L’educació per a la sostenibilitat a la formació inicial de mestres: impacte d’un projecte d’innovació docent

Abstract

[eng] Education is key to addressing the current socio-environmental crisis. From the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm (1972) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, the importance of sustainability has been emphasized. Universities, especially in teacher training, play a crucial role. This project by the University of Barcelona’s innovation and research group aims to incorporate sustainability into educational programs following the guidelines of the CRUE. The project has two main objectives: 1) to incorporate sustainability into science education to enhance students’ knowledge of eco-social issues and to equip them to design sustainability education activities; and 2) to understand the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs and their implementation in the school curriculum. Over three academic years, various activities were introduced, including individual reflections, colloquiums, laboratory practices, and field trips, in three compulsory courses in the area of Science Education for Early Childhood and Primary Education degrees. Changes in learning were assessed through questionnaires and the analysis of students’ final productions. The results show a greater diversification and prioritization of knowledge of eco-social issues and a significant increase in knowledge of the SDGs. Qualitative analysis indicates that students consider the inclusion of sustainability in education to be relevant. This project demonstrates that contextualized actions and active methodologies improve future teachers’ learning regarding eco-social issues.