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ИННОВАЦИИ И ПРОБЛЕМЫ В МИРОВОМ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОМ
ПРОСТРАНСТВЕ
B. D'Cruz, D. O. Osipova
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP (ESDGC):
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
This paper outlines the key challenges facing Higher Education policy with respect to Educationfor Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) as it is known in Wales, and as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) elsewhere in the UK and internationally. Methodological considerations will be presented from a cross-institutional research project in the UK to evaluate the specific contribution being made by Higher Education to ESDGC through a study focused on the area of curriculum design, delivery and assessment. This paper argues that it is the students' actual and intended behaviours with respect to ESDGC that matters rather than the location of ESDGC within the curriculum, and that higher education policy and curriculum review in the UK to date could be criticized for not really considering the benefits and effectiveness of ESDGC approaches, but focusing on superficial awareness raising and promotion of ESDGC activities. The paper asks questions about the state ofplay with respect to ESDGC in the Russian Federation, and the opportunity for coordinated and collaborative international research.
Key words:Education for Sustainable Development, Global Citizenship, Higher Education Policy, Transformational Learning.
Introduction
To achieve an acceptable quality of life for current and future generations requires considerable change in the behaviour of both individuals and their respective nations. The UN declared 2005 to 2014 the «Decade of Education for Sustainable Development» to facilitate behavioural change through a transformation within education (United Nations, 2011). Known as ESD in much of the UK and ESDGC in Wales to include the notion of «Global Citizenship», the goal is to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding of individuals at all education stages from primary school onwards, to inform their future actions with regard to global citizenship and sustainability. According to ESDGC Wales (2002), the key ESDGC concepts outlined by the Welsh Assembly Government are:
Interdependence (between people, the
environment and the economy both
locally and globally);
Citizenship and Stewardship (recognising
the importance of taking individual
responsibility and action);
Needs and Rights (including that of future
generations);
Diversity (both human and biodiversity); Sustainable Change (understanding that resources are finite);
Quality of Life (that basic needs must be met universally and that global equity and justice are essential elements of sustainability);
Uncertainty and Precaution (embracing different approaches and the need for flexibility);
Values and Perceptions (of less developed parts of the world);
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• Conflict Resolution (an understanding of how conflicts are a barrier to development of effective approaches to sustainable development). Contextual Background Arguably «sustainable development» is better understood today because of climate change and greater visibility of environmental impacts. Cost reduction imperatives during the recession faced by many countries means that sustainability has also become something of a necessity. Leal Filho [9] suggested that the notion of «sustainability» can have differing connotations, including usage of local natural resources, social policies and practices that impact the wider environment, ethical behaviour and social responsibility for business development, or economic growth and links to the actions of global societies. In the corporate world, there have been accusations of «green washing» whereby enterprises have been jumping onto the perceived «sustainability bandwagon» because there are business benefits to be had, and not always the desired or intended outcomes of public policymakers. There are also notions of «green bling» whereby sustainability concepts are almost cosmetic in their orientation to tick boxes and avoid costs/regulatory penalties rather than used for the purposes of change and societal transformation. D'Cruz et al. [5] argued that lessons learned to date were more about ticking policy boxes to satisfy funding bodies or paying lip service to key objectives than about enabling real benefits, and that the «wisdom» created through knowledge and experience in ESDGC was not being fully explored or exploited for mutual benefit across HEIs in the UK.
In Russia there is already some student activity with respect to sustainable behaviours and demonstrating social responsibility and citizenship deriving from historical and idealogical traditions [12]. It can be argued that most Russian citizens know of «Subbotnik», an event which takes place every Saturday to engage citizens and provide benefits for society and the environment. Subbotnik is a collective
and voluntary activity which is usually undertaken by citizens in their own time. Officially, Subbotnik was established in the spring of 1919 during the Russian Civil War and military intervention in response to the appeal of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin to improve the state of the railways. On the night of Saturday April 12 1919, fifteen communist citizens voluntarily worked for ten hours and repaired three damaged train carriages. Nowadays Subbotniki primarily take place in schools more than in universities because in Russia the schoolchildren study «Ecology» where they learn about the environment. In many Russian universities it appears that students do not have these subjects or ESDGC emphasis on the curriculum unless they are doing a special course related specifically to that subject discipline.
