From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant FROM AWARENESS TO SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT HOW RESEARCH HELPED US TO MOVE FROM AWARENESS TO ACTION AND THEN TO SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT Patricia Armstrong Deputy CEO, Gould Group, Victoria, Australia pata@gould.edu.au Jim Grant CEO, Gould Group, Victoria, Australia jimg@gould.edu.au Key Words Culture change, sustainability education, target-based, outcomes, organisational change, systems thinking, leadership, sustainable development, waste minimisation, partnerships Abstract How can an organisation move from awareness raising, in the form of natural history poster production, to the development of systems that change organisations? Through close integration of research and practice, the Gould League has achieved this transformation. It began with extensive research into best practice environmental education, going beyond the traditional boundaries of environmental education to areas that included the psychology of culture change, business management, systems thinking, governance, drug education, marketing and organisational psychology. This broad approach to research has led to the development of highly effective sustainability education programs, such as the Waste Wise Schools Program and to Sustainable Schools. Through on-going action research and evaluation the Gould League, with partnerships with organisations such as CERES and EcoRecycle Victoria, has continuously improved their programs and identified key factors for success of sustainability education programs and key factors for target-based programs in organisations including schools and local government. These key factors have provided the foundation for the development of Gould League programs, websites, publications and toolkits. The Gould League is now developing other toolkits and complete systems to assist and support other organisations in the development of their environmental education programs. The Waste Wise Schools Program, funded by EcoRecycle Victoria and managed in consultation with the Gould League (www.gould.edu.au), is an action-based waste education program for schools. Originating in Victoria in 1998, it has been adopted by over a third of Victorian schools and has led to widespread outcomes, including waste reductions of up to 95%. There is evidence from surveys that this program is sustainable in schools over time, and research confirms that the program is contributing to changes in the waste wise thinking and behaviour of the families of the children at these schools. There are also indications that the program is supporting student learning. A model for culture change in schools has been developed, based on the experiences of the Waste Wise Schools Program. This model has been a valuable tool in the continual improvement of the Program. Developed into a framework for Sustainable Schools with twelve key elements, it has applications to sustainability education in general. Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 1 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant Introduction The Gould League The Gould League has been active since 1909 in educating people to enjoy and care for the environment. It has pioneered the development of outcomes-based education for sustainability in Victoria through student and community programs, professional development, resources and website development. The Gould League continues to have an important impact on the actions of the community in the areas of waste minimisation, conservation of wildlife and environments, and the development of sustainable lifestyles. For the past six years, it has managed, in consultation with EcoRecycle Victoria, the Waste Wise Schools Program and is working closely with CERES and other sustainability education organisations on Sustainable Schools. Early approach to research Traditionally, environmental education has focussed on raising awareness, providing knowledge and skills, changing attitudes and values and then taking action, with the expectation that behaviour change will follow. This is the familiar linear, mechanistic approach used by many organisations. However, there are many research papers (e.g. Hines, Hungerford and Tomera, 1987; Hungerford and Volk, 1990) that show the disjunction between awareness, knowledge and behaviour and the limitations of this mechanistic approach in bringing about sustained change. This disjunction was also the experience of Gould League staff and many of our peers. In the mid 1990s, the Gould League looked at the results of their work in environmental education and could not see long-term cultural change in schools. We discussed our experiences as educators and revisited the research, going beyond the traditional boundaries of environmental education to areas that included: psychology of culture change, business management, systems thinking, governance, marketing, organisational psychology and leadership. We found that traditional transmissive (focusing on teaching, communicating messages etc.) was not effective. We redesigned our approaches to use transformative education (focusing on whole system or organisational, permanent change). Figure 1. Traditional (transmissive) approach to environmental education School Less Sustainable Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities More Sustainable Page 2 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant This model shows that in a typical school, you may find that small groups, (environment club or a class) work on a sustainable activity, such as building a compost bin, but these activities are often conducted in isolation and their effects are usually only short-term. Meanwhile, the rest of the school is moving in the other direction of becoming less sustainable. Figure 2. Transforming systems School Less Sustainable More Sustainable On the other hand, in transformative education, all sectors of the school are involved