SubjectMeets Subject in ESD

Environmental education has been a topic for biology teachers in Sweden, as well as in many other countries, since the 1970th (Björneloo, 2007; Öhman, 2006). However as a requirement due to the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), environmental education has broadened up to embrace other subjects as well. ESD seeks to integrate ecological, social and economic perspectives into the education. Facts, values, democracy and action competence are important aspects (UNESCO, 1995). To educate for sustainable development is indeed a challenge and a way to put the education into authentic problems of the world. The aim of this study is to investigate how interdisciplinary group meetings can broaden teachers’ understanding of ESD. This first study of my thesis investigates what perspectives of sustainable development that are emphasized, when teachers from different disciplines meet in a joint discussion. Research questions: What aspects are emphasized by teachers in an interdisciplinary discussion about sustainable development? What do different teachers consider as important aspects of sustainable development after an interdisciplinary discussion? This case study is based on a discussion between teachers at a literature seminar. The target group was chosen from teachers taking an in-service course at Malmö University. This course is one of the components included in the RCE-project “Food & ESD” running at Malmö University. The teachers normally work in public schools in Malmö with pupils age 13-15. The teachers represent different subjects as for example: natural science, social science, language, mathematics and home economics. The course given had an interdisciplinary approach dealing with the consequences of our food production and consumption in the frame of sustainable development. A socio cultural perspective is used as a starting point for this study. In this research design I have my starting point from the teachers’ discussion. A literature seminar was videotaped and semi-structured interviews were used after the discussion. The transcripts from the seminar and the interviews are now the subject of analysis and the results will emerge during this winter and spring. The very first indications show that the mutual discussion brings about topics from as well ecological, social as economic dimensions. The different perspectives continue through the conversation despite which school subject the talking person represent, however, it seems to be a qualitative difference of how the subject is treated