This thesis studied four CEMUS courses offered in spring 2011. The purpose of this study was: 1) to measure CEMUS students‘ self-reported behavior and action as well as behavior intention towards sustainable development; 2) to analyze different factors and barriers to their behavior and action; 3) to analyze course coordinators‘ knowledge and perspectives about behavior change and action towards sustainable development; and 4) to analyze each course‘s impact on students. Finally, this thesis discusses how education can be improved to foster behavior and action towards sustainable development. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. According to the results, most CEMUS students were willing to recycle; to switch off electricity when it‘s not needed; and to travel by bicycle or public transportation instead of by car. On the other hand, fewer students had a willingness to pay for environmental costs and to cut down water consumption and waste. Among the opportunities for indirect action, it was political participation and working within the field of sustainable development (SD) that were most preferred. In contrast, much fewer students were willing to avoid purchasing products from companies with poor track records on CSR, to participate in voluntary work related to SD and to donate money for social or environmental causes. The two most frequently perceived constraints for behavior change among students were a lack of money and obstructive social norms. As a course outcome, four out of six coordinators expect students to take action afterwards but there is a lack of knowledge on how to encourage students to behave and act more sustainably. Based on the results, this thesis discussed what kinds of learning methods can be applied in CEMUS and ESD. It was concluded that education should focus on a specific domain and a small spatial scale, and assign project assignments in which students communicate and interact with stakeholders. Such an approach will help to approach the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). CEMUS could also implement the theory of locus of control, emotional involvement and four different kinds of knowledge in their education in order to improve the effectiveness of CEMUS courses when it comes to promoting behavior and action towards sustainable development.

The aim of this papper is to investigate how spanish teacher understand the concept of Sustainable Development and how they implement the Education for Sustainable Development in their lessons. For this purpose we have used two different methods: the first was to analyze Swedish school policy documents (Education Act, Lgr 11 and Lgy 11) to see if they promote the Education for Sustainable Development in foreign language classes. The second was to analyze the perceptions of the teachers in terms of understanding and application of Sustainable Development in their teaching. A questionnaire study was conducted with 12 spanish teachers representing 11 secondary- and high schools in Växjö. The questionnaire contains 8 questions about personal information, 3 open questions about understanding of Education for Sustainable Development and 27 affirmations about Sustainable Development which measure teacher´s levels of agreement or disagreement (Likert ordinal scale). The results showes that Swedish school policy documents don´t make it clear that teacher in general and spanish teacher in particular have to educate for Sustainable Development (in the Education Act the words 'sustainable development' are not even mentioned). They also showes that 58 % of the teachers implemet in their teaching the Sustainable Development; 100 % of the teachers consider the lack of knowledge, the lack och time and the irrelevance of Sustainable Development in the spanish lessons as factors who difficult the Education for Sustainable Development; 92 % of the teachers would like to get more education about how to educate for Sustainable Development.

In this thesis I will argue that the current predicament we find ourselves in of unsustainable practices can only be addressed through a fundamental shift in the way we view the world and ourselves in it. It is my contention that our most immediate path to achieving this shift is through education. In this thesis I investigate the philosophical basis and justification for education as the impetus for change that will lead to sustainable societies. This inquiry will rethink Freire’s work within our current socio-historical context. Limitations and critiques of Freire’s work will be examined in order to investigate the ability of his work to form the foundation of a paradigm shift towards education that promotes sustainability. The work of C.A. Bowers is used as the basis to interrogate Freire’s work and to re-think some areas to overcome limitations of Freire’s work in his application to Education for Sustainability.

In this thesis I will argue that the current predicament we find ourselves in of unsustainable practices can only be addressed through a fundamental shift in the way we view the world and ourselves in it. It is my contention that our most immediate path to achieving this shift is through education. In this thesis I investigate the philosophical basis and justification for education as the impetus for change that will lead to sustainable societies. This inquiry will rethink Freire’s work within our current socio-historical context. Limitations and critiques of Freire’s work will be examined in order to investigate the ability of his work to form the foundation of a paradigm shift towards education that promotes sustainability. The work of C.A. Bowers is used as the basis to interrogate Freire’s work and to re-think some areas to overcome limitations of Freire’s work in his application to Education for Sustainability.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been called for playing a crucial role in integrating principles,values, and practices accorded with sustainable development. Holistic approach, ethical values, norm transitionand behavior changes are required to achieve the aim of ESD. However, while both external and internal impactsof the Swedish education system have affected its fundamental values and aims, core elements of ESD inSwedish curriculum were also influenced. This paper analyzes, in particular, the changes that PISA reportsbrought in the Swedish curriculum at the discourse level, and its potential effects on ESD. Discourse analysiswas mainly used for comparing two curricula and two syllabi. With the help of situational contexts of PISA andthe curriculum of 2011, a transition observed from text analysis was interpreted and the final discussion wasanchored with social contexts from educational discourses. The result indicated that influences from PISA in thenew curriculum and syllabus were observed in corresponded aims and goals. Situational and social contexts alsopointed to the same direction of transition due to the previous goals-oriented curriculum that made a wide rangeof teaching. Thus, fundamental values, aims and goals were changed into providing clearer guidelines forteaching scope and gradings as well as into focusing literacy skills and knowledge of concepts. In the process ofthe transition, holistic approach, ethical and democratical values, as well as focus on cultural aspects and pupils’ attributes were removed or shrunken, which implied negative impacts on ESD. On the other hand, emphasis onliteracy skills of students in the new curriculum was expected to bring positive achievement for ESD.Furthermore, in order to achieve the norm transition toward sustainable development, those lost immeasurable values are suggested to be addressed in future Swedish education.