in the change process and all move in the same direction towards becoming more sustainable. In this case, there is a process of co-learning and a sense of ownership and empowerment. In schools where we have observed this happening, there has been a shift in the culture of the whole school community and these changes have been long-lasting. This was the approach that EcoRecycle Victoria was looking for when it called for tenders and established the Waste Wise Schools Program. This broad approach to research led to the development of highly effective sustainability education programs, such as Waste Wise Schools Program and the framework for Sustainable Schools. This paper looks at some of research methodology, key achievements and results for the Waste Wise Schools Program. Waste Wise Schools Program In the beginning The Waste Wise Schools Program was developed with a sound framework of education and learning principles consistent with those developed through extensive consultation for the overall EcoRecycle Waste Wise Program (McQuire and Malcolm, 1997). When we first delivered workshops for the Waste Wise Schools program, we ‘presented’ information, but soon learnt that this was not what the teachers wanted. Rather they wanted a chance to share their experiences, to be recognised for their achievements, to learn from the practical experiences of the other teachers in the group and to share their problems, needs and aspirations. In other words, they wanted control of their own learning. As presenters, we changed our roles from being deliverers of information (the ‘experts’) to facilitators of learning Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 3 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant and in the process became co-learners. This shift in approach was a major turning point in the program and has been applied to other programs such as Sustainable Schools. Our experience, although developed independently, supports the later findings of other environmental educators (e.g. Sterling, 2001 and Wals and Jickling, 2002). About Waste Wise Schools Program The Waste Wise Schools Program, which began in Victoria in 1998, offers a package of support services to schools to assist them to develop and run their own waste and litter programs, covering both curriculum and school operating practices. This support includes a comprehensive resource kit; funding towards teacher release for professional development; professional development for teachers and waste educators; ongoing access to specialist advice; a network of support schools to provide working examples of best practice approaches; a website (www.gould.edu.au/wastewise); annual Awards; and Waste Wise Schools accreditation. The Waste Wise Schools Program is fully integrated with, and a key element of, EcoRecycle Victoria’s overall Waste Wise Program for whole community change. Waste Wise Schools is a long-term program funded and led by EcoRecycle Victoria. Managed by EcoRecycle Victoria in consultation with the Gould League, it is delivered through the combined efforts of a state-level consortium headed by the Gould League and CERES and a regional and local network of education officers of Regional Waste Management Groups, local Councils, waste contractors, education centres and other organisations. Philosophy The philosophy of the Waste Wise Schools’ Program can be summarised as follows: It is fundamentally a school culture change program, rather than just a program on an environmental topic. It uses co-learning and action on waste and litter as a process to empower schools to rethink and reshape their future approach to sustainability. It simultaneously achieves major outcomes for both school education and for community sustainability. It facilitates close links with parents and the wider local community, including partnerships with local councils, businesses and community organisations. It emphasises student ownership, teamwork and real and relevant learning experiences, leading to a range of important generic educational outcomes. It provides a very useful context for facilitating specific learning outcomes in each Key Learning Area. It offers many different ways in which schools can access the program to suit their own local circumstances. Methodology Evaluation has been an important part of the program from the beginning. A wide range of indicators was measured to guide different aspects of the program. These included teacher satisfaction with training, number of teachers trained, number of schools participating, percentage inclusion of waste education in school curricula and sustainable operating practices in school operations, percent reduction of garbage by schools, percentage of parents in selected schools influenced by the program, level of ongoing participation by schools, key success factors and constraints to progress identified by schools and program partners. Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 4 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant The evaluation tools used for this program were: Questionnaires Participants completed evaluation forms at the completion of each workshop and a questionnaire three to twelve months after the workshop. Stratified random surveys To date, nine separate surveys have been undertaken, providing on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in bringing about a sustained waste and litter education program in schools (e.g. Sharpley, 2001a; Sharpley, 2002). Case histories Detailed case histories were completed for two advanced Waste Wise Schools, Rutherglen Primary School and Cobden Technical School (Sharpley, 2001; Sharpley, 2003). Additional case histories were undertaken by the Gould League staff (Lomdahl and Bellissimo, 2003) and for the case studies of the winners and finalists for the annual Waste Wise Schools Awards. Focus groups Focus groups were held with teachers, education officers and education specialists at various points in the development and implementation of the program. Achievements and Key Results Highlights of the achievements Some highlights of the achievements of the Waste Wise Schools Program in Victoria for the first six years include: 964 schools are involved in the Program in Victoria (more than one in three). 