Environmental and sustainability education policy research: a systematic review of methodological and thematic trends

Abstract

This paper reports on a systematic literature review of policy research in the area of environmental and sustainability education. We analyzed 215 research articles, spanning four decades and representing 71 countries, and which engaged a range of methodologies. Our analysis combines quantification of geographic and methodological trends with qualitative analysis of content-based themes. Significant findings included temporal spikes in published policy research occurring in the mid-1970s, late 1990s, and after 2005, as well as geographic under-representation of Africa, South and Central America, Eastern Europe, and North and West Asia. The majority of articles reviewed were non-empirical; empirical articles overwhelmingly focused on teaching and learning directives, rather than exploring the complexity of policy development or enactment. We conclude our analysis by describing key research gaps as highlighted by the review and propose directions for moving forward policy research in environmental and sustainability education. In particular, we suggest greater research attention to critical policy theory and methodology, issues of intersectionality, and climate change education policy research. By outlining in greater detail the policy research that has been undertaken to date, the review provides a platform for a broadened diversity of policy studies in environmental and sustainability education.

Keywords:

• literature review
• policy research
• policy analysis
• sustainability education
• environmental education
• marginalization
• K-12 education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. These acronyms stand for Environmental Education, Education for Sustainable Development, and Climate Change Education (Læssøe, Feinstein, and Blum 2013).

2. Nazir et al. (2009) use a range of terms, including climate change education, education for sustainable development, and environmental education.

3. The sum here (59 international + 163 regional = 223) yields more than the 215 total articles reviewed as several articles surveyed more than one region.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [grant number 895-2011-1025].