Australian Govt Sustainability Curriculum Framework: A strong step in the right direction for sustainability education

This month, the Federal Government released the report Sustainability Curriculum Framework: A guide for curriculum developers and policy makers. The report aims to provide ‘information and guidance on how education for sustainability may be structured to support a progression of learning from Kindergarten to Year 10.’

Amid multiple environmental policy failures by the Rudd Government, including climate change policy and home insulation, the report represents a paradigm shift in how government frames sustainability education with implications for how it is delivered.

A friendly request for details of current & recent research projects on sustainability curriculum design

I am currently looking for literature or details on any research that is currently or recently been done on curriculum design for sustainability, environmental or systems theory courses. If you are aware of any relevant studies, please let me know.  Any relevant information will help me refine my research focus and help me work out where the knowledge gaps are. You can contact me here. Any information would be greatly appreciated and thanks for reading!

Does Awareness Develop Response-Ability?

We are continually confronted with facts about the rather daunting ecological threats facing humanity. Yet does having this knowledge automatically translate into acting more responsibly? Asked in another way, does personal awareness of sustainability issues lead to the ability to respond appropriately to the challenges at hand?

It is assumed through education campaigns that presenting the facts about the human impacts on our social and environmental support systems will shock people into changing their behaviour. The same goes in the classroom. Environmental and sustainability education makes students aware of the real world problems that exist in and beyond the student’s community. However, does teaching about sustainability issues prompt students to take responsibility in their personal and professional lives in the long term or do students continue through life with old habits?