Purpose-This paper aims to provide a description of the achievements of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) with a focus on higher education, and it describes some of the key issues which will guide sustainable development in the coming years. Design/methodology/approach-The paper initially presents an analysis of past developments, complemented by an assessment of the emphasis on sustainable development by the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. In particular, it makes cross-references to the deliberations held at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, with a special emphasis to the document "The Future we Want". It concludes by listing a set of suggestions and measures that both industrialised and developing countries may consider to translate the principles of sustainable development into reality. Findings-Sustainable development is and will continue to be a matter of substantial international interest and concern. The developments achieved over the past 20 years have been substantial, but there are still many gaps and need which need to be met, so as to improve its prospects in the next two decades. Originality/value-The paper provides useful insights which allow a better understanding of the role of universities in fostering sustainable development, and some of the key issues need to be considered, so as to allow things to move in the right direction.
PurposeThe purpose of the research is to investigate education for sustainability (EfS) practice and perceptions in three university contexts in England, Australia and Greece with a view to identify a suitable systems model for effective EfS across the university.Design/methodology/approachResearch tools involved interviews of key people engaged in EfS (n=25) supported by observations plus appropriate documentary analysis as a basis to establish perceived good practice, barriers and ways to improve EfS.FindingsClear vision, leadership and support for EfS were considered vital, while agreed understanding about the importance, purpose and nature of EfS was necessary to achieve effective EfS across the university. Wide consultation, consensual agreement and collaborative practice were viewed as important to achieve collective views and coordinated action. A distributed model of leadership in which individuals are responsible and collectively empowered to action is relevant to a systems model for EfS. A systems model for coordination of EfS integrates approaches to governance, curriculum and infrastructure management. Details of examples of good practice and ways to improve practice are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsAs the research was qualitative in design and focussed on three universities, the sample size is restricted and there are limitations in the generalisability of specific results outside of their contexts. However, the overall results have some broadly significant implications and trends that have relevance for the university sector.Practical implicationsThe structure and processes for an approach to systems organisation and identified good practice, barriers and perceived ways to improve practice have relevance for coordination of EfS across the university sector.Social implicationsThe findings have significant social implications, as EfS has urgent and important international priority, while universities have important functions in educating the next generation of professionals across a wide range of contexts.Originality/valueThe paper is an original contribution to establishing an effective systems model for EfS coordination; hence it is of significant educational and social value.
Abstract:Education makes it possible for students to become familiar with the rational management of energy as well as learn to implement energy saving practices in their everyday life. The study of certain student characteristics helps in the direction of applying strategies of behavioural change. The aim of this research is to record the knowledge and attitudes of elementary school students in the Prefecture of Evros with regard to energy saving. The collection of research data was done through the use of a structured and anonymous questionnaire with closed questions. The method used for the collection of the research data was cluster sampling. This involved 17 elementary schools of the continental part of the prefecture. 612 questionnaires were completed by students of the 5th and 6th grade of these schools. The evaluation of the research data showed that 69.6% of the students think that the most appropriate house temperature is 20 • C with 79.1% of the students keeping the thermostat switched off while the house is aired. With regard to the use of TV, stereo, play station and PC the research showed that 93.8% of the students switch off the above devices when these are not in use. In parallel, 86.6% of the respondents usually or always switch off the lights when coming out of a room and 46.2% of the students use energy saving bulbs. Also, 93% of the students recycle because they believe that doing so contributes to the protection of the environment while 41% always chooses to walk to school. With regard to the significance of reasons concerning energy saving 85.9% thinks that energy saving is important to very important for reducing environmental pollution.
Technology education is a well-established field of knowledge whose applications have many ramifications. For example, technology education may be used as a tool in meeting the challenges of sustainable development. However, the usefulness of technology education to the sustainability debate as a whole and to education for sustainable development in particular, has largely been overlooked in the past. Indeed, there is a paucity of academic studies which examine the contribution technology education may provide to education for sustainable development. On the basis of the need to address this knowledge gap, this paper reviews the state of affairs in relation to education for sustainable development and considers its links and appropriateness to technology education.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach regarding the management measures for solving environmental problems in protected areas. Two neighboring protected areas with different features were chosen in order to investigate the similarity of the environmental problems with regard to these two areas and if it is possible for these problems to be solved through a network of protected areas. Design/methodology/approach – The research was carried out through the use of a questionnaire which was distributed to the inhabitants and visitors of both areas, as well as through interviews with the representatives of organizations responsible for the management and administration of those areas and representatives of the municipalities and the regional authorities these two national parks belong to. Simple random sampling was applied to the inhabitants and cluster sampling to the visitors. Findings – The results show that with regard to the visitors the most important problem is illegal hunting while for the inhabitants equally important is the problem of pollution and cleanliness. However, those responsible with the management of the two National Parks think that the greatest threat to the wider area is the problem of floods. Originality/value – The views of the stakeholders in a given time, provides us with the best possible information for solving the problems faced and can be used as a tool for increasing the effectiveness of the measures which have been taken to deal with the particular problems.
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