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The Effect of Gender on Students’ Sustainability Consciousness: A Nationwide Swedish Study
Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013). (SMEER)ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7976-4860
Karlstad University, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology (starting 2013), Department of Environmental and Life Sciences (from 2013). (SMEER)ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8735-2102
2017 (English)In: The Journal of Environmental Education, ISSN 0095-8964, E-ISSN 1940-1892, Vol. 48, no 5, p. 357-370Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study extends previous environmental education research on gender differences by investigating the gender gap between boys’ and girls’ sustainability consciousness. The issue of whether the gender gap in environmental education can be identified also in sustainability education is addressed. It has been suggested that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a teaching approach that could play a key role in diminishing the gender gap. However, the possible gender-specific effect of an ESD-oriented teaching approach is empirically untested. A survey instrument was used to detect the hypothesized gender gap in students’ sustainability consciousness on a sample of 2,413 Swedish students aged 12–19. Findings reveal a gender gap in students’ sustainability consciousness. The gender gap increases throughout the age span and is amplified in ESD oriented schools.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. Vol. 48, no 5, p. 357-370
Keywords [en]
education for sustainable development; effect studies; gender gap; socialization processes; sustainability consciousness
National Category
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences Biological Sciences Educational Sciences
Research subject
Biology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-48545DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2017.1310083ISI: 000412625700005OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-48545DiVA, id: diva2:1094639
Available from: 2017-05-10 Created: 2017-05-10 Last updated: 2025-01-31Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Student Sustainability Consciousness: Investigating Effects of Education for Sustainable Development in Sweden and Beyond
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Student Sustainability Consciousness: Investigating Effects of Education for Sustainable Development in Sweden and Beyond
2018 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Environmental and sustainability education has been an important part of education worldwide for many years, aiming to foster pro-environmental behavior among young people. Education for sustainable development (ESD) and its teaching components holism (the approach to the content) and pluralism (the approach to teaching) has been launched as the educational approach to support this aim by empowering young people with action competence for a sustainable future. Environmental and sustainability certifications are commonly used by schools as support in their ESD-implementation efforts. To date, scholarly attention to, and critical reflection on the effects of such certification on students’ perceptions of sustainability have been limited.

This doctoral thesis focuses on this gap in ESD research through five large-scale studies, four of which were conducted in Sweden and one in Taiwan. Questionnaire instruments measuring students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) and their experiences of ESD were developed for the project.  In total, 2 413 students in Sweden and 1 741 students in Taiwan (grades six, nine and twelve) participated by filling in the SC questionnaire. The Swedish students also filled in questionnaires about their experiences of ESD at their schools in terms of holistic approach to content and pluralistic approach to teaching.

The results question the impact of schools’ environmental and sustainability certification on students’ SC. The results also show the importance of holism and pluralism in ESD for students’ SC, regardless of whether schools were certified or not. Moreover, the findings reveal an adolescent dip in students’ SC as well as a gender gap, both of which were reinforced among students in the certified schools.

Given the findings, this thesis can give more generalizable guidance for schools and certifying organizations to further reorient ESD towards teaching and learning approaches that have an effect on student SC.

Abstract [en]

Education for sustainable development (ESD) has been launched worldwide to empower young people by providing them with action competence for a sustainable future. ESD certifications are commonly used by schools as support in their ESD implementation efforts. To date, scholarly attention to and critical reflection on the effects of such certification on students’ perceptions of sustainability have been limited.

This doctoral thesis focuses on this gap in ESD research through five large-scale studies of which four were conducted in Sweden (N=2413) and one in Taiwan (N=1741). Questionnaire instruments measuring students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) and experiences of ESD were developed for the project. The findings reveal that the effect of ESD certifications on students’ SC is limited. The results also show positive effects of ESD on students’ SC in the form of the teaching approaches based on holism and pluralism, regardless whether schools were ESD certified or not. Moreover, results also reveal that in the certified schools the general adolescent dip and gender gap in students’ SC were reinforced. Given the findings, this thesis can give more generalizable empirical guidance for schools and certifying organizations to further reorient education towards ESD.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Karlstad: Karlstads universitet, 2018. p. 104
Series
Karlstad University Studies, ISSN 1403-8099 ; 2018:48
Keywords
Education for sustainable development, effects, environmental and sustainability education, holism and pluralism, students, sustainability consciousness
National Category
Other Biological Topics
Research subject
Biology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-69838 (URN)978-91-7063-887-9 (ISBN)978-91-7063-982-1 (ISBN)
Public defence
2018-12-14, 1B 364 (Frödingsalen), Karlstad, 13:30 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2018-11-23 Created: 2018-10-23 Last updated: 2022-05-27Bibliographically approved

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Olsson, DanielGericke, Niklas M.

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