Sibbel [15, p. 68] argued that globally sustainability education to date has been inadequate, primarily concerned with encouraging individuals to change their patterns of resource consumption and waste management. As future professionals that influence real change, Higher Education students will be the «designers» of the options from which consumers make choices. Therefore when central, devolved and local governments set policy for tertiary education, they need to set their strategic drivers in the context of differing educational models. There are differences in terms of duration of study and funding regimes, but the aspirations with respect to ESDGC are highly similar given the global consequences. The crucial questions to be answered by HE institutions in UK and in Russia are: 1. Do current approaches within Higher Education make any measurable difference in communicating an understanding of global citizenship and sustainability? 2. Does this educational experience lead to a demonstrable change in behaviour?
Arbuthnott [1] argues that many ESDGC programmes are designed to change attitudes, but her research indicates a weak correlation between attitudes and behaviour. She suggests that teaching and
learning must go beyond attitude change and actively encourage individuals to alter their behaviour. The implications for education policy that enables this must then be reinforced by the strategic vision of the policy-makers and coordinating agencies, which aligns itself with other policy directions across institutions for example housing, waste, transport, environment, energy, community engagement, and economic development. At a United Nations meeting to discuss Regional Centres for Expertise (RCE) in ESD, many European RCEs agreed to adopt the Graz model based on the five principles of leadership, social networks, participation, education & learning and research for evaluation and assessment of mutual success [10]. Each principle is described at three levels into which RCEs can sort their projects and processes according to information provided in an annual report for dissemination key outcomes and good practice. It is known that Russia also has such RCEs such as one established in Nizhny Novgorod, and that Wales has an RCE that represents the entire country.
Methodology
Hedderman et al. [7] discussed the «Realising Benefits and Behavioural Change through ESDGC» project that examines how the learning experience at the business schools in three institutions (Newport, Northampton and East London) impacts upon the current and future behaviour of students within a real world context. Practice does differ amongst the partners in that some institutions have relied on a central skills curriculum in which they use case studies to highlight sustainability issues (e. g. East London) whilst other institutions had chosen to embed the issues into specific module content and link these to intended learning outcomes (e. g. Northampton). Alternative approaches include extensive use of technology to help develop better cross-cultural awareness of the issues, or thematic approaches that are indicative of professional body requirements and subject areas (e. g. Newport).
To bring some tangibility and measurability to the research concepts and to gain true insight into the experience of students and their intended behaviour, the project explored seven key areas that included recycling, global citizenship, corporate governance, ethical and fair-trade purchasing, tolerance, community engagement and power/energy [7]. Blaze and Wals [2] stress the importance of graduates being able to contextualise their knowledge early in an increasingly globalised society. It was also of interest to investigate whether the incorporation of different types of assessment and skill-sets could assist in encouraging a change in behaviour. In fact, Stephens et al. [16] suggest that a curriculum that is intended to promote sustainability should incorporate skills of synthesis and integration. The project examined modes of study, social background, demographic factors, entry standards and institutional approaches. Considering ongoing changes in curriculum delivery such as distance learning and blended learning plus a stronger emphasis on employability skills, the use of technology-enhanced learning was examined to determine whether this can help promote access and raise awareness of the issues, thereby actively influencing behaviours.
To manage the research effectively, four key (broad) groups were identified: first year undergraduates, continuing undergraduates, postgraduates and part-time students. Within each of the target groups there are a broad age spectrum and students not only from within the UK, but also from the EU and international students. Since the project aimed to determine if the Higher Education experience has driven a change in behaviour, it was deemed important to explore the views and experience of the alumni through a longitudinal perspective involving future research. Interestingly, some of these individuals may one day be responsible for setting sustainable policies, or be involved in implementation and realisation of those policies to preserve or benefit society across global boundaries.
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Results and Implications
Since curriculum design and effectiveness was important to this project, the first stage of the research was to closely examine the differing institutional approaches and structures, and how these fit into education policies. This was followed up with a survey across institutions based on the areas of interest. Results are currently being written up for publication elsewhere given the project was completed in December 2010, and the respondents' data are being analysed for salient outcomes. Enabling a Russian dimension to this research in future would be both interesting and beneficial, and could even result in the publication of Russian language materials and resources that account for the nuances and imperatives in Russian HE culture and pedagogy. In South Asia for comparison, the work of Hossain [8] focuses on what is needed for students in that part of the world (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.) to understand the key drivers, and to help enable responsible behavioural changes.
