Action Competence for Sustainable Development : Three Stories about the Path Leading There

Studiens mål är att bidra till kunskapsutveckling om hur unga människor utvecklar handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling. Med handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling avses i studien vilja och förmåga att påverka livsstil och levnadsvillkor på ett sätt sominkluderar intergenerationellt och globalt ansvar. I avhandlingen introduceras begreppet avståndsmoral för att beskriva detta ansvar, som utsträcker sig i både tid och rum, till kommande generationer och till nu levande människor globalt. En utgångspunkt för studien är att hållbar utveckling innefattar idén om avståndsmoraliskt ansvar. Studiens huvudfråga är: Hur erfar avståndsmoraliskt aktivt handlande unga människor att de utvecklat handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling? Studiens teorigrund är livsvärldsfenomenologisk. En upplevd verklighet undersöks i studien via berättelser. Genom ett strategiskt urval har tre intervjupersoner, som motiverar sina handlingar med avståndsmoraliska argument, valts att ingå i studien. Datainsamlingen har skett genom en kombination av öppna livsberättelseintervjuer ochhalvstrukturerade intervjuer. Analys och tolkning har metodologiskt stöd i berättelseforskningstraditionen och empirisk fenomenologisk forskning. Resultaten presenteras som tre citatrika levnadsberättelser om Karin, Carl och Matilda, tre unga vuxna med flera års engagemang i hållbarhetsfrågor. Syftet med levnadsberättelserna är att bidra till förståelse av det speciella i en enskild individs upplevelse av attutveckla handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling. En integrerande analys redovisar mönster i form av likheter och skillnader mellan de tre individernas berättelser om att utveckla olika aspekter av handlingskompetens i avståndsmoraliska frågor. Sex gemensammakärnpoänger framstår som betydelsefulla: känslomässiga reaktioner, upplevd kompetens, kontrasterande perspektiv och normativ grund, handlingsimpregnering, tillit från och tillit till vuxna samt social gemenskap kontra utanförskap. Som motiv och drivkrafterför engagemanget framstår känslomässiga reaktioner som initierar önskan om förändring och vilja till handling, längtan efter meningsfullhet, önskan om att komma till sin rätt och längtan efter gemenskap. Resultaten diskuteras i förhållande till tidigare forskningoch en modell av en möjlig väg att utveckla aspekter av handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling presenteras. Diskussionskapitlet utmynnar i fyra didaktiska utmaningar för enutbildning för hållbar utveckling.The aim of the study at hand is to develop knowledge about the process of developing action competence for sustainable development. The overall research question explored is: How do young people experience that they have developed aspects of action competence forsustainable development? For the purposes of this study, action competence for sustainable development is defined as willingness and capability to act for changes in individual life style, as well as for structural changes of society, in a way that includes responsibility for present and future generations,globally. Life-world phenomenology provides the theoretical foundation of the study. Through purposive sampling, individuals have been found who, through different action strategies, engage in sustainability issues as for example climate change, bio-diversity and social justice. From a larger sample, three young adults have been selected for several life storyinterviews. Data has been analyzed and interpreted by use of narrative methodology. The result is presented as three stories, presented as thick descriptions, through whichthe winding paths towards aspects of action competence, as experienced, appear. This is followed by an integrative analysis presenting six themes that have emerged in theanalyses as relevant in the process of developing action competence for sustainable development: emotional reactions; perceived competence; contrasts and normative foundation;action permeation; trust and faith from adults and in adults; and social belonging in contrastto outsidership. Major motives and driving-forces for sustainability actions that emerge inthe stories are: emotional reactions initiating a desire for change and a desire to act; longingfor meaningfulness; a desire to feel comfortable with what you can contribute; and longing for belongingness. The findings are discussed in relationship to previous research and a modelof a possible way to develop aspects of action competence for sustainable development is introduced. This dissertation is part of a project supported by Formas, The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning

Forest gardens – new opportunities for urban children to understand and develop relationships with other organisms