1120 teachers have been trained in 91, free, one-day workshops. Fifty-two Waste Wise Support Schools provide support to local schools. More than 90 waste and recycling educators have been trained. Since the Program began, schools have diverted an estimated 15,400 tonnes of waste from landfill. Some schools have reduced waste going to landfill by up to 95%, with savings of up to $6500 per year. 1. Change in school waste-conscious practices Schools that began the program in 1998 were surveyed in 2002. the program commenced, there had been a marked increase participating in various waste practices, including recycling, practices and curriculum. (See Figure 3.) With some practices, fold. Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities This survey showed that since in the percentage of schools reducing, reusing, purchasing this increase was three to four Page 5 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant Figure 3. Comparing the recycling and composting practices occurring in pre-workshop schools with 2002 sample schools Percentage of schools 100 80 60 40 20 0 Paper recycling Cardboard recycling Aluminum Milk and juice Composting can recycling carton recycling Pre-workshop (n = 95) Worm Composting 2002 sample (n=44) 2. Change in waste wise behaviour of students and families In one of the leading rural secondary schools, students and families were asked if the Waste Wise Schools Program had changed their waste wise behaviour. Figure 4. Parents’ and students’ responses to the question: “Has the program at Cobden Technical School changed what you do in the following Waste Wise areas?” (Students n=61, Parents=36) 100.0 Percentage 80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0 0.0 Reusing Reducing Students Composting Recycling Parents The results (Figure 4) show that the students reported that the Program had changed their behaviour towards waste and at a level higher than that reported by their parents (Sharpley, 2003). 3. Sustained participation in the program As described above, schools that started the program in 1998 were surveyed four years later. The results of this survey demonstrated not only widespread uptake of the program, but also sustained participation. 82% of the schools in the survey had adopted waste conscious practices and these practices had continued over the four years, despite the fact that more than half the teachers that attended the original workshop were no longer involved with the program (retired, resigned or on Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 6 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant other duties) (Sharpley, 2002). This sustained participation of schools in Waste Wise Schools is unusually high for an environmental education program. 4. Flow-on effect from schools to parents / local community Surveys at several active Waste Wise Schools indicate that school waste wise activities can change the thinking and behaviour of the students’ families. At Rutherglen Primary School, 50%-60% of the families reported that the school program had changed their thinking about waste wise (Figure 5, Sharpley, 2001). Similar results were reported at Woodend Primary School, with changes of 40-60% (Fennell, 2002, pers. comm.). At Cobden Technical School, 18-44% of families said that the school waste program had changed their waste wise behaviour (Sharpley, 2003). Figure 5. Family responses to the question ‘Has the program at Rutherglen Primary School changed your thinking about the following areas of being waste wise?’ (n=36) Percentage of responses 100 80 60 40 20 0 Reusing Reducing Yes No Composting Recycling Already 5. Waste Wise Schools Program – a framework for change In 2002, a telephone survey was conducted of 35 teachers from Victorian Government, Independent and Catholic primary and secondary schools with highly developed waste wise programs. Percentage of schools Figure 6. Areas of sustainability developed by schools beyond Waste Wise. (n=35) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Energy Water Biodiversity Air The survey showed that there is a significant correlation between the nature of the Waste Wise Schools Program and the participation of schools in other areas of sustainability (Sharpley, 2003a). 77% of teachers reported that their schools have, or are in the process of, developing education programs in other areas of sustainability (Figure 6). All these teachers saw the Waste Wise Schools Program as providing an important framework for extension into these other areas. Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 7 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant 6. Educational and social benefits Waste Wise Schools has demonstrated many Educational and Social Benefits. For example, a 2002 survey of the percentage of the original 1998 Waste Wise Schools showed that most (95%) now include waste and litter topics within their curriculum. This is three times the pre-workshop rate (Sharpley, 2002). Recent research indicates that the program supports student learning (Figure 5, Sharpley, 2004). Figure 7. Percentage of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed with five statements about the value of the Waste Wise Schools Program in supporting learning. Working with others Problem solving Innovative and creative Student leadership Positive attitude to learning 0 20 40 60 80 100 Percentage Case histories highlight the immense social value of the Waste Wise Schools’ Program. For example, many schools report that the program helps boost student’s self-esteem by providing leadership roles for children of all ages and all abilities (Lomdahl and Bellisimo, 2003; Sharpley, 2003). At Cobden Technical School, there is a high student attendance rate, low teacher absenteeism and high parental opinion of the school’s education environment, compared with the State average. The Principal believes that the Waste Wise Schools Program has been one of the initiatives by which this has been achieved (Sharpley, 2003). 