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Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

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Module Title
Module Code (ITS: ED9035)
Faculty School
NFQ level Credit Rating
Description

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development articulates seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs), that refer to inter-connected global challenges (including climate change, over- population, conflicts, inequalities and poverty) to be addressed as a matter of great urgency. The Education 2030 plan (UN General Assembly 2019) positions Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as pivotal in enabling students to respond to these challenges. ESD is a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the Earth’s natural resources. It enables people to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations. The Education 2030 plan also draws on the concept of global citizenship, with Global Citizenship Education (GCED) recognised as key to this agenda, developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours to contribute to a just and equitable world (UNESCO, 2013). Climate change is further recognised by UNESCO as “the defining issue of our time” and as such, demands the inclusion of climate change education (CCE) within educational systems, processes and curricula. With their own origins, synergies and contradictions, ESD, GCE and CCE are therefore positioned as educational responses to the global challenges, offering potential transformations of person, pedagogy and education systems (UNECE, 2013). This module will explore the many, varied and contested conceptual framings and agendas relating to education for sustainability. It will critically examine the possibilities and challenges presented by ambitious policies and agendas, such as Agenda 2030 and Education 2030, for education providers, educators and learners and consider evidence that illustrates the implementation of policy into practice across a range of education and work- related contexts.

Learning Outcomes

1. Articulate the origins of, key influences on, and tensions between various conceptual framings of education for sustainability, including but not limited to, Education about/for Sustainable Development, Global Citizenship Education and Climate Change Education.
2. Engage in debates on the power and privilege dynamics contributing to a range of global sustainability challenges, and implications thereof in educating for sustainability.
3. Map the evolution of education for sustainability policies, strategies, action plans and networks at national and international levels.
4. Analyse and appraise the translation of policies, strategies and/ or action plans on education for sustainability in their own professional context or work-based setting, and within the wider educational and societal context.
5. Critically reflect on the sustainability knowledge domains, competencies, dispositions and ethical-values bases that underpin sustainability-oriented ecologies of learning.
6. Investigate the applicability of innovative pedagogies, foregrounded within sustainability-oriented ecologies of learning, in their own professional/ work setting and within the wider educational context.


WorkloadFull time hours per semester
TypeHoursDescription
Lecture12Formal input by module coordinator and lecturers in lecture/ seminar format
Workshop12Participant engagement in interactive workshops
Directed learning35Focused engagement with core readings directed by module coordinator
Independent Study186Reading beyond core readings
Assignment Completion130Completion of prescribed assignment.
Total Workload: 375
Assessment Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentPart 1: (50%) In groups of 3-4, students will: a) Create a mind-map illustrating the evolution of national or international sustainability policies, strategies and/ or action plans. AND b) Write a concise report (1500 words) on the translation of national policies, strategies and/ or action plans relating to education for sustainability in a professional practice or work-based setting. OR Write a policy brief abstract (1500 words), highlighting key recommendations for national, European or international governments to accelerate the infusion of education for sustainability.50%n/a
AssignmentPart 2: (50%) Report (2000 words) Individually, each student will compose a report detailing their desired ‘sustainability-oriented ecology of learning’ and the outcome from their investigations on the applicability of pedagogies and competencies foregrounded in this ecology of learning within their own professional or work context. They will further consider what transformations in the wider education system would be required to support their desired ‘sustainability- oriented ecology of learning’.50%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
RC1: A resit is available for both* components of the module.
RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module.
RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element.

* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Educating for sustainability in the Anthropocene
Students will be introduced to and engage in discussions on the conceptual framings of education for sustainability, the schools of thought and disciplinary areas from which these emerged, as well as historical developments, issues and trends, and current debates in education for sustainability. Students will be presented with an overview of global sustainability challenges and corresponding mitigation strategies in areas including but not limited to: climate change, poverty, biodiversity, conflict resolution, gender and other inequalities, and well-being. Students will critically examine the framing of the Anthropocene and of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals articulated within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Sustainability Discourses on People, Power & Privilege
Students will engage with sustainability discourses that explore power and privilege issues (who gets what, and why?) contributing to global sustainability challenges (such as poverty, gender inequality, climate change), and will furthermore examine the implications of this for whole populations, and social stratifications thereof, as well as disadvantaged groups, ethnic groups, and women and girls.