In today’s world, concern has been raised about that the existing means of development are unsustainable. As a solution Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been engaged around the world as a step to build a more sustainable society. Throughout the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), Japan has promoted ESD through addressing it in the national educational law and plans as well as emphasizing it in course of study. As the DESD reached its end, this study aims to shed light on how ESD, an international framework, is understood and implemented on a micro level. Through a qualitative case study focused on the selected elementary and junior high schools in Kesennuma City, Miyagi, Japan, the findings show that local unique characteristics such as environmental and social factors influence the implementation of ESD. Furthermore, the findings also illustrate that learning of ESD takes place at various locations beyond the classrooms where the participants get involved in the local community that provides various professional knowledge and skills. Through the learning of ESD, which emphasizes experience and interaction with the learning partners, the aim is to foster the students’ abilities to think critically, identify a problem independently and take actions as well as to cooperate with others. At the same time, the study also shows that a holistic understanding of ESD from the teachers’ is needed in order to integrate ESD into the entire education.

The present paper is a case study research that explores how different teacher education institutions in Botswana have worked towards the infusion of Education for Sustainable Development pedagogy and content in the curriculums of pre-service teachers. The main purpose of the research was to understand what elements promoted or inhibited the development of ESD change project by educational institutions. Combing the theory of change, the theory of human capability, the theory of social learning and the theory of transformative learning, a theory-based evaluative tool was developed and used to analysis data obtained through a variety of data sources. The results indicate that there are a number of crucial elements that enable a successful implementation of ESD in teacher education institutions in Botswana, namely: the educators’ ability to foster transformational pedagogies in the classroom, and their capacity to understand the different approaches that are inherent to the concept of ESD, their capacity to strategically plan for change and the wider institutional context for this implementation. Importantly, this research also provides some cues as to how the further implementation of ESD can be guided in teacher training. / ESSA Program at SWEDESD

The overall ambition with this thesis is to develop knowledge about students’ learning, especially with regard to process and content, when they participate in argumentation. Students’ learning is investigated through in situ studies of classroom practices. The theoretical point of departure is a pragmatic perspective in which learning is understood and investigated in terms of concrete actions. The empirical material consists of video recorded lessons at secondary and upper secondary schools in Sweden. The content of the lessons is argumentative discussions about sustainable development and socioscientific issues. In the first study, the functions that teachers’ actions have for students’ learning processes are investigated using Epistemological Move Analysis. In the second study, an approach is developed and illustrated that facilitates investigations into students’ learning processes in terms of knowledge content and argument construction in argumentation. The method, called Transactional Argumentation Analysis, combines a pragmatic perspective of learning with an argument analysis based on Toulmin’s Argument Pattern. In the third study, the functions that knowledge have when used by students in argumentative discussions are examined. The fourth study investigates the role of peers for students’ learning and how students influence the argumentation at a collective level. Here Transactional Argumentation Analysis is developed further in order to facilitate investigations of the dynamic interplay between the intra-personal and the inter-personal dimensions of learning and the result of this interplay in terms of the knowledge content and arguments that are constructed. The thesis shows how students’ learning can be investigated through in situ studies of educational practices. The methodological contribution of the thesis consists of the development and further elaboration of Transactional Argumentation Analysis. The thesis also contributes with substantial knowledge about students’ learning processes with regard to knowledge content and argument construction when participating in argumentation. Another contribution concerns the functions of knowledge when used by students in argumentation. Finally, the studies show how peers and teachers influence students’ learning, and how students contribute to the shared argumentation in the classroom.

