Implementing Sustainability

in the National Curriculum:

Examining the National Curriculum

from an EfS perspective

Saturday 24 August, 10am to 4pm

Dr Joy de Leo August 2013

Scope of Workshop

English

Maths

Science

History

Geography

R to 10 (some senior years)

Six General Capabilities

(a) literacy and numeracy (b) Information Communication Technology(c) critical & creative thinking (d) ethical behaviour(e) personal & social competence (f) intercultural understanding (a comparative strength)

All of these are relevant to EfS

The other capabilities essential for ESD are not included: innovative problem solving (some examples)

systems thinking trans-disciplinary understanding

The general capabilities are not integrated equally across the national curriculum learning areas or year levels.

Cross-curriculum priorities

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander histories & cultures

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

Sustainability cross-curriculum priority

Meeting needs of diverse learners

These are relevant to EfS but are not linked to each other so not systemic or cross-disciplinary

The cross-curriculum priorities are not integrated equally across national curriculum learning areas and year levels.

Definition of Sustainability cross-curriculum priority

•the capacity of the Earth to maintain life;

•reducing ecological footprints;

•supporting quality of life and liveability;

•sustainable patterns of living without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs; and

•contributing to a sustainable future of environmental integrity, economic viability, a just society for present & future generations.

Few if any actual references to social justice or to socio-economic viability in the learning areas

Frequency of Sustainability cross-curriculum priority

References rarely found except: one reference to environmental ‘footprints’ in Year 10 Science;one intergenerational reference in Year 10 History;but no references to ‘quality of life’ (except ‘well-being’ in

Geog), ‘economic viability’, ‘just society’ or ‘environmental integrity’. (ACARA, 2010)

Sustainability is defined mostly in environmental terms but limited in scope except for Geography & Science

VALUES in National Curriculum

Ethical behaviour general capability defined as: (ACARA, 2010, p. 19)

Understanding the role of ethical principles, values and virtues in human life; acting with moral integrity; acting with regard for others; and having a desire and capacity to work for the common good.

Very few examples of learning ethical behaviour, acting with moral integrity or working for the “common good” relating to the natural world rather than to society.

Fostering awareness of difference a strength but lacking depth

No reference to National Framework for Values Education

NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR VALUES EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS

Care and CompassionIntegrity

Doing your bestRespectFair Go

ResponsibilityFreedom

Understanding, Tolerance & InclusionHonesty and Trustworthiness

VALUES (DEST, 2005)

Values from the National Framework for Values Education are not evident or are very infrequent:

compassion; doing your best; trustworthiness;

honesty; integrity (1); fair go (fairness - 3)

tolerance (2); *respect (3); inclusion (3); responsibility (6);

care (7); empathy (15); freedom (19 - History)

*Respect is central to EfS and is highlighted

in the Melbourne Declaration

Most frequent VALUES

‘sharing’ & ‘exchange’ of thoughts and ideas‘accurate’ and ‘correct’

‘collaboration’ and ‘cooperation’participation

diversityfreedomsafety

conserving, protecting, preserving heritage

Total values references 631 = 7% of the 8,038 Skills references

VALUES (MCEECDYA, 2008)

Values in the Curriculum-guiding Document:

Melbourne Declaration of Educational Goals for Young Australians

are not evident or are very infrequent:

honesty; resilience; healthy, satisfying lives;

justice (1); respect (3); equality (7);

democracy (12); empathy (15)

However, the context and meanings are not substantial

The meanings of values not explored

GLOBAL VALUES (83/631=14%)

are either not evident or are very infrequent:

solidarity; harmony; dignity; unity; equity

integrity (1); justice (1); security (1);

tolerance (2); respect (3); fairness (3); peace (4 - History);

responsibility (6); equality (7);

Few values relating to environmental sustainability (24):

conservation, protection, preservation - 15

interdependence, interconnectedness - 5

Values relating to cultural diversity strong but biodiversity (5)

The values contexts and meanings are mostly insubstantial.

SKILLS (8,038 references to 241 skills)

Most frequent skill groupings in curriculum are:(a)‘thinking’ (3,635 references)(b)‘communicating’ (2,512 references)(c)‘inquiring’ (1,145 references); (d)‘calculating’ (746 references) involving numeracy skills

Cognitive (much more frequent)Functional (only 13% despite importance of action for ESD).

EfS skills not emphasised: Higher-order problem solving & futures thinking; working for the common good; understanding & managing complexity, uncertainty; risk & disaster awareness & management; integrated systemic & critical thinking and cross-disciplinary learning; advocating for and creating change; some life skills.

Only 1% of skills with direct or explicit links to EfS

KNOWLEDGEEnvironmental and cultural dimensions of sustainability

dominate but are not connected to each other.