Sustainability Policy Positions
Students will be introduced to key national and international policies, strategies, networks and action plans impacting on education for sustainability, including but not limited to the following: Agenda 2030/ SDGs; Education 2030 and its predecessors (Global Action Plan for ESD, Decade of ESD, Millennium Development Goals, Earth Charter, Agenda 21 – Chapter 36); Irish National Strategy on ESD (2015-2019) and ESD (2020+); Irish National Biodiversity Action Plan; Irish Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Bill 2020; An Taisce Green Schools initiatives; Irish Aid’s Global Citizenship Development Education Strategy 2021-2024; European policy developments vis-a-vis sustainability, such as the European Green Deal; Global Regional Centres of Expertise in ESD network; COP21 and its predecessors; and G20/ T20 Policy recommendations on ESD. Students will explore the translation of particular policies, strategies or action plans on sustainability within own professional or work contexts.

Sustainability-oriented Ecologies of Learning
Students will learn about the knowledge domains, competencies, dispositions and ethical-values bases that underpin sustainability-oriented ecologies of learning (Wals, 2019) at different levels of education. This will include critical review of the eight sustainability competencies foregrounded by UNESCO (2017), which include: Systems thinking competency, Strategic thinking competency, Normative competency (Values Thinking), Anticipatory competency (Futures Thinking), Critical Thinking, Self- awareness competency and Integrated problem solving competency. It will further include review of the OCED’s Global Competence Framework (2019). Students will also learn about, interact with and deconstruct a range of sustainability-oriented ecologies of learning through which they will encounter pedagogic approaches and tools that have been designed to inspire and promote (re-)orientations toward sustainability. They will critically consider the applicability of innovative approaches, such as: affective pedagogies, disruptive pedagogies, action-oriented pedagogies, and challenge-based pedagogies, within their own professional practice or work setting.