Die gegenwärtige Form der Landwirtschaft steht in engem Zusammenhang mit zentralen Themen der nachhaltigen Entwicklung wie dem Verlust der Biodiversität und dem Klimawandel. Der daraus resultierenden steigenden Bedeutung von Land¬wirtschaft steht eine weitgehende Abkopplung insbesondere junger Bevölkerungs¬schichten gegenüber, bedingt durch veränderte Lebensbedingungen und den landwirt¬schaftlichen Strukturwandel. Um dieser Diskrepanz zu begegnen, bestehen Bestrebungen, das Interesse junger Menschen an Landwirtschaft im Rahmen von gezielten Bildungsmaßnahmen (wieder) zu beleben. Eine zentrale Rolle kommt dabei dem Bauernhof als erfahrungsintensivem und handlungsorientiertem Lernort zu. Ein Ziel dieser Studie war die Analyse von Schülerinteressen an landwirtschaftlichen Themenbereichen und deren Einflussfaktoren und damit verbunden zunächst die Entwicklung eines geeigneten Messinstruments. Darauf aufbauend wurde die Entwicklung der Schülerinteressen an Landwirtschaft nach einem fünftägigen Schulbauernhofaufenthalt und einer daran anschließenden Lerneinheit in der Schule untersucht. Dafür wurde eine quantitative Schülerbefragung zu vier Messzeitpunkten durchgeführt. Zudem wurden während beider Interventionen Einflussfaktoren des situationalen Interesses bestimmt und wechselseitige Einflüsse von situationalem und individuellem Interesse analysiert. Die ersten beiden Studien dokumentieren die Entwicklung und Validierung des faktoriellen Designs eines Messinstruments mit vier Interessekomponenten und fünf landwirtschaftlichen Themenbereichen. Die zweite Studie belegt zudem die Bedeutung von Vorwissen, Naturerfahrungen, Ekelsensitivität und Geschlecht als Einflussfaktoren der landwirtschaftlichen Interessensbereiche. Fünftägige Schulbauernhofaufenthalte mit aktiven Arbeitserfahrungen in verschiedenen landwirtschaftlichen Bereichen konnten die Schülerinteressen in einigen Bereichen steigern, wobei vor allem Jungen Interessenzuwächse erzielten, wie in Studie 3 deutlich wird. Im vierten empirischen Beitrag wird ein Modell mit kombinierten außerschulischen und schulischen Interventionen zur Entwicklung landwirtschaftlichen Interesses beru-hend auf verschiedenen Strängen bisheriger Interesseforschung abgeleitet. An den Schulbauernhofaufenthalt anschließende schulische Lerneinheiten konnten das gestei-gerte Interesse aufrechterhalten, dieses sank jedoch weitere fünf Wochen später wieder. Bezüglich des situationalen Interesses bei der Arbeit auf dem Schulbauernhof waren vor allem das Kompetenzerleben, zudem wahrgenommene Autonomie und soziale Eingebundenheit von Bedeutung. Das situationale Interesse an der schulischen Einheit wurde durch die Verbindung von Catch- und Hold-Elementen stärker gefördert im Vergleich zu Varianten der Einheit, die nur catch- oder hold-Elemente integrierten. Im Zuge der Interessenentwicklung über die vier Messzeitpunkte zeigten sich wechsel-seitige Einflüsse des situationalen und individuellen Interesses. Diese Arbeit unterstreicht die Bedeutung wiederholter landwirtschaftlicher Bildungsinterventionen um diesbezügliche Interessen nachhaltig zu stärken.

This dissertation reports a study exploring adult engagement with sustainability learning practices in EcoSchools-certified secondary schools in Canada, Lithuania and Sweden as a means towards shaping a liveable future. The study is situated in the area of education for sustainable development. The study design was initially based on an interest in revealing specific practices of sustainability education as a means of improving the relationship between environmental impact and wealth. While echoing findings in the existing literature, this research contributes to the development of the field through insight into the perspectives that adults bring to sustainability education. Primary data collected in the spring of 2006 were recorded (mostly single) semistructured interviews with 30 individuals (national coordinators, caretakers, teachers and administrators), including 10 Canadians from four schools, 14 Lithuanians from four schools, and six Swedes from two schools. Four phases of qualitative analysis were used on the data: initial transcript coding and trends; précis document trends; a six-stage model of interview responses allowing vertical (between question) and horizontal (between stage) comparisons; word maps of subthemes as a scaffold to detail participants’ four primary views (long, wide, deep, dynamic) regarding sustainability. Ultimately, the results of this study point less than expected to revealing specific transferable practices regarding success and challenge in EcoSchools. Rather, these findings provide some insight into a means of shaping a sustainable future through an individual’s sustainability perspective: a living responsiveness based on a sense of connection, supported by improved sustainability cognition, and realized through sustainability practice and considered engagement.