Very few references to economic sustainability.

Global perspectives very limited (25) but only relating to environmental sustainability & only in Years 9 & 10

Many opportunities for learners to understand issues from diverse perspectives, albeit not global (History 36; English 25).

Many references to environmental issues of which less than 50% relate to sustainability and mostly in Science & Geog

Climate change & History of environmental movement linked to Geography, more comprehensive than other issues - Yr. 10

Sustainability content does not appear to be mapped in a coherent scaffolded framework, across learning areas & year levels,

Strengths against criteria for EfS•setting sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority

•inter-cultural understanding general capability & 2 cross-curriculum priorities - able to explore, compare, contrast diverse perspectives

•environmental content substantial but not comprehensive/systematic

•some socio-emotional learning activities - communication, interaction cooperation, aesthetic understanding, expressing thoughts, feelings

•awareness and understanding of diverse attitudes and perspectives

•many opportunities for learners to participate in cooperative group learning & inquiry, to express thoughts & opinions & use ICT

•many learning activities involving personally relevant and locally contextualised issues relevant to the Australian context

•some opportunities to investigate/analyse hypothetical/real-life issues

Gaps and areas for enhancement

•low values frequency and values are not assessed

•no systematic approach/scaffolding for progressive values acquisition

•no whole school modelling of values or sustainable practices

•whole person learning limited - primary focus is cognition

•limited practical application of ESD knowledge & skills

•no skills for creating change, civic responsibility, social contribution

•sustainability dimensions not all addressed & not interconnected

•no opportunities for systemic thinking or inter-disciplinary learning

•minimal global perspective

•few opportunities for long-term futures thinking, resolving conflict

•limited opportunities for creative, innovative thinking

•no evidence of systematic/comprehensive approach to sustainability

4 Key Recommendations

1Global values for EfS be integrated systematically & explicitly based on scaffolded values framework for age-appropriate development at each year level - include in assessment standards;

2All sustainability dimensions be addressed relatively equally, linked holistically to reflect interconnected society & environment, in both local/global contexts. Facilitates cross-disciplinary investigation and problem solving of complex interdependent sustainability issues;

2Opportunities for learners to engage in experiential learning as active, responsible citizens taking practical action for positive societal and environmental change, by initiating or contributing to projects in the local community or linked to global concerns;

2Modelling of values-based sustainable practices across whole school, so learning occurs within sustainability ethos - values common place.

Opportunities for other learning areas

Geography - interaction between society & environment, how we use the landscape, how landscape shapes lifestyles, natural disaster.

Economics and Business - address socio-economic dimension of sustainability, sustainable, responsible, accountable, equitable socio-economic development.

Health and Physical Education - preventing spread of disease, risk management, preparedness for natural disasters.

Design and Technology - critical thinking, creativity and innovation in addressing sustainability problems through design

Civics and Citizenship - foster responsible national and global citizenship, civic action for positive societal/environmental change

Geography - Curriculum Shaping paper

•investigation and understanding of the earth & its features & the distribution of life on earth, including human life & its impacts;

•study of the many different “places” or biophysical environments & the spatial distribution of phenomena across earth’s surface;

•the relationships, connections & interactions between people & environments in different places - how places are connected;

•why places have diverse environmental & human characteristics, both tangible & intangible;

•how & why places are changing on all scales, from the local to the global, & over time.

•explores ways of influencing & managing the future of places including their environmental, economic & social sustainability

Aims of Geography

•develop sense of wonder, curiosity, knowledge & interest about diverse environments, peoples, cultures & places to provide a sound geographical knowledge of own place, of Australia & the world;

•explore & gain good understanding of geographical thinking, perspectives, concepts & ways of explaining;

•become thoughtful, active local, national & global citizens, to understand how they can influence the futures of places;

•develop ability to ask geographical questions, plan an inquiry, collect & analyse information, (particularly through fieldwork & spatial technologies), reach conclusions based on evidence & logical reasoning & communicate their findings in effective ways;

•build confident & creative use of geographical skills to extend their knowledge, make sense of new situations & solve problems.

What Geography engenders

•enables students to relate to other places & people & to appreciate the cultures & perspectives of others;

•develops knowledge & understanding of their own place &Australia;

•develops active & engaged citizens by promoting debate & fostering informed decision-making on current local, state, national issues;

•shows students how they can positively influence their world as active local, national & global citizens by encouraging them to question, to investigate & to evaluate alternative, more sustainable futures.

•fosters knowledge of the world, as the foundation for understanding international events & trends;

•develops an informed view of citizen responsibilities towards the environment & to people throughout the world.

