Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Beyond Traditional Teacher Professional Development: Innovations in Teacher Professional Learning in Environmental and Sustainability Education
Abstract
Continued implementation of conventional professional development strategies will likely fall short of the innovations needed to prepare teachers to fully engage in and implement environmental and sustainability education. The Rivers2Lake education program based in Superior, Wisconsin, USA illustrates a transformational approach to teacher professional development. We examine the program as a working example of three UNESCO learning processes that have been identified as aligning with and contributing to education for sustainability: collaboration and dialogue; engaging the whole system; and active and participatory learning. Through a review of these processes, the article offers considerations for innovating teacher professional learning for environmental and sustainability education. Key recommendations include shifting from isolated professional development events to ongoing professional learning as well as further investigation of the specific mechanisms that drive each of the UNESCO learning processes.
based on the St. Louis River estuary. With many partners, she initiated the Rivers2Lake education program in twenty twelve.
Introduction
Introduction
Effective education for sustainability helps students develop into agents of change who have the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors required to transform our systems, communities, and greater society. Such transformation requires a host of complex and interconnected systems of thinking and acting. Thus, in order to develop these types of learners and future leaders, sustainability education requires educators who can apply systems-based thinking to challenge themselves and their students. In fact, transformational professional development is of such significance, that the importance of empowering educators and assisting them in developing new competencies is highlighted in the strategic plans of numerous international organizations focusing on Education for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, the North American Association for Environmental Education identifies the following objective as part of its twenty twenty to twenty twenty-three Strategic Framework: "Invest in creative, engaging, and effective professional learning that brings new ideas and thinking to the field."
In seeking to achieve transformational professional development, it is important to recognize that much is already demanded from teachers. They are asked to maintain subject area knowledge and the skills for teaching that content in a rapidly changing world, while providing instruction that is responsive to the diverse needs of their students and communities. Further, they must manage numerous other aspects of the classroom environment such student behavior and responsive assessment strategies. High quality and continuous professional development is recognized as critical in supporting teachers in meeting these demands, yet the quality and methodology of teacher professional development is highly variable, often resistant to change, and slow to innovate. Environmental education teacher professional development could be characterized similarly.
Since the mid nineteen nineties, there have been periodic nudges by researchers and leaders suggesting the need for re-evaluating how the field of environmental education is approaching teacher professional development. Among the criticisms are a lack of interdisciplinary emphasis, a focus on content knowledge or specific curriculum rather than demonstrating the potential of using the local environment for systemic and ongoing authentic student learning, and the frequent use of "one-shot" and "one-size-fits-all" workshops rather than extended formats that allow for deeper teacher learning and change. Drawing from the teacher professional development and environmental and sustainability education literature, this article aims to offer considerations for those who work with teachers in the context of environmental and sustainability education. It is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the current state of knowledge regarding teacher professional development, but rather it serves to highlight an innovative program as a starting point for further consideration by those seeking to contribute to innovations in environmental and sustainability education through teacher professional learning. Further, the focus of this article is not to weigh in on the debate regarding the relationship between environmental education and education for sustainability. It is clear that there are numerous overlaps between the two disciplines and this article argues that in order for the truly transformative nature of education for sustainability to unfold, necessary educational shifts must occur.