CSCT
Competencies for ESD teachers. A framework to integrate in the curriculum of teacher training institutes.
Comenius 2.1 project. 118277-CP-1-2004-BE-Comenius-C2.1
General Description of Project CSCT
The CSCT (Curriculum, Sustainable development, Competences, Teacher training) project was developed as a response to the call of the UNECE Ministers of the Environment in 2003 for including education for sustainable development (ESD) in curricula from pre-school to higher and adult education.
A framework for a competency based curriculum for education for sustainable development has been developed for initial teacher training and in-service training institutions. The framework can be adapted to the institutions’ local context. The CSCT-project strongly emphasizes the interdisciplinary approach and takes into account scientific, economic, social, political, cultural and ethical aspects of sustainable development.
The integration of ESD in mainstream school curricula requires a re-thinking of teacher training curricula.
The CSCT-project is an attempt to meet the call of the UNECE ministers of the Environment to offer curriculum models to teacher training institutes which are searching for attainable possibilities to integrate ESD in their curricula.
The main output is the conceptual framework for education for sustainable development and the handbook, containing competences and contents for a curriculum for ESD. It is also available as a pdf or as printed handbook (as printed on demand). The main outcomes are translated into the different languages of the project partners.
Timeframe: 2004-2007
Within the ENSI family 15 partners, from 8 different countries, responded positively to the call which was clarified and discussed during the Comenius-2 contact seminar of 3-6 September 2003 in Szeged, Hungary. The department of teacher education of the Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (Flemish Community of Belgium) was prepared to take the role of the coordinating institution.
An overview of the partners and their respective e-mail addresses is given below.
Rationale
In its statement on education for sustainable development the UNECE ( United Nations Economics Commission for Europe) Ministers of the Environment make strong recommendations on including ESD in curricula from pre-school to higher and adult education. They ask for integration of ESD into all subjects and existing disciplines.
In line with UNECE statement, the CSCT project will help teacher institutions to include interdisciplinary teaching methods relating to sustainable development in the teacher training curriculum, that takes into account the scientific, economic, social, political, cultural and ethical aspects of sustainable development.
A framework for a competency based curriculum for ESD will be developed for initial teacher training and in- service training institutions, that can be adapted to the institutions' local context.
The various aspects of curriculum developmet
- Developing, selecting and formulating objectives for EfSD
- Selecting evaluation and developing appropriate materials
- Educational methodological approaches and concepts
- Teacher strategies, assessment methods etc.
Activities
The main activities of the project include the drafting and analysing of case studies, the organisation of transnational workshops to critique the curriculum models, and the piloting of the developed framework in the teacher training institutions of the partners. The outcomes of this work will be collated in a handbook.
Partnerships
- Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (KHLeuven) (Belgium)
Coordinating partner
De Smet, Veerle ()
Gaeremynck, Veerle ()
Wouters, Ruth () - Curriculum Department, Ministry of Education and Formation, Ministry of the Flemish Community (formerly: DVO) (Belgium)
Sleurs, Willy () - Telemark University College (TUC) (Norway)
Aase Rojkova, Marina () - University College of West Justland (CVU Vest) (Denmark)
Baeklund, Briand ()
Sperber, Birgitte ()
Vinding, Sören () - University of Wales, Newport, Newport School of Education (UK)
Norcliffe, David () - Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) (Spain)
Espinet, Mariona ()
Pujol, Rosa Maria () - Universitat de Girona (UdG), Faculty of Education and Psychology (Spain)
Junyent, Mercè ()
Ochoa, Lidia () - University Salzburg, Institut für Didaktik der Naturwissenschaften (Austria)
Steiner, Regina () - University of Klagenfurt, Faculty for interdisciplinary research and education, Institute of Instructional and School Development (Austria)
Rauch, Franz () - University of Klagenfurt, Institut für Geographie und Regionalforschung (Austria)
Palencsar, Friedrich ()
Tischler, Kornelia (t) - Pädagogische Hochschule Niederösterreich (PH NÖ) (Austria)
Radits, Franz () - Regional Environmental Center (Hungary)
Csobod, Eva () - University of Lüneburg, Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication (Germany)
Godemann, Jasmin ()
Busch, Anne () - Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (PHZH) (Switzerland)
Gugerli, Barbara () - Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Solothurn (FHNW) (Switzerland)
Baümler, Esther ()
