Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2023
DOI:
[PDF]
Tapping Into Possibilities for Transformative Pedagogies towards Sustainable Development
Ronicka Mudaly
ABSTRACT:
Global concerns about climate disasters have forced a change in perspectives related to the teaching about sustainable development. This has resulted in a departure from the focus on the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental and social) towards more transformative pedagogies, where social processes of production, consumption, and power embedded in socio-political dynamics, are examined. To explore possibilities for engaging with transformative pedagogies, twelve purposively selected practicing science and mathematics teachers participated in this study, which was located in the critical paradigm, and drew on theoretical tenets from the interacting pedagogy framework for sustainability education. Arts-inspired methods of collage making and self-reflection were used to stimulate teacher capacity for critical thinking when planning to teach about sustainable development. Teachers worked collaboratively and adopted strategies which revealed their movement away from transmissive and transactional, towards transformative pedagogies. Findings revealed that teachers were able to employ learner-centred, interactive pedagogies directed towards social action, which extended beyond the boundaries of the prescribed curriculum and the classroom.
keywords: Anthropocene, arts-inspired methodologies, empowerment, teacher education