Exploring systems thinking competence of Finns in fostering sustainable transformation

Systems thinking competence is one of the key sustainability competences to make the future more sustainable by focusing on individuals’ capability to analyse sustainability problems across different sectors and scales. The other competencies to foster systems thinking are futures thinking competence, values and critical thinking competence, action-oriented competence, and collaboration competence. In this study, we examined Finnish people’s systems thinking competence and its connections to sustainable transformation. The survey data collected from Finns (n = 2006) were analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical regression analysis. The study showed that the sustainability component loaded reliably into principal components. In particular, the Cronbach’s alpha (0.91) and Spearman–Brown (0.90) were high for systems thinking competence. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that Finns’ values, critical thinking, and individual action-oriented competence predict their systems thinking competence. The results indicate that Finns’ ideas of climate change and biodiversity loss mitigation arise from their individual values and opinions that actions are implemented in an ethically just way

Alakoulun oppilaiden kokemuksia ratkaisukeskeisen ilmastokasvatuksen toteutuksesta: havaintoja oppimisesta ja tunteista

Ratkaisukeskeisen ilmastokasvatuksen tavoitteena on oppia tietoja ja taitoja, joiden avulla opitaan vähentämään ilmastopäästöjä ja sopeutumaan ilmastonmuutokseen parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla. Ilmastonmuutoksen hillintä ja siihen sopeutuminen vaatii onnistuessaan myös tunteiden huomioon ottamista. Ilmastokasvatuksessa toivon ylläpitäminen on mahdollista merkityksiä luovien toimintastrategioiden avulla. Oleellista on, että oppija pohtii tekojensa merkityksellisyyttä, minkä avulla voidaan välttää toiveajattelua. Alakoulussa ilmastokasvatus perustuu tutkivaan oppimiseen ja dialogiseen, oppijan arkikäsityksen huomioon ottavaan vuorovaikutukseen. Vuorovaikutuksellinen opetus sitouttaa oppijat opetukseen. Artikkelissa pohditaan ilmastokasvatuksen toteutumista alakoulun oppilaiden näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin avoimella kyselylomakkeella kahdeksasta alakoulun luokasta, viidestä eri koulusta. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu 152 oppilaan vastauksista. Vastaukset analysoitiin laadullisella sisällönanalyysillä ja teemoitettiin fenomenografisesti eri käsitekategorioihin. Käsitekategoriat muodostuivat neljästä teemasta: 1) Uuden oppimisesta, 2) kiinnostuksen lisääntymisestä, 3) ilmaston-muutokseen liittyvästä toivosta ja 4) ilmastonmuutokseen liittyvästä surusta.   Primary school pupils' experiences on the implementation of intentional climate change education: observations on learning and emotions Abstract The goal of intentional climate change education is to learn the knowledge and skills to reduce climate emissions and adapt to climate change in the best possible way. Mitigating and adapting to climate change also requires taking emotions into account. In climate change education hope is possible to maintain through meaningful coping strategies. It is essential that the learner reflects on the significance of his or her actions and thus avoids unnecessary wishful thinking. In primary school, climate education is based on inquiry-based learning and dialogical interaction that considers the learner's everyday thinking. Interactive learning process helps to engage learners. This article considers the implementation of climate education from the perspective of primary school pupils. The research material was collected with an open questionnaire from eight primary school classes from five different schools. The research material consists of 152 pupils’ answers. The responses were analysed by qualitative content analysis and were phenomenographically themed into different concept categories. The concept categories consisted of four themes: 1) learning from the new, 2) increasing interest, 3) hope related to climate change, and 4) grief related to climate change. Keywords: intentional climate change education, hope, primary schoo

Variaciones del Compromiso Estudiantil entre Instituciones y Disciplinas: Hallazgos desde Azerbaiyán

Although student engagement has been a widely researched area known to improve student learning and a topic of scholarly debate for many decades now, this has yet to be the case in Azerbaijan. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, conducted among 433 undergraduate students of the 18-23 age range (M = 21.37, SD = 1.43) at eight universities in Azerbaijan, allowed us to examine variations in the conditions meant to foster student engagement, as well as students’ perspectives on improving their educational experiences. Specifically, we looked at differences related to academic challenges, learning with peers, teacher experiences, and campus environment. Student engagement varied across disciplines. Small universities in the capital city provided better collaborative learning conditions. However, students at regional universities were more satisfied with the quality of student-faculty interactions. Nonetheless, students saw a strong need for fundamental changes in higher education in Azerbaijan, focusing on improving the quality of teachers, teaching and the curriculum. The study provided an overview of student engagement variations across institutions and disciplines and how students conceptualise necessary improvements in student experiences. Institutional leaders must understand the variations for seeking essential changes in the HE system to effectively accommodate students’ needs and expectations

Promoting sustainability competency and self-efficacy in class teacher education

There is an urgent need for a global sustainability transition. This change needs to be cultural and transform both our actions and the values on which we base our decision-making. Sustainability transition requires concentrating on future generations as well as on the people teaching them because class teachers have an impact on their pupils' knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Therefore, class teachers need new competency to make sustainability transformation in schools happen. Teachers also need to possess a sufficient level of self-efficacy beliefs, as they strongly impact a teacher's ability to manage their job as a sustainability educator. This survey research studied Finnish class student teachers' (N = 166) perceptions about their sustainability competency and self-efficacy in education for sustainable development. Students' perceptions of their sustainability competency were clustered into one weighted sum variable. Three principal components were constructed with principal component analysis (PCA) to describe the students' self-efficacy beliefs in education for sustainable development. A PCA paired with linear hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to explain the variation in students' sustainability competency perceptions. The results indicated that the combined self-efficacy beliefs in teaching values and ethics and systems thinking explained 19.3% of the variation in class student teachers' sustainability competency. As a result, improving class student teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about teaching ethics and values and systems thinking in the Finnish context can improve their sustainability competency and vice versa. To promote the sustainability competency of class student teachers, it is necessary to be aware of this connection when developing class teacher education

Understanding student success in higher education in Azerbaijan: the role of student engagement

Research on student engagement in higher education (HE) has addressed the conceptualisation, measurement and criticism of the phenomenon over the last two decades, predominantly in Western countries. The conceptualisation of student engagement has received little attention in countries of a lengthy association with the Soviet realm. This study investigated student engagement in Azerbaijani universities using the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) tool, under licence granted by Indiana University in 2018, to gather data. The survey was conducted among more than 430 students at eight Azerbaijani universities to explore what universities do to engage their students in learning. After a preliminary examination of the data for reliability, only the data from urban universities comprising 266 students were considered suitable for further analysis. The data were analysed to look at descriptive statistics and to identify linkages between student activities and student outcomes in Azerbaijan through bivariate correlation and regression analysis. The study revealed that, according to the NSSE categories, a supportive student environment and the quality of interactions, combined under the campus environment theme, and student–faculty interactions were essential elements for student learning, success, satisfaction and engagement in academically challenging practices