Delving Into Key Dimensions of ESD Through Analyses of a Middle School Science Textbook

Abstract

Uncertainties and debates regarding the term of sustainable development are still going on, and similarly, the notion of education for sustainable development (ESD) is open to debate. There has been an attempt to make the concept of ESD evident, which is quite challenging. Palmer (1998) stated the appropriateness of ESD within environmental education and presented ESD as a new trend for teaching and learning about the environment. In line with these interpretation, Sauvé (2002) pointed out that ESD seems to emerge as a current issue within environmental education. Contrary to these claims, some researchers do not interpret ESD as an evolution within environmental education. According to Sterling (2001), ESD can be recognized as sustainable education in which there is a movement toward the renewal of education systems and institutions ‘doing better things’ and ‘seeing things differently’. Apart from those qualitatively different interpretations of ESD, in 1998 the Council for Environmental Education published a strategy report (CEE, 1998) which is particularly significant for teachers. This report specified seven key dimensions regarding ESD, namely: interdependence; citizenship and stewardship; needs and rights of future generations; diversity; quality of life, equity and justice; sustainable change; and uncertainty and precaution in action. This study could provide an analysis of Turkish middle school science textbooks with respect to these key dimensions on ESD. Current evidences showed that these textbooks do not refer to the dimensions of sustainable development sufficiently.

Keywords

• education for sustainable development
• middle school science education
• sustainable use of natural resources