(ACARA, 2011, Shape of the Aust Curriculum: Geography, p. 3)

Three complementary Geographical perspectives:

1.place-based – similarities & comparisons;

2.spatial – connections & interdependencies, relationships, patterns, change;

3.environmental – past/present, interdependencies between humans & natural world. (ACARA, 2011, p. 4)

Explored from both human and environmental characteristics.

Two sets of core ideas:

1 focuses on environmental characteristics of places, but also explores related human themes;

1.focuses on human characteristics (human wellbeing), but also explores environmental themes.

Each year level has suggested topics to be used:

(a) to teach the core ideas; and (b) to extend & apply these ideas

Geography is holistic, integrated & cross-disciplinary

A holistic & integrated understanding of the subject by drawing on knowledge from:

natural sciences

social sciences

humanitiesincorporating Geography’s 3 perspectives (place, space, environment) when investigating questions & issues. 

Geography assists cross-disciplinary learning by helping students recognise the connections with other more specialised subjects: (e.g. Science, Civics & Citizenship, History, Economics & Business, Technologies)

(ACARA, 2011, p. 5)

Geography - Curriculum structure

Outcome: To apply knowledge & conceptual understanding to new & changing settings. 

Two strands woven/integrated together:

1 Geographical knowledge (facts, theories, models) & understanding (perceive relationships between knowledge woven into an integrated whole–systems thinking & problem solving); 

2 Geographical inquiry and skills - the methods used to find new knowledge & understanding & explaining what was observed. 

Through the progressive study of geography from F-10, students will develop a sound knowledge of the distinctive way in which a geographer looks at and understands the world.

Progression (ACARA, 2011, p. 22) 

• from the description of phenomena to their analysis & explanation

• from observation to investigation, analysis, decision making, evaluation & reflection

• from places & topics that are known to places & topics that are increasingly beyond a student’s own experience

• from a simple to a more complex knowledge of the process of geographical inquiry

• from the use of a few to a growing number of concepts & a deeper understanding of these concepts

• an increasing number of ways of explaining

• increasing levels of abstraction

• involvement with values that become more progressively more contested

• an increasingly more critical approach to evidence & knowledge.

Steps & skills involved in the inquiry process (ACARA, 2011, p.21)

Developing a geographical question - observation leads to questions for investigation

Planning a geographical inquiry

• some (geog) features explained by cause & effect relationships with other places

Collecting, evaluating and managing information

• primary & secondary data must be evaluated for accuracy & bias before analysis

• Census data used to describe growth, movement & characteristics of populations

• information collected in a survey should be evaluated for reliability

Making sense of the information

• mapping spatial distribution such as rainfall, can develop understanding of that characteristic & suggest possible causal relationships

• weather forecasts are based on an interpretation of synoptic charts

Communicating

• communication conventions must be observed to be effective

• climate can be represented by graphs of aver monthly temperature & precipitation

Planning and implementing actions

• finding solutions to problems involves understanding its causes

Reflecting on the investigation

• evaluate what has been learned and the process of investigation

Geographical Concepts – Content (Knowledge) (ACARA, 2011, p.6) 

Geographical concepts are used to organise information and provide frameworks for understanding. They are the higher level unifying ideas that can be applied across several fields of the subject.

The key organising geographical concepts include:

• change process

• distance proximity

• diversity relationship

• interaction risk

• interdependence scale

• landscape place and space

• location spatial distribution

• pattern sustainability

• perception system

Which dimension of sustainability do these concepts relate to? 

Environmental, Socio-cultural, Socio-economic, Socio-political, Economic

Sustainability defined in Geography as:

•ongoing capacity of the Earth to maintain life (ACARA, 2011, pp. 12-13)

•maintenance into the future of the environmental functions that support human life & activities;

•develop capacity to contribute to a more sustainable future - environmental integrity, economic viability & a just society for present & future generations;

•reduce our ecological footprint & develop sustainable patterns of living while supporting quality of life & ‘liveability’;

•investigate social & economic sustainability of places in context of changes in biophysical environment & in economic, social & political conditions;

•individual & collective endeavour shared across communities & nations require a balanced but different approach to interactions with others & with biophysical environment.

Geography encompasses:

Environment (Primary) & Biophysical Environment (Secondary)

defined as:

•living & non-living elements of tearth’s surface & atmosphere

•human changes to Earth’s surface (croplands, planted forests, buildings, roads)

•no longer any purely natural environments; (?)

•rural, urban & built environments - created by human activities & subsets of biophysical environment;

•constructed environment of buildings, roads, railways, airports, harbours, drains, parks, wetlands where most Australians live, & field work takes place.

•Terms ‘human’, ‘social’ & ‘cultural’ environment not used in curriculum.

The research presented is published in:

Quality Education

for Sustainable Development(Includes 79 Appendixes)

Dr Joy de Leo

admin@joydeleo.com

www.qesd.org