Education for Sustainability Research Network

The Education for Sustainability (EfS) Research Network is a diverse group with individuals coming from a number of discipline areas and pedagogical traditions in education. However, we all share a vision for a more sustainable future and believe that education has a key role to play in that.

Contact: Professor Neil Taylor

Major collaborative project

The major collaborative project being undertaken by this network involves producing an edited book with the title: Teaching for the future: Educating for sustainability in primary schools. This will comprise 15 chapters and involve 14 current staff in the School of Education along with a five former staff members. This book is intended for primary teacher educators, pre-service primary students and practicing primary teachers. The publishing contract is with Sense Publishers, an international publishing house based in the Netherlands, and the book will be published early in 2015.

Additional projects

Individually, members are involved in a range of diverse projects, outlined below.

  • A $400,000 school gardening research project in Oman in collaboration with the Sultan Qaboos University. This project has been funded by the Omani Research Council. (Neil Taylor)

Growing seedlings in Oman as part of the Sustainability Education projectChildren in Oman — Sustainability Education in OmanSustainability Education in Oman

Images from the project in Oman: Growing vegetable seedlings at School. The girls' and boys' work book activities are linked to the Schools' syllabus.

  • International project (BIOHEAD-Citizen) exploring teachers views on the environment and related concepts in collaboration with researchers from University of Lyon. (Frances Quinn)
  • Reframing indigenous learning in a post-climate change world. (Paul Reader)
  • NSW Early Childhood Environmental Education Network (NSW ECEEN) contract with NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW OEH) for investigating early childhood education and care services environmental education programs. (Sue Elliott)
  • Projects related to courses and units include audits of the EfS profiles of pre-service teacher education courses offered at UNE and an ongoing case study of pre-service teachers' conceptualisations of and attitudinal alignment with EfS in EDUC428: Education for Sustainability. (Joy Hardy)