Indicative Reading List

Books:
  • Armon, J., Scoffham, S., & Armon, C. (Eds.). (2020).: 0, Prioritizing sustainability education: A comprehensive approach. Routledge.,
  • Bamber, P. (2020).: 0, Teacher Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship: Perspectives on Values, Curriculum and Assessment. Teacher Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. New York London: Routledge. https://doi.org/1,
  • Bourn, D. (Ed.). (2020).: 0, The Bloomsbury Handbook of Global Education and Learning. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Global Education and Learning. London: Bloomsbury Academic. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350108769.,
  • Burbules, N. C. (2000).: 0, The limits of dialogue as a critical pedagogy. In Revolutionary pedagogies (1st ed., pp. 23). Routledge.,
  • Jackson, N. (2013).: 0, The concept of learning ecologies. In Lifewide learning, education & personal development (Chapter A5). Retrieved from https://www.normanjackson.co.uk/uploads/1/0/8/4/10842717/chapter_a5.pdf,
  • Kavanagh, A. M., Waldron, F., & Mallon, B. (Eds.). (2021).: 0, Teaching for social justice and sustainable development across the primary curriculum. Routledge.,
  • Leicht, A., Heiss, J., & Byun, W. (2018).: 0, Issues and trends in Education for sustainable development. Paris: UNESCO. Page 1- 61,
  • Sant, E., Davies, I., Pashby, K., & Shultz, L. (2018).: 0, Global citizenship education: a critical introduction to key concepts and debates. Bloomsbury Publishing.,
  • Selby, D., & Kawaga, F. (2014).: 0, Striking a Faustian Bargain? Development education, education for sustainable development and the economic growth agenda. In S. McCloskey (Ed.) (1st ed.). London: Palgrave Macmillan,
  • Sterling, S (2001): 0, Sustainable Education – Re-visioning learning and change, Schumacher Briefing no6. Schumacher Society/Green Books, Dartington. ISBN 1 870098 99 4.,
  • Sterling, S. and Jickling, B. (2017): 0, Post-Sustainability and Environmental Education: Remaking Education for the Future, Pivot Press/Palgrave. palgrave.com/us/book/9783319513218,
  • Tillmanns, T. and Holland, C. (2017): 0, Crafting Pedagogical Pathways that Disrupt and Transform Anthropocentric Mindsets of Higher Education Students' In: Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education. Vol. 1. Cham: Springer Int. Publising AG.,
  • UNESCO. (2023).: 0, Global education monitoring report 2023: Technology in education: A tool on whose terms?. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386165,
  • UNECE (2013): 0, Empowering educators for a sustainable future: Tools for policy and practice workshops on competences in education for sustainable development. https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/esd/ESD_Publications/Empowering_Edu cators_for_a_Sustainable_Future_ENG,
  • UNESCO (2007): 0, The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD 2005- 2014) The First Two Years. [ONLINE] Available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001540/154093e.pdf,
  • Wals, A.E.J. (2019).: 0, Sustainability-oriented Ecologies of Learning. IN Ecologies for Learning and Practice. Eds. Ronald Barnett and Norman Jackson. Routledge.,
  • Bourn, D. (2015).: 0, The Theory and Practice of Development Education : A pedagogy for global social justice. London: Routledge.,
  • Bryan, A. (2019).: 0, Citizenship Education in the Republic of Ireland: Plus ça Change? In A. Peterson, G. Stahl, & H. Soon (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Citizenship and Education. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67905- 1_5,
  • Farioli, F., & Mayer, M. (2022).: 0, Breaking the mold: Educators as agents of change. In P. Vare et al. (Eds.), Competences in education for sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goals Series). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91055-6_11,
  • Franch, S. (2019).: 0, Global Citizenship Education Between Qualification, Socialization, and Subjectification. In The Palgrave Handbook of Citizenship and Education (pp. 1–15). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67905-1_68-1,
  • Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. (2023).: 0, Global Sustainable Development Report 2023: Times of crisis, times of change: Science for accelerating transformations to sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/gsdr/gsdr2023,
  • Jickling, B., Blenkinsop, S., Timmerman, N., & Sitka-Sage, M. D. D. (Eds.). (2018).: 0, Wild pedagogies: Touchstones for re-negotiating education and the environment in the Anthropocene. Routledge.,
  • Murphy, C., Broderick, N., & Smith, G. (2016): 0, SUSTAIN Energy Teacher Resource Book. France: La main à la pâte Foundation,
  • NCCA. (2018).: 0, Sustainable Development: A study of opportunities and linkages in the primary and post-primary curriculum. Dublin,
  • OECD. (2018).: 0, Preparing our youth for an inclusive and sustainable world: The OECD PISA global competence framework. Paris. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/Global-competency-for-an-inclusive-world.pdf,
  • UNESCO (2018).: 0, What is ESD? UNESCO [ONLINE] Available at: https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable- development/what-is-esd,
  • Van Poeck, Östman, L & Öhman J (2019).: 0, Sustainable Development. Teaching Ethical and Political Challenges. Routledge Taylor and Francis group: London & New York.,


