Tracing sustainability: Education for Sustainable Development in the lower secondary geography curricula of Germany, Romania, and Mexico

Bagoly-Simó, Péter

doi:10.1080/10382046.2014.908525

Cited by 30 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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Section: Methodology and Research Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The question of how institutional regulations (curricula, syllabi, textbooks) relate to ESD principles has already been addressed in certain contexts by various researchers [10,11,19]. For example, Bagoly-Simó [19] identified certain ESD skills featured in lower secondary geography curricula in Germany, Romania and Mexico; Kowasch [11] reviewed how resource exploitation and consumption were represented in German geography textbooks; and Leder [10] analysed geography curricula, syllabi and textbooks in India from the perspective of ESD. Although the above studies were conducted in different contexts, they came to the same conclusion: Despite that the subject of geography is closely related to the theoretical constructs of ESD [19] (p. 126), geography curricula and textbooks do not always promote ESD.…”

Section: Methodology and Research Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, textbooks are especially interesting to investigate because they reflect thought patterns and moral concepts which are interpreted in a social and political negotiation [18]. Furthermore, textbooks represent a translation of the curriculum and, according to Bagoly-Simó [19] (p. 111), they are the "secret curriculum" and are used as instruments to control educational content.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reviewing Vietnam Geography Textbooks from an ESD Perspective

Nguyen

2019

Sustainability

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This paper examines how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is transmitted in the context of geography education by investigating the extent to which geography textbooks in Vietnam promote ESD principles. At the same time, the paper helps clarify how ESD is anchored in formal education and how ESD is contextualized in the specific context of Vietnam. This study involved a qualitative analysis supported by MAXQDA software (VERBI, Berlin, Germany), where geography textbooks from grade 6 to grade 12 in Vietnam were analysed to determine (1) how sustainable development (SD) issues are integrated into the content of the textbooks and (2) the extent to which questions and tasks in the textbooks promote competencies regarding the demands of ESD. The findings show that the textbooks somewhat promote ESD through their content and didactic approach. However, there are still some drawbacks. In terms of content, the textbooks’ main approaches to both SD content and geography core knowledge are description and indoctrination. In terms of their didactic approach, almost all questions/tasks ask students to memorize and reproduce information and rote learning rather than helping them promote ESD competencies. This reconfirms that ESD remains an add-on issue to an overcrowded curriculum, and the geography textbooks reflect an instrumental approach to ESD.

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Section: Methodology and Research Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodology and Research Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reviewing Vietnam Geography Textbooks from an ESD Perspective

Nguyen

2019

Sustainability

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“…According to the international agreement Agenda 21 the multidimensional implementation is what characterizes ESD (UNCED, 1992). Research shows, however, that different national curricula seem to be dominated by a single discourse (Bagoly-SimÛ, 2014;Chatzifotiou, 2006;Iyengar & Bajaj, 2011). This could mean that the curriculum mainly enforces one way of perceiving reality, one worldview, in contrast to the intention of Agenda 21.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Education for Sustainable Development and Multidimensional Implementation. A Study of Implementations of Sustainable Development in Education with the Curriculum of Upper Secondary School in Sweden as an Example

Svalfors

2017

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education

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This article discusses different interpretations of sustainable development in education and if different interpretations of the concept are implemented in Curriculum, with the Swedish Curriculum of Upper Secondary School as an example. According to Agenda 21 sustainable development should be implemented in a multidimensional way. In 2011, a new school reform of upper secondary school was implemented in Sweden which further strengthened the position of sustainable development in school by inserting the term into more syllabuses. However, the multiple instances of the concept do not necessarily mean that a multidimensional interpretation of the concept is implemented in accordance with the objectives of Agenda 21. By using Laclau and Mouffeís (2008) idea of discursive struggle as a theoretical framework it is possible to discern how descriptions of sustainable development essentially give rise to one discursive formation in the curriculum. The articulations of sustainable development in the curriculum rests on an idea of the ecosystem that seem to enforce the natural scientific rationality instead of letting different rationalities contribute to the meaning. The descriptions of sustainable development in the curriculum can be interpreted as a hegemonic expropriation of elements of other discourses, such as the social and economic, into the environmental (ecological) dimension. These results are consistent with other international studies, and emphasises the importance of taking a critical stance to the writings of Curriculum when putting them into practice.

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“…Following Law 288/2004, Romania joined the Declaration of Bologna regarding the structure of higher education and shifted to a cycle structure (bachelor, master, doctoral), making the system compatible to the European educational system (Ianoș et al, 2007), starting with the university year 2005-2006 for the bachelor and 2008-2009 for the master programme. In addition, the present framework allows students to take optional courses beyond the compulsory ones (Soós, 2003), the Romanian curriculum having hybrid structures characteristic of post-socialist countries in transformation (Bagoly-Simó, 2014). Autonomy in changing the curricula was allowed according to the competences of the academic staff, expressed in the Geography field in Romania mainly by their research grants and papers (Voiculescu, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Geography Curricula on Employability: A Student Perspective

Răzvan¹,

Clius²,

Athanasios³

2018

Romanian Review of Geographical Education

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The number of graduates from universities or higher education institutions increased in the last 30 years in Europe, but not in the same pace as their absorption rates on the labor market in their fields of study. Understanding the paradigms in which higher institutions' work is important in relation to their structure, teaching staff, curriculum and opportunities for students. Our analysis focuses on the reasons why students choose a faculty of Geography and assesses their perception regarding the educational process and employability. The results emphasize as main motivation the passion for Geography, while the location in Bucharest plays an important role also. The results underlined that students felt that they should have been more involved in research activities or they should have been given the opportunity to work in part-time jobs during their studies. The findings of our paper correspond with the social and economic context as the youth who arrive in a big city, such as Bucharest, are more interested to find a job and produce an income, putting their studies on the second place. These aspects emphasize the need for creating a stronger connection between the higher education institution and the labour market actors and the need to adjust the curricula according to employers' requirements.

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Tracing sustainability: Education for Sustainable Development in the lower secondary geography curricula of Germany, Romania, and Mexico

Cited by 30 publications

References 21 publications

Reviewing Vietnam Geography Textbooks from an ESD Perspective

Reviewing Vietnam Geography Textbooks from an ESD Perspective

Education for Sustainable Development and Multidimensional Implementation. A Study of Implementations of Sustainable Development in Education with the Curriculum of Upper Secondary School in Sweden as an Example

The Impact of Geography Curricula on Employability: A Student Perspective

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