Learning by Doing: The Sociological Approach within Education for a Sustainable Development

Abstract

The objective of this article is to critically and reflectively describe the idea of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the context of higher education. We tackle the possibilities of implementation some useful skills and competences in the process of students' sociological training. Firstly, the concept of ESD is discussed and its framework is presented focusing on the social aspect of sustainable development. Then we introduce a link between sociological training and ESD, as well as the challenges faced by the academy, academic teachers and students. We evaluate the case of the field research (vocational) sociological training for students and discuss the findings in the context of ESD. We present how aspects of Participatory Action Research (PAR) can be used in teaching social competences useful from the perspective of young people. We focus on competences obtained by students-professional as well as interpersonal or even personal. With such competences students can further deepen their awareness of sustainability and inclusion, policy and decision making processes.