Articles:
  • Beck, U. (2015).: 0, Emancipatory catastrophism: What does it mean to climate change and risk society? British Journal of Sociology, 63(1), 75-88., 66150
  • 0: A surprising discovery: Five pedagogical skills outdoor and experiential educators might offer more mainstream educators in this time of change. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(4),, 346-358. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2016.1163272, 66151, 1
  • For public sociology. American Sociological Review, 70(1), 4-28.: 66152, 1, Blenkinsop, S., & Piersol, L. (2013).
  • 66153: 1, Celidwen, Y., & Keltner, D. (2023)., 0, Kin relationality and ecological belonging: A cultural psychology of indigenous transcendence. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 994508.,
  • 1: Goren, H., & Yemini, M. (2017)., 0, Global citizenship education redefined–A systematic review of empirical studies on global citizenship education. International Journal of Educational Research, 82, 170-183.,
  • Hatala, A. R., Njeze, C., Morton, D., Pearl, T., & Bird-Naytowhow, K. (2020).: 0, Land and nature as sources of health and resilience among Indigenous youth in an urban Canadian context: A Photovoice exploration. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 538. https://doi.org, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08647-z, 65252
  • 0: Researching International Pedagogies. Sustainable Practice for teaching and learning in Higher Education. Dordrecht: Springer. Introduction chapter and chapter 17., 65257, 1
  • POLICY BRIEF: G20 Collaborative Strategy for SDG4 Target 4.7: Monitoring progress in Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education. T20, Policy Think Tank for G20 Organisation: 65260, 1, Jickling, B. (1992).
  • 66155: 1, Kimmerer, R. W. (2002)., 0, Weaving traditional ecological knowledge into biological education: A call to action. BioScience, 52(5), 432-438., https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0432:WTEKIB]2.0.CO;2,
  • 1: Lawy, R. S., & Biesta, G. J. J. (2006)., 0, Citizenship-as-practice: The educational implications of an inclusive and relational understanding of citizenship. British Journal of Educational Studies, 54(1), 34-50.,
  • Mannion, G., Biesta, G., Priestley, M., & Ross, H. (2011).: 0, The global dimension in education and education for global citizenship: genealogy and critique. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 9(3–4), 443–456, 65268
  • 0: A meta-review of typologies of global citizenship education. Comparative Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2020.1723352, 66157, 1
  • Teaching with and for discussion. Teaching and teacher education, 17(3), 273-289.: 65275, 1, Sterling, S (2019)
  • 66158: 1, Schuitema, J., Radstake, H., van de Pol, J., & Veugelers, W. (2018)., 0, Guiding classroom discussions for democratic citizenship education. Educational Studies, 44(4), 377-407.,
  • 1: Sitka-Sage, M.D., Kopnina, H., Blenkinsop, S. & Piersol, L. (2017)., 0, Rewilding Education in Troubling Times; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Post-Nature. Visions for Sustainability, 8: 20-37.,
  • Tillmanns, T., Holland, C., & Filho Salomao, A. (2017): 0, Design Criteria for Visual Cues Used in Disruptive Learning Interventions Within Sustainability Education -Journal of Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education'., 66160
  • 0: Learning our way to sustainability. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 5(2), 177-186., https://doi.org/10.1177/097340821100500208, 66161, 1
  • What kind of citizen? The politics of educating for democracy. American Educational Research Journal, 41(2), 237-269.: 65239, 2, Aksland, C. & Chang Rundgren, S. N. (2019)
  • 65240: 2, Amos, R., & Levinson, R. (2019)., 0, Socio-scientific inquiry-based learning: An approach for engaging with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals through school science. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 11(1), 29–49. DOI: 1,
  • 2: Andreotti, V. (2006)., 0, Soft versus critical global citizenship education. Policy & Practice: A Development Education Review, 3(Autumn), 40–51,
  • Balogun, Kehinde, Kariuki Weru, and Xiaomeng Shen. 2023.: 0, Freedom from Want”: A Critical Reflection in the Face of the Anthropocene. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, January, 1–10., https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2022.2161493., 65242
  • 0: Metalogue, Design and Enactment of SSI curriculum: Critical theory, Difficult Content and Didactic Transposition. In T. D. Sadler (Ed.), Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom: Tea, 65243, 2
  • The Dispositions, Abilities and Behaviours (Dab) Framework for Profiling Learners' Sustainability Competencies in Higher Education'. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability,, 17 (1):5-22: 65245, 2, Cantell, H., Tolppanen, S., Aarnio-Linnanvuori, E., & Lehtonen, A. (2019).
  • 65244: 2, Cars, M., & West, E. E. (2015)., 0, Education for sustainable society: attainments and good practices in Sweden during the United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). Environment, Development and Sustainability, 17, 1–21,
