Scholarship in Teaching &
Learning: ACU Initiatives
ALTC Citation, 2008
Lyn Carter & Caroline Smith
For leadership in the
development and
implementation of an Education
for Sustainability (EfS) focus
within teacher education and
professional learning programs
www.goma.demon.co.uk
Ecological footprints
(global hectares)
2006 data
Australia – 6.6
US – 9.6
China - 1.6
UAE – 11.9
World average - 2.2
http://www.panda.org/
2005 – 2014
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development
2000 - 2003
Australian Government’s policy on environmental
education: Environmental Education for a Sustainable
Future – National Action Plan (NAP ESD)
2005
Department of Environment and Water Resources
commissioned National Environment Education Statement
(NEES)
2006 – ’07
2009
Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI)
New National Action Plan (NAP ESD) specifically targeting
education at all levels
Preservice
Teacher
Education
Education for
Sustainability
(EfS) in schools
Selected Criteria
• Statement addressing criterion 2:
Development of curricula, resources and
services that reflect a command of the field
• Statement addressing criterion 5: Scholarly
activities and service innovations that have
influenced and enhanced learning and
teaching
ARIES (Australian Research Institute
in Education for Sustainability):
•A review of models for preservice teacher
education
•Mainstreaming EfS into preservice teacher
education
Other Universities:
•Australian Association of
Environmental Education
(AAEE)
•ozEENews
What we do at ACU:
•Core Units: EDST 204 EDST 401 EDST 446
•Fieldtrip
•Electives
Preservice
Teacher
Education
Research Literature:
•Australian Journal of Environmental Education
•Environmental Education
•Environmental Education Research
•Canadian Journal of Environmental Education
•Journal of Environmental Education
International Activities:
•UNESCO
•Journal of Education for
Sustainable Development
(JESD)
Other:
•Government Organisations
•Non-government Organisations
•Community Groups
ASISTM (Australian School Innovation in,
Science, Technology and Mathematic Projects)
AuSSI (Vic) Schools
•St. Francis in the Fields
•Mildura West Primary School
•Yarrawonga School Cluster
•Tasmania project
•Sustainability by the Bay project
Education for
Sustainability (EfS)
in Australian Schools:
some examples
SiMERR (Science, ICT and Maths Education
in Rural and Regional Australia) Research
•Galen College
•Frayne College
Elements for addressing Criterion 2:
• In 2007 we were commissioned by the
Victorian Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development (DEECD), in
conjunction with the Victorian Association
for Environmental Education (VAEE), to
conceptualise and develop an EfS
curriculum for pre-service teacher
education, as part of the Victorian response
to the AuSSI.
The Australian Sustainable Schools
Initiative (AuSSI Vic) modules
• 1. Core (background concepts including
eco-footprints)
• 2. Energy
• 3. Water
• 4. Waste
• 5. Biodiversity/Habitat
AuSSI (Vic)
Administered by:
Sustainability Victoria
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Centre for Education and Research in
Environmental Strategies (CERES)
http://www.ceres.org.au/
• On the strength of our pre-service AuSSI
curriculum, we have been invited to
represent pre-service teacher education on
the AuSSI advisory group convened by the
State Government body, Sustainability
Victoria
• The evaluations also provide clear evidence of
transformational learning, exemplified in
comments such as: “Thank you for this wonderful
opportunity, it’s changed my way of thinking, and I
now have so many issues and questions to work out
and solve” , “I have learnt through this unit that I
can personally make a difference which is
something I never thought before” and “I am
looking forward to educating in a future of
changed attitudes and educated people regarding
sustainability” (evaluation, 2007).
Elements for addressing Criterion 5:
• Science Education (ERA -A* publication) 2008
• Professor Masakata Ogawa visit and return visit to
Japan as an EfS scholar in 2008
• Leading international scholars in EfS examine related
doctoral theses
• researched and produced a substantial report titled ACU
National: Providing Leadership in Transitions to a
Sustainable Future.
• Completed research under the Federally funded Science,
Information and Communication Technology and
Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional
Australia (SiMERR)
»St. Francis in the Fields
Polytunnel/Greenhouse for
propagating plants
»Mildura West Primary School
Water Tanks
• In-service professional learning to consultants, inservice teachers and their students. We have
presented to a range of system-based professional
organisations from all sectors and at all levels;
examples are St Margaret’s School (’04),
Sustainable Living Festival Schools’ Day (’05),
Trinity Grammar and Carey Grammar (’06),
Catholic Education Offices (Melbourne and
Bendigo) (’06; ’07), Kambrya College (’07), the
VAEE (’07) and Swinburne University of
Technology (’08).
Together these activities give us a theoretical
and practical command of this broad and
rapidly developing field, and valuable
insight into the ways in which sustainability
is being enacted, all of which we are able to
bring to our own students’ learning.