7. Transformation There is growing evidence that the program has led to transformation across a number of sectors: students, teachers, schools and families. There is now participation of over one third of Victorian schools in Waste Wise Schools and the active involvement of many stakeholders. We believe that the systems-based programs, such as Waste Wise Schools, are helping to influence and transform the State education system. Discussion The Waste Wise Schools Program has been shown to be a highly effective sustainability education program. Early results from the pilot Sustainable Schools show it to be similarly effective. The Waste Wise Schools system has been licensed to Western Australian and ACT government departments. In both cases, the system has been effectively adapted to meet local differences. Based on on-going research and evaluation of its programs, the Gould League is now developing toolkits and complete systems to assist and support other organisations in the development of their sustainability education programs. Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 8 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant Factors for Success of the Waste Wise Schools Program The key factors that have contributed to the success of the Waste Wise Schools Program include: It uses an ecological* approach, rather than a behaviourist or mechanistic approach. (Sterling, 2002) It focuses on changing the whole school system, rather than just small groups, facilitating a culture change process for improved learning and action. It is encourages a transformative, instead of transmissive approach. (Sterling, 2002) It provides a clear framework for schools to identify issues, set goals and targets, plan an approach and take actions to achieve these targets. It is learner-centred and engages people cognitively and emotionally. It is a strategically planned, statewide system of support for those driving local change, based on stable, long-term funding and inclusive (rather than competitive/adversarial) relationships. It recognises that behavioural change is a long-term process requiring the commitment and engagement of the whole school. It is outcomes-based. (Educational, Economic, Social and Environmental). Evaluation of the Program was built into the program design and undertaken every six months. This has allowed continuous improvement of the Program. It encourages teachers, students and parents to take ownership of the program. This has led to highly innovative solutions and approaches by schools. It is built around partnerships between groups such as councils and regional education officers, industry groups and sustainability education providers. It focuses on the positive and provides inspiring case studies to show what different schools have achieved. It can be customised to suit the needs of different schools and different regions or States. It recognises that every school and every teacher is different and provides a package of resources and services for implementation and on-going support. In workshops, the facilitators recognise and build on the prior waste wise achievements of the schools, adapting the course to meet the needs of the participant teachers. Followup workshops and local teacher networks provide local support. It provides funding towards teacher release for the training workshops. These teacher release payments have been a strong incentive for schools to send teachers to the workshops. Accreditation and the Awards provide additional incentives. There are several entry points into the program, through which teachers can join the Program. *"Ecological thinking entails a shift of emphasis from relationships based on separation, control and manipulation towards those based on participation, empowerment and self-organisation." (Sterling, 2002, p 49). Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 9 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant Factors for Success in Schools There are a number of factors that appear to be crucial for the success of a waste wise program in a school. These are: The school principal and leadership team are committed and supportive. The whole school community is involved in the planning and implementation. Students are empowered and encouraged to take ownership of the program. The program is planned and implemented in a strategic way with a committee or team, audit, policy, targets, action plan and curriculum plan. Operational changes are integrated into the curriculum. There are good systems in place – these are simple, easy to use and well-maintained. The school community strives to achieve cultural change, while understanding that change is often a long-term process. There is a process of continuous improvement. There is fun and enjoyment in the program, a sense of common purpose and opportunities to celebrate successes. Our work in programs such as Waste Wise Schools and Sustainable Schools has many parallels with Community-based Social Marketing (CBSM) (McKenzie-Mohr, 2003), but does not use a CBSM methodology. We believe that it is very important to use a deep interactive approach, based on co-learning, addressing human and social needs, local ownership and, most importantly, facilitating change instead of controlling change. This approach reinforces the findings of Wals and Tickley (2002) and Sterling (2002) about community-based processes for Sustainable Development. The Gould League’s work in school and community-based processes supports the UNESCO approach of the Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) in fostering “cooperation at all levels with the aim of strengthening local level effectiveness.” (UNESCO, 2003). A