Skip to main content
Contribution to Book
A Case Study of an Australian University Embedding EfS in a Pre-service Teaching Program
Educating Science Teachers for Sustainability (2015)
  • Michelle Lasen, James Cook University
  • Louisa Tomas, James Cook University
  • Hilary Whitehouse, James Cook University
  • Reesa Sorin, James Cook University
  • Neus (Snowy) Evans, James Cook University
  • Robert B Stevenson, James Cook University
Abstract
As part of a whole-of-program approach to embedding sustainability in a pre-service, 4-year Bachelor of Education program, academic staff at an Australian university engaged in collaborative projects to design dedicated sustainability subjects and embed science and sustainability principles, concepts, and issues across early childhood and primary subjects. This chapter examines aspects of learning, teaching, and assessment in a first-year core sustainability and science education subject, Foundations of Sustainability in Education; an embedded component in a third-year core professional studies subject, Early Childhood Education and Care; and a final-year elective, Environmental and Climate Change Education for the Tropics. The intent of these subjects is for pre-service teachers to develop understanding of the underlying science and complexity of key socio-ecological challenges, as well as the capacity to plan and implement sustainability and climate change learning experiences and actions in diverse school and community contexts. In order to promote pre-service teacher engagement and learning across multiple cohorts—including community-based Indigenous students and early childhood majors in online modes—the focus is on active and collaborative inquiry-based, technology-enabled, and praxis-oriented learning and assessment experiences.
Keywords
  • Preservice teacher education,
  • Education for sustainability,
  • Curriculum,
  • Primary education,
  • Early childhood education
Publication Date
2015
Editor
Stratton, S., Hagevik, R., Feldman, A., Bloom, M.
Publisher
Springer
ISBN
978-3-319-16411-3
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16411-3_17
Citation Information
Michelle Lasen, Louisa Tomas, Hilary Whitehouse, Reesa Sorin, et al.. "A Case Study of an Australian University Embedding EfS in a Pre-service Teaching Program" Educating Science Teachers for Sustainability (2015)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/michelle-lasen/21/