Developing a pedagogical approach with the aim of empowering educators and students to address emerging global issues such as climate change and social justice : a case study

Predan, Barbara (author), Černe Oven, Petra (author)

The “Green Nudges” program, developed within the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is based on behavioral science and nudge theory. Aimed primarily at universities, it explores ways to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Studies show that many young people recognize climate change as a major problem but that it leaves them feeling helpless and anxious—something that our teaching practice confirms. As we had had no success teaching sustainability using conventional approaches, we used the pedagogical design capacity (PDC) principle to develop a novel workshop format and implement it in a pilot series of three repeated workshops. The workshop concept is based on empowering educators and students to tackle emerging global issues while also boosting critical thinking, field research, and teamwork skills. An important part of the integration of different tools was based on supporting students’ self-direction and knowledge- and evidence-based decision making. The results demonstrate that the proposed pedagogical framework resonates with and empowers students. At the same time, the workshop empowers educators to competently navigate complex and sustainability-oriented topics within the field of education for sustainable development (ESD).

• Language: English
• Keywords: green nudges, education, sustainable development, pedagogical design capacity, behavorial design, design thinking, Sustainable Development Goals, 12 SDGs, Education for Sustainable Development, ESD
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ALUO - Academy of Fine Arts and Design
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 22 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 24, art. 16899
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-153127
• UDC: 7.05: 502.131.1
• ISSN on article: 2071-1050
• DOI: 10.3390/su152416899
• COBISS.SI-ID: 177867523
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Sustainability
• Shortened title: Sustainability
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2071-1050
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5324897

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: zeleni dregljaj, izobraževanje, trajnostni razvoj, oblikovanje pedagoških kapacitet, vedenjsko oblikovanje, oblikovalsko mišljenje, cilji trajnostnega razvoja