Change Model A Change model was developed based on the experiences of some of the leading schools in the Waste Wise Schools Program. This model identified that there are a number of stages that schools pass through: Awareness, Engagement, Action, Involvement, Interaction and Leadership. The pathway of a particular school is not necessarily linear or identical to other schools, but the model provides a useful tool for schools to track where they are at any point and to identify what they may need to do in order to progress further along the pathway to leadership. This model has been a valuable tool in the continual improvement of the program. Developed into a framework for Sustainable Schools with the addition of key elements, it has applications to sustainability education in general (Figure 8). Conclusions The Gould League has moved from awareness raising to developing systems that change organisations. This has come about through the close integration of ongoing action research, Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 10 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant evaluation and practice. The Waste Wise Schools, a systems-based program, has been shown to be a highly successful environmental education program. Research has shown that the program is effective in bringing about cultural change in schools towards minimising waste and litter; it has influenced the thinking and behaviour of the families of the children at these schools; the waste wise program in many schools is sustainable over time; and in developed waste wise schools, the program has been a springboard for developing into other areas of sustainability and is transforming the waste wise culture within these schools. Key factors of success have been identified and these have been applied to the development of other Gould League activities, such as programs, websites, resources and Sustainable Schools. Further research will help identify other success factors and to tease out more of the educational and social outcomes of the Gould League’s activities and programs. Acknowledgements With thanks for their contribution to this paper: Dr Brian Sharpley, Briar Solutions, Australia; Steve Malcolm, EcoRecycle Victoria, Australia; Eric Bottomley, CERES Community Environment Park, Australia. References Armstrong, Patricia et al 1998. A Model for Change in Schools, based on the Waste Wise Schools Program (Victoria) Gould League Melbourne Victoria Fennell, Kerrie 2002. Pers. Comm. Hines, Jody, Hungerford, Harold & Tomera, Audrey 1987 Analysis and Synthesis of Research on Responsible Environmental Behaviour: A Meta-Analysis Journal of Environmental Education 18, Winter 1986/87: 1-8 Hungerford, Harold & Hines, Jody 1990 Changing Learner Behaviour Through Environmental Education Journal of Environmental Education 18 (3), Spring 1990: 8-21 IUCN 2003 Supporting the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014, Retrieved from the World Wide Web August, 2003, http://www.iucn.org/cec/documents/ESDstatementJune.pdf Lomdahl, Andrea & Bellissimo, Sarina 2003 Green Schools' Case Studies <http://www.gould.org.au/case_studies.htm> Accessed 30 June 2004 McKenzie-Mohr, Douglas & Smith, William 1999 Fostering Sustainable Behaviour An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing New Society Publishers Canada McQuire, Stuart & Malcolm, Stephen 1997 Becoming Waste Wise: A Strategy for Waste and Litter Education at the Local Level EcoRecycle Victoria Sharpley, Brian 2001 A Waste Wise survey of families at Rutherglen Primary School. Paper prepared for EcoRecycle Victoria EcoRecycle Victoria Sharpley, Brian 2002 Waste Wise Schools Program: Final Report to EcoRecycle, Victoria 30 June 2002 EcoRecycle Victoria Sharpley, Brian 2003 A Report on the Waste Wise Schools Program at Cobden Technical School. Prepared for the Gould League and EcoRecycle Victoria April 2003 EcoRecycle Victoria Sharpley, Brian 2003a Sustainability education, litter and Waste Wise Schools: A report investigating how schools in the Waste Wise Schools Program deal with two important Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 11 of 13 From Awareness to Systems Development Patricia Armstrong and Jim Grant issues – sustainability and litter. Prepared for the Gould League and EcoRecycle Victoria, June 2003 EcoRecycle Victoria Sharpley, Brian 2004 Evaluation of the Waste Wise Schools Program: Report June 2004 EcoRecycle Victoria Sterling, Stephen 2001 Sustainable Development, Re-Visioning Learning and Change, Schumaker Briefings, Green Books UNESCO 2003 United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (January 2005 – December 2014). Framework for a Draft Implementation Scheme. July 2003 Wals, Arjen. & Jickling, Bob 2002 “Sustainability” in higher education: from doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning Higher Education Policy 15, 2002, 121-131 . Presenter contact details Patricia Armstrong Deputy CEO,Gould Group PO Box 1117, Moorabbin Victoria 3189, Australia Telephone 61 03 9532 0909 Fax 61 03 9532 2860 Email pata@gould.edu.au Jim Grant CEO, Gould Group PO Box 1117, Moorabbin Victoria 3189, Australia Telephone 61 03 9532 0909 Fax 61 03 9532 2860 Email jimg@gould.edu.au Gould League Website www.gould.edu.au Gould Group Website www.gould.org.au (For research papers on Gould Institute) Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 12 of 13 13 Awareness Engagement Excursions / Incursions Easy Projects Action Involvement Interaction Leadership Best Practice EE / ESD Accreditation Key Elements Awards Introduction to Sustainability Assessment / audit Curriculum plans Baseline data Policy Implementation Recognition / rewards / grants Mentoring Whole school Commitment Goals and targets Monitoring and evaluation Committee Action plans Community links Figure 8. Cultural Change Model for Effective Sustainability Education Creating Ethical Communities Now: Footprints, Pathways, Possibilities Page 13 of 13 Continuous improvement