Teachers and Students : Engagement in education towards a sustainable society

Abstract: There is mounting evidence that humanity is facing challenges that call for a strategic approach towards sustainability. The urgency is acknowledged by a growing number of people, but worldwide awareness, collaboration and a shared vision is required to create a sustainable society. Education is a gateway to prepare and engage young minds to be the change that is needed to transform societal systems. Teachers therefore have a grave and important task in engaging their students in learning to make strategic contributions towards a sustainable society. This thesis explores how teachers are already successfully engaging 14-15 year old students and it delivers a model with the essential elements of engagement: Interaction and Participation, Exploration, Relevancy, Engaging and Challenging Instruction, Authentic Assessment and Reflection and Futures Thinking. At the core of this model there is Systems Thinking that feeds into all elements and Fun should inherently be part of all teaching. The model, a tool for teachers to plan their classes strategically, is presented in combination with scientifically based concepts for Strategic Sustainable Development, including backcasting. A set of questions is defined to guide teachers through the process of integrating sustainability into how they already engage their students in learning.