Competencies for ESD teachers

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Competencies for ESD teachers
A framework to integrate ESD in the curriculum of
teacher training institutions Curriculum,
Sustainable Development, Competencies, Teacher
Training (CSCT) Project
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ENSI Environment and Schools Initiative

• First phase 1986-1988 11 countries
  participated with teachers and students at the
  core
• The aim gathering experiences and exchanging
  them nationally and internationally on the
  level of teachers and students.
• The promotion of political discourse
• Phase 2 1989-1994 19 countries to anchor
  environmental education in schools
• Conferences occurred in member countries
  which mirrored the thematic focus
• ENSI was promoted as a bottom-up approach,
  offering a network including teachers and
  students facilitated by politics and
  research.

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• Phase 3 1995-Ongoing
• Focus on Eco-schools Teacher Education
• EU Comenius III Project SEED (2002-2005)
  publications on Quality Criteria for ESD
  schools, tools for evaluation
• EU Comenius Project CSCT Competencies for
  ESD Teachers (2005- 2008) 15 partners (8
  countries) case studies on ESD in Teacher
  Education
• The major objective of ENSI, an international non
  profit organisation is to introduce new
  educational methods, to stimulate new types of
  collaboration and the development of so called
  dynamic qualities of learners.
• ENSI Partners Council of Europe UNESCO
  Governments who make the commitment to ESD

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• ENSI received European funding (Comenius 2) and
  developed a competency model for teachers of ESD
  entitled the CSCT Project.
• The present Comenius-2-project, CSCT (Curriculum,
  Sustainable development, Competences, Teacher
  training) was developed as a response to the call
  of the UNECE Ministers of the Environment in 2003
  for including education for sustainable
  development (ESD) in curricula from pre-school to
  higher and adult education to offer curriculum
  models to teacher training institutes which are
  searching for attainable possibilities to
  integrate ESD in their curricula.
• The CSCT competence model was developed by the
  whole international group in a three year long
  process both at workshops and discussions at the
  meetings and in between.

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How to read the Model?
Blue Triangle Professional Dimension
Teacher in society
Teacher in the educational institute
Teacher as an Individual
Professional Dimensions
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How to read the Model?
Red Triangle Overall Competencies for ESD
Reflecting Visioning
Overall Competencies
Teaching
Networking
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How to read the Model?
Five Domains
Action
Values Ethics
Future Orientation Learning Processes for
SD Local and global orientation
Emotions
Knowledge
Systems Thinking
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The five domains of competencies for the
CSCT-Model

• Five competences domains were identified, of
  which each must have a specific profile for ESD.
• Even though these domains may appear as separate
  elements in the graph, they interact intensively
  and are in reality inseparable.
• Knowledge specific features of knowledge for ESD
  defined included conceptual, factual and action
  related knowledge. Knowledge has to relate to
  time (past present future) as well as to
  space (local global) and it is inter-, trans-,
  pluri- or cross-disciplinary constructed.
• Systems Thinking The complexity and
  interconnectedness of todays world asks for
  thinking in systems. Different kinds of systems
  are addressed biological, geographical,
  ecological, political, economical, social,
  psychological ... including interrelationships in
  time and space. It implies the awareness of being
  part of the living system earth in space and
  time.

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• Emotions Thinking, reflecting, valuing, taking
  decisions and acting are inseparably tied with
  emotions. Emotional competence is therefore
  indispensable for ESD-commitment and processes.
  Empathy and compassion play thereby a key role.
  Feeling inter-connectedness with the world is
  basic for intrinsic motivation in ESD.
• Ethics and Values Norms, values, attitudes,
  beliefs and assumptions are guiding our
  perception, our thinking, our decisions and
  actions. They also influence our feelings. The
  main guiding principle of ESD is equity (social,
  intergenerational, gender, communities ).
  Equality between man and nature is explicitly
  included only in some SD-concepts.
• Action Action is the process, where all the
  competences of the other four domains merge to
  meaningful creations, participation and
  networking in SD. It needs additional special
  practical skills, abilities and competences in
  the field of project management and cooperation.
  All four levels of action have to be considered
  for a successful ESD individual,
  classroom/school, regional and global. Actions
  allow to experience conflicting interests,
  change, to be involved (participation), learning
  from mistakes, synergies and success. All of them
  can increase motivation for further learning and
  continuing action if they are chosen wisely.
  Actions allow applying the solidarity developed
  through empathy and compassion.

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• For each of these five domains competences were
  developed on three different levels
• The teacher as an individual connected with
  reflection and visioning
• The teacher in the educational institution
  connected with teaching and communication
• The teacher in the society connected with
  cooperation and networking
• ENSI has developed this framework and currently
  UNECE are using it as a framework for their
  working group on teacher competencies at a
  European level.
• Handbook of Competencies for ESD (Education for
  Sustainable Development) teachers A framework
  to integrate ESD in the curriculum of teacher
  training institutes is available for download
  at

http//www.unece.org/env/esd/inf.meeting.docs/EGon
Ind/8mtg/CSCT20Handbook_Extract.pdf
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• Discussion
• What competencies should teachers have entering
  the profession?
• How can we educate students to achieve these
  competencies?
• Are we educating teachers to meet these
  competencies pre-service, induction and
  in-service?

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Ubuntu Network

• Further information www.ubuntu.ie
• joanne.oflaherty_at_ul.ie