|
The successful integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into national curriculum and schools requires educational communities to identify locally relevant issues, skills, values, and behaviors central to sustainable development. However, this process is complex because every education system has its own set of standards, policies, and curriculum goals. To facilitate the transformation, the Global Schools Program has worked with experts to create a comprehensive online toolkit, 'Integrating Sustainable Development into National Education Priorities: A Practical Guide for Policymakers, Practitioners, and Researchers' that breaks down steps to analyze curriculum documents and adapt or create curriculum on sustainable development.
The guide is divided into seven major subsections:
- Chapter 1: The importance of ESD integration into national education curriculum and the underlying theory of change for the guide are introduced
- Chapter 2: The multi-phased research process is introduced, including the necessary preparations and a list highlighting administrative priorities (i.e. financial resources, human resources, expertise, etc.)
- Chapter 3: A comprehensive ESD framework, which can be used for designing classroom lessons and activities, is developed based on national educational context and local priorities
- Chapter 4: National educational laws, policies and curricula are rigorously analyzed and evaluated (both quantitatively and qualitatively) for ESD themes
- Chapter 5: Expanding the ESD framework and building on existing curriculum, a series of sample lesson plans and activity guides for various grades and subjects are developed
- Chapter 6: Sample lesson plans and activity guides are piloted in select schools and classrooms across the country, and their effectiveness rigorously assessed
- Chapter 7: Writing up final recommendations based on project outcomes, disseminating the results of the curriculum piloting to stakeholders, and developing a roadmap to guide future work
The toolkit was authored by Dr Felisa Tibbitts, Chair in Human Rights Education and UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Higher Education, Utrecht University (Netherlands); Mr Sam Loni, UN SDSN; Ms Amanda Abrom, UN SDSN; and Ms Gabriela Chacon Ugarte, UN SDSN. The project was made possible with the financial support provided by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
|
