Key competencies in education for sustainable development: A valuable framework for enhancing plant awareness

Abstract

Societal Impact StatementLack of plant awareness represents a significant phenomenon characterized by the underestimation of plants, with clear implications for sustainability. This study explores the potential of key competencies in education for sustainable development as an effective framework for mitigating this phenomenon. Through conceptual analysis, these competencies emerge as a valuable tool for enhancing plant awareness. This has significant implications for both the educational community and the general public, as it offers an additional pathway for fostering plant awareness, which can ultimately lead to increased public pressure and stronger mobilization by policymakers on critical issues such as biodiversity conservation and climate change.Summary The phenomenon of “plant blindness” or “lack of plant awareness” has received much attention from researchers over the last years. Recognizing education as both a contributing factor to and a potential solution for this issue, this study explores key competencies in education for sustainable development as a framework to enhance plant awareness. A conceptual analysis was conducted to identify thematic relationships between this framework and plant awareness. The analysis suggests that enhancing systems thinking and integrated problem‐solving competencies can help learners better recognize and understand the importance of plants for both human welfare and planet Earth. Through the development of critical thinking, normative, and self‐awareness competencies, learners are encouraged to question existing personal and societal perspectives on plants, thereby reshaping their perception of flora. Moreover, the application of anticipatory, strategic, and collaboration competencies allows learners to explore the intrinsic values of the plant world more deeply, fostering respect and empathy, which can lead to a broader shift in attitudes toward flora. Through the integration of these elements into plant education, botany classes can become more engaging and relevant to real‐world issues. This approach can help bridge the gap between traditional science education and the development of pro‐conservation behaviors, while also enriching the evaluation methods used to assess plant awareness. Additionally, key competencies in education for sustainable development within plant education can promote not only a less utilitarian perspective of plants as organisms but also a more holistic approach to science education, reducing its emphasis on instrumentalization.