustainability perspective into all aspects of school life through sustainable school indicators. It complies with the implementation strategy of the International Plan of Action of the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and the Strategy of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). In this paper, we present the vision of a sustainable school and an attempt to connect theory and practice of education for sustainable development in order to approach this vision. A brief report on the first year of the implementation of the project in Greece is also presented.</abstract>

Sustainable School Indicators: Approaching the Vision Through the Sustainable School Award

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 25 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023)

Volume 25 (2023): Issue 1 (June 2023)

Volume 24 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022)

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Volume 23 (2021): Issue 2 (December 2021)

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Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

  High quality articles by researchers from Baltic region and other countries, original articles authored by researchers who appreciate our fast, fair and constructive peer review. The Journal publishes research or project reports, teacher education programme evaluation, case studies of practice, action research reports, reports on teaching practice or techniques, etc. Fast growing journal on the most topical issues of contemporary teacher education. One of few international peer-reviewed journals focused on the issue of sustainability in education.  Why subscribe and read   High quality articles by researchers from Baltic region and other countries, original articles authored by researchers who appreciate our fast, fair and constructive peer review;  The Journal publishes research or project reports, TE program evaluation, case studies of practice, action research reports, reports on teaching practice or techniques, etc.;  Fast growing journal on the most topical issues of contemporary teacher education;  One of few international peer-reviewed journals focused on the issue of sustainability in education.   Why submit   Fast, fair and constructive peer review; fast publication both online and in printed form;  Editorial help;  Articles abstracted by online indexing services.   Rejection Rate   About 30%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 