This case study explores a learning situation in a forest garden in Sweden. A forest garden is an edible polyculture landscape with different layers of mostly perennial vegetation. The forest garden is designed to maximize the yield of useful plants while minimizing the input of energy and resources, including human labour. Forest gardens may offer learning situations that contextualize interconnectedness and relations between organisms as well as situations that are beneficial for evaluative development (Kellert, 2002), i.e. the development of values, beliefs and moral perspectives in children. Twenty-seven seven to eight year old primary school children were followed in the first six months of a three year project in which they participated in developing a forest garden. The aim of the study is to investigate how the children reason with respect to different organisms’ dependence on and relations to each other, themselves included. Specifically: How do the children describe their own relationships with other organisms, as well as the relationships between other organisms in the forest garden? What values of nature are expressed by the children, and in relation to which situations in the forest garden? Data were collected in the form of field notes, audio and video recordings and photos from the children’s visits to the forest garden. The photos were used for stimulated recall in focus group interviews. The data were analysed using a combination of qualitative content analysis (Patton, 2002) and semi-quantitative methods. The children in the study presented a unidirectional perspective about the relationship between themselves and the organisms, especially the insects, in the forest garden. Rather than asking what these organisms can do for me/us, they pose the question: What can I/we do for the bugs/plants/ bees?   The humanistic values, expressed by the children as a willingness to help other organisms (mostly insects) are in line with the explicit aims of the former curriculum for Biology to “promote care and respect for nature”. We should note that these humanistic values are no longer explicitly stated in the current curriculum. It is striking that the anthropocentric ecosystem services perspective (introduced in the current curriculum from grade 4), is so rare in the data. The children seldom mentioned the benefits for humans from insect pollination, even though this relationship is clearly stated by the pedagogues together with humanistic values.  In observations, the children showed a great deal of curiosity for the natural environment (naturalistic value) as well as joy and enthusiasm about participating in the different activities that took place in the forest garden. Aesthetic values were expressed in relation to flowers, cones, berries, a snail’s shell etc. This study shows that forest gardens have the potential to be places where children can connect emotionally and cognitively to other organisms

Forest gardens - places for children to connect with nature in times of urbanization

Abstract identifier: 150604-1185</p

Naturvetenskap som allmänbildning - lärarutbildare prioriterar i stoffträngseln

I debatten om den naturvetenskapliga undervisningen i grundskolan framförs flera möjliga orsaker till att elever under grundskolans senare år tappar intresset för naturvetenskapen. En av dem är stoffträngseln, ett fråga som länge varit aktuell. Vår frågeställning har varit: Vilken bild ger lärarutbildare inom det naturvetenskapliga fältet av den viktigaste ”kärnan” av naturvetenskaplig bildning - den kärna som de allra flesta elever bör ha med sig från grundskolan? Vi har gjort intervjuer med sju lärarutbildare med olika ämnesbakgrund. Intervjuerna har analyserats genom att vi har kopplat de naturvetenskapliga begrepp de intervjuade nämnt till uppnåendemål för skolår 9. Detta har gett oss en bild av hur intervjupersonerna prioriterar i förhållande till grundskolans kursplanemål för ämnesområdet. Några kursplanemål, t ex. kemins ”- ha kunskap om några grundämnen, kemiska föreningar och kemiskt-tekniska produkter.”  har funnits med i många intervjuer och andra,  t ex biologins ”- ha kunskap om vad befruktning innebär” helt har utelämnats. Den naturvetenskapliga kärnan beskrivs ofta utifrån förklaringsmodeller och naturvetenskapens användning i den demokratiska processen.Opublicerat materialNOT-projekte

Det är den digitala kompetensen som måste utvecklas

Replik till Peter Hallgrens debattinlägg "Våra barn riskerar att hamna i ett digitalt utanförskap" i Jönköpings-Posten, 2019-11-23. </p

The perfect schoolyard for future children : Primary school children’s participation in envisioning workshops

This Swedish study investigates how primary school children’s perspectives on a “good schoolyard” can be illuminated through envisioning workshops using model-making. In addition to advocating for the qualities and affordances of the standard schoolyard equipment, children also suggested and constructed new features affording playing with domestic animals, being in peace and quiet in tree houses, picking fruit, and using digital playgrounds.For the children to go beyond reproducing the features, environmental qualities, and affordances of their current schoolyards, they needed plenty of time for communication and hands-on activities, opportunities to relax, imagine, and receive input and inspiration from others’ experiences

What Kind of Actions are Appropriate? Eco-School Teachers' and Instructors' Ranking of Sustainability-Promoting Actions as Content in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Based on the consideration that learning about different action alternatives and strategies are essential parts of ESD, this quantitative study focuses Eco-School teachers’ and instructors’ views on including different sustainability-promoting actions in teaching practices. Direct actions, and actions that take place in the private sphere were viewed by both groups as the most appropriate actions to include in teaching practices. However, actions related to individuals as consumers were seen as less appropriate by teachers than by instructors, and consequently have been less included in teaching practices. The actions considered least appropriate by both groups were two indirect actions occurring in the public sphere aiming at solutions on a structural level, engaging with political parties and engaging with NGOs. The results highlight teaching that addresses the individual’s moral responsibility in the private sphere, and that different action strategies for the democratic change of social structures tend to be excluded