Competences for Teaching ESD

1. Competences for Teaching ESD Innsbruck – 20th September 2010 Regina Steiner

2. CSCT Comenius project(2005-2008) • 15 partners (8 countries) out of ENSI • Discursive Meetings • Case-Studies on ESD in TE • CSCT Competence Model

3. CSCT PROJECT

4. The notionofcompetenceunderlyingthe model Based mainly on the definition of DeSeCo and F. E. Weinert „The theoretical construct of action competence comprehensively combines those intellectual abilities, content-specific knowledge, cognitive skills, domain-specific strategies, routines and subroutines, motivational tendencies, volitional control systems, personal value orientations, and social behaviors into a complex system.“ (Weinert 2001, p. 51).

5. ESD doesn‘taskfor a newsubjectand not necessarilyfor extra work… but for a new vision of teaching and learning for a systemic approach to real life problems for new competences in education

6. Quality Criteria for ESD Schools School external relations School policy and organisation Teaching and learning processes • Community cooperation • Networking and partnerships • Teaching-learning approach • Visible outcomes at school and in local communities • Perspective of future • Culture of Complexity • Critical thinking and language of possibility • Value clarification and development • Action-based perspective • Participation • Subject matter • School policy and planning • School climate • School management • Reflection and evalution at school level

7. ESD (and school deveopment) Categories for professional teaching (Altrichter/Krainer 1996) Action Autonomy Networking Reflection

8. Professional dimensions • Teacheras an individual (not simplyas an instructor but in dynamicrelationshipwithlearners) • Teacher in theeducationalinstitution(theyaremembersof an institutionandhave a collectivefocus on learninganddeveloping) • Teacher in society(involved in thedynamicsofsocietyseekingtoconfronttheissuesofsustainabiliy)

9. Overall Competences for ESD Teaching (and Communicating) Reflecting and Visioning Networking

10. Five competence domains Knowledge Systems thinking Emotions Ethics and Values Action

11. Knowledge • conceptual, factual and action-related knowledge as defined in relation to ESD. • Knowledge relates to time (past, present and future) and space (local and global). • It is inter- and trans-disciplinary and takes into account the social structure as a result of being informed by the life experiences of individuals

12. Knowledge – teacher competences • Teacher as an individual • Acquire relevant knowledge about SD issues/challenges • Select educational goals for SD • Create powerful learning environment for SD-issues • Teacher as a member of an educational institution • Acquires knowledge of SD-issues to contribute to curriculum construction • Teacher as a member of the society • Find partners outside school community, able to co-operate for SD

13. Systems thinking • Thinking in systems is required in our complex and interconnected world. • The awareness that human beings are part of broader “subsystems” and Earth is part of “the global system as a whole” is central to ESD. • This awareness needs to encompass ecology, economy and society.

14. Systems thinking – teachercompetences • Teacher as an individual • Understands basic models of systems thinking • Is aware of its own position in various systems • Avoids simplification of problems • Teacher as a member of an educational institution • Looking for relationships, influences … in all subjects • Teacher as a member of the society • Uses wisely local, national, international networks • Identifies power relationships in the society

15. Emotions • Thinking, reflecting, valueing, taking decisions and acting are inseparably tied with emotions. • Empathy and compassion play a key role and feelings of inter-connectedness with the world is a prerequisite for ESD.

16. Emotions – teacher competences • Teacher as an individual • Expresses and manages feelings • Role of emotions on perception, judgement, decisions, … • Teacher as a member of an educational institution • Creates a school atmosphere that allows everyone to express feelings • Teacher as a member of society • Ability to communicate emotions with parents and other people

17. Ethics and values • Norms, values, attitudes, beliefs and assumptions guide 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, etc.).

18. Ethics and values – teachercompetences • Teacher as an individual • Clarify beliefs and assumptions • Encourage students to question their assumptions and beliefs • Teacher as a member of an educational institution • Not imposing values and opinions, allowing students to hold their own positions • Focusing on students’ clarification and discussion of their values • Teacher as a member of society • Be aware that values are developed through an ongoing and context-sensitive process • Focus on understanding the concept of European citizenship, including rights and responsibilities it confers

19. Action • Action is the process in which all the competences for the other four domains merge, enabling participation and networking in SD and resulting in meaningful projects. • Action should allow learners to • experience conflicting interests • discuss possible changes/visions • find solutions by qualified choices • Engage in action • experience self-efficacy • reflect upon their actions • evaluating the action

20. Action – teacher competences • Teacher as an individual • act as an agent for change • reflect critically lifestyle and choices • deal with uncertainty • Teacher as a member of an educational institution • action as an educational goal, not only as a way to solve problems • Define relevant issues for action towards SD • Management skills • Teacher as a member of society • Deal with (local) political situations, think and act strategically • Facilitate networking for action

21. KOM-BiNE Research Project(Competences for ESD in TE) • Commissioned by Austrian Ministry of Education • Literature Review • Interviews with leaders and participants of six In-Service-Courses (in 4 countries) • Feedback by experts • Case Studies of courses and cross-case-analysis • KOM-BiNE Competence Model • Dissertation, Publication

22. Competence Model KOM-BiNE

23. Fields of Action • Instructional setting: school lessons, courses • Institution: schools, NGOs • Society: local and regional environment

24. knowing • Content knowledge: basic knowledge about SD / ESD and critical reflexion upon it; interconnecting specialised knowledge, systemic thinking • Instructional knowledge: Repertoire of methods to foster teaching and learning for SD

25. valueing • Being aware of and reflecting one’s own assumptions and values; • estimating knowledge; • appreciating heterogeneity and diversity

26. feeling • Being aware of one‘s own feelings; • accepting feelings as part of teaching and learning processes in ESD; • „empowering human beings“ (Hentig)

27. Reflecting,Communicating • Teamwork needs competences in communication • Reflection is essential in order - to critically examine one‘s own knowledge, abilities, values and feelings - to communicate them

28. envisioning, planning and organising,networking • These activities are in the outermost layer as their are closely linked to the fields of action • Visions as basis for acting • Competences of project management • Complexity of ESD needs networking

29. What is KOM-BiNE? • Framework of competences for teams of teachers/trainers for ESD • Instrument for orientation, reflection and planning of ESD initiatives by teacher teams • A concept which is still developing and „learning“ itself …