  • 2: Chang Rundgren, S. N. & Rundgren, C.-J. (2010)., 0, SEE-SEP: From a separate to a holistic view of socioscientific issues. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 11(1).,
  • Degirmenci, Y. and Ilter, I. (2017): 0, An Investigation into Geography Teachers’ Use of Current Events in Geography Classes’, Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(10), pp.1806-1817., 65248
  • 0: Place-based curriculum making: devising a synthesis between primary geography and outdoor learning. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(1), pp.49-62, 65249, 2
  • Comparative Study of Curriculums for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Sweden and Japan. Sustainability, 12, 11-23.: 65255, 2, Holland, C. (2020)
  • 65251: 2, Hanssen, G.S. (2019), 0, The Social Sustainable City: How to Involve Children in Designing and Planning for Urban Childhoods?’, Urban Planning, 4(1), pp.53-66.,
  • 2: Hodson, D. (2010)., 0, Science education as a call to action. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 10(3), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.1080/14926156.2010.504478,
  • Holland C.;Mulcahy C.;Besong F.;Judge M. (2012): 0, Ethical-values pedagogical model.Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 14 (2):41-53, 65256
  • 0: Redressing the Sustainability Paradox of Education: Infusing education for sustainability in higher education programmes. In: Ireland's Yearbook of Education 2019-2020 . Dublin: Education Matters:, 65258, 2
  • POLICY BRIEF: G20 Coalition in Transformative Action for Education: Ensuring the Continuity of Learning within and beyond the COVID-19 Crisis. T20, Policy Think Tank for G20 Organisation: 65259, 2, Ignell,C., Davies, P. & Lundholm, C. (2019)
  • 65261: 2, Knowles-Yanez, K.L. (2005), 0, Children’s Participation in Planning Processes, Journal of Planning Literarure, 20(1), pp.3-14.,
  • 2: Kollmuss,A. & Agyeman, J. (2002), 0, Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro- environmental behavior? Environmental Education Research, 8:3, 239-260. DOI: 10.1080/13504620220145401,
  • Kopnina, H. (2020).: 0, Education for the future? Critical evaluation of education for sustainable development goals. The Journal of Environmental Education, 51(4), 280-291., https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2019.1710444, 65263
  • 0: Climate change education in the context of education for sustainable development: Rationale and principles. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 9(1), 4-26., 65264, 2
  • Rethinking gender: feminist perspectives on Sustainable Development Goals in the light of (re)productivity. GAIA 28/2, 95– 99: 65265, 2, Monroe, M. C., Plate, R. R., Oxarart, A., Bowers, A., & Chaves, W. A. (2019).
  • 65266: 2, Murphy, C., Smith, G., Mallon, B., & Redman, E. (2020)., 0, Teaching about sustainability through inquiry-based science in Irish primary classrooms: the impact of a professional development programme on teacher self-efficacy, competence and pedagogy. Environmental Education Research, 26(8), 1112-1136.,
  • 2: Olsson, D., & Gericke, N. (2017)., 0, The effect of gender on students' sustainability consciousness: A nationwide Swedish study, The Journal of Environmental Education, 48:5, 357-370,DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2017.131008,
  • Shu-Nu Chang Rundgren, Rundgren, C.-J., Ericsson, M., & Chang Rundgre: 0, Investigating the intertwinement of knowledge, value and experiences of upper secondary students' argumentation concerning socioscientific issues. Science & Education, 25(9), 1049- 1071., 65270
  • 0: Implementing global citizenship education in EU primary schools: The role of government ministries. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 10(1), 21-38., 65271, 2
  • Interplay of rhizome and education for sustainable development'. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 16 (2):5-17.: 65273, 2, Weiss, G. (2017)
  • 66165: 2, Waldron, F., Mallon, B., Barry, M., & Martinez Sainz, G. (2020)., 0, Climate change education in Ireland: Emerging practice in a context of resistance. In Ireland and the Climate Crisis (pp. 231-248). Springer.,
  • 2: Zafrani, E., & Yarden, A. (2017)., 0, Becoming a science activist: A case study of students’ engagement in a socioscientific project. Sisyphus Journal of Education, 5(3), 44-67. https://doi.org/10.25749/sis.12255,
Other Resources

  • Report: Department of Education. (2022)., 2022, ESD to 2030: Second national strategy on education for sustainable development. Government of Ireland., https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8c8bb-esd-to-2030-second-national-strategy-on-education-for-sustainable-development/
  • Plan: Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. (2023, December 20)., Climate Action Plan 2024. Government of Ireland., https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/79659-climate-action-plan-2024/

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