Horst Rode

Levels of indicator development for education for sustainable development

The article summarizes some considerations about the development of indicators for education for sustainable development (ESD). It reflects the present state of discussion, especially from a German perspective, and includes present developments in the area of quality criteria and standards for ESD. These discussion threads only denote the beginning of a discourse that will eventually lead to a practicable instrument for estimating the progress of ESD. This article shall give suggestions for the systematic development of an indicator system for ESD linking three dimensions: levels of educational systems, key functions of indicators, and key aspects of indicator development.

Tackling the Knowledge-Action Gap in Sustainable Consumption: Insights from a Participatory School Programme

In the international policy discourse on sustainable consumption and production, education is acknowledged to be a powerful tool in changing unsustainable patterns of consumption. Current educational policies and programmes have responded to the consumption challenge mainly by including and addressing consumption issues in formal tuition in different subjects. This article criticises such a perspective for neglecting informal and non-cognitive consumer learning processes that take place outside the classroom. As a more comprehensive approach to consumer learning in school settings, a whole-school approach is outlined. The article reports on some insights of an empirical study that examined the relevance of active participation in, and exposure to, activities promoting sustainable consumption at schools.