The UK's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) responsible for ensuring the quality of educational programmes in HE produces subject benchmark statements, but do these adequately incorporate the notions of ESDGC to guide the setting of curriculum? In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government published its «One Wales, One Planet» vision for sustainable development, but to what extent was this aligned to or embodied by the curriculum in Welsh institutions, and how does the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFQW) support this endeavour beyond target setting? Liz Beaty, cited in Bourn et al. [3] suggested that for graduates to perceive themselves as global citizens, institutions need to promote a culture that values sustainability and global human development. Evidence of institutional commitment could include reference to sustainability and global citizenship within their mission statement, inclusion of the issues within the main communications tools employed such as the website(s), prospectuses and handbooks.
Another area of interest may be to identify specific institutional initiatives in the area such as a local award scheme or participation in the national «Green Gown» awards, or the establishment of reciprocal links with external or community enterprises within the field of sustainability and global citizenship. It is known that the following educational policy directions are being followed in Russia [11], although given the size and complexity of the Russian Federation it is likely that there is a significantly more complex challenge in terms of coordination and collaboration of ESDGC within mainstream education policy:
The Priority National Project on «Education»;
Federal Target Programme «Research and Scientific-Pedagogical Cadres Innovative Russia» for 2009-2013; Federal Programme «Development of Infrastructure Nanotechnology in the Russian Federation in 2008-2010»; Federal Target Programme for the Development of Education (FTSPRO 2006-2010);
Federal Target Programme «Children of Russia for 2007-2010»; Federal Target Programme «Electronic Russia»;
Federal Programme «Social Development of Villages before 2010»; Federal Programme «Comprehensive measures against Drug Abuse and Trafficking for 2005-2009»; Federal Target Programme «Improving Global Road Safety»; The State Programme «Patriotic Education of Citizens of the Russian Federation for 2006-2010»;
The Target Programme «Development of Scientific Potential of Higher Schools (2009-2010)».
The current position and possible direction of Russian HE institutions under the jurisdiction of Rosobrazovanie «University Healthy Lifestyle» programme is noted by the Russian Policy Document [11]. Kerry Shephard [13] discussed how within Higher Education institutions the
teaching and assessment of sustainability and global citizenship tends to centre on the required knowledge and understanding, rather than on actual outcomes and behaviours. Since the objectives and data arising from this research project aimed to link the learning and teaching to actual behaviours, a comprehensive audit of the content of the programmes and modules at the respective institutions needed to take place, including the articulation of learning and assessment outcomes and the extent to which real-world application is brought into the learning and assessment process. A pilot study has already been undertaken by HEFQW across Welsh institutions, and the methodology for this plus an interpretation of results is being critically evaluated as part of ongoing research in the context of this work. It is hoped that a similar study using an equivalent survey instrument can be undertaken in Russian institutions to enable direct comparisons.
Summary
The final project report is still pending following completion of the research in December 2010 and will include findings and recommendations to influence the learning and teaching strategies at the respective institutions, and hopefully within the wider UK Higher Education sector. It is hoped that the ultimate consequence of this research will be that, in keeping with the objectives of the ESDGC agenda, an increasing number of students will leave Higher Education (irrespective of the country they are taught in) equipped with the knowledge, skills and ability to function as responsible global citizens within the workplace and beyond, building a sustainable world for future generations. The challenge for UK policymakers at all levels is to ensure joined-up thinking on this, and that investment in resources and support is not simply about paying «lip service» given the political imperatives, but because these initiatives might actually make a difference. For Higher Education policy and university engagement, there are numerous areas for future research and educational challenges, and in particular
to collaborate with international institutions such as in Russia to look at overlapping practice and adaptive approaches. In the words of Iain Patton of the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) as quoted in Shepherd [14]: «When at university, we have the responsibility to ensure learners are exposed to knowledge and values which they can take on with them as informed, responsible citizens. Every aspect of our campuses, buildings, teaching and leadership must be oriented to achieve this». References
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