Factors behind pupils’ and teachers’ sustainable actions

Sustainable Food Education for Self-Efficacy Development – SEED –How to encourage future citizens to act for a sustainable society.

The overall aim of the project is to promote a sustainable society by enhancing the awareness and self-efficacy on environmental and socio-cultural questions associated with food production, consumption and health, on the local and international level. The specific aim of the project is to reveal new information on how to improve pupils’ self-efficacy regarding sustainable development and teachers’ self-efficacy in mediating sustainability skills, as well as to identify common denominators of best practices within the schools’ education for sustainable development (ESD). The project provide research–based models for the development of national and local school curricula, appropriate learning environments and teaching methods and materials for ESD.

Keywords: education, school curriculum, comprehensive school, learning environment, conceptual change, sustainability, sustainable development, food system, education for sustainable development, ESD, environmental education, cross-disciplinary modell, self-efficacy, sustainability skills, environmental awareness

Subproject 2. Factors behind pupils’ and teachers’ sustainable actions.

At the Department of Teacher Edcation, University of Helsinki, a large-scale survey research will be carried out. The aim of the study is to figure out the contribution on factors like values, norms, experiences and interest in influencing and explaining sustainable actions by school principals, teachers and pupils. Differences between residential areas, schools and gender will be studied. The theory of planned behaviour and models of pro-environmental behaviour provide theoretical background for the study.

Keywords: education for sustainable development, value orientations, attitudes, motivation, self-efficacy, knowlwdge, pro-environmenal and pro-social behaviour, modelling.

Timetable: 1.1.2009 – 31.12.2011.

The project is continuing in 2012.