Seeking sustainability competence and capability in the ESD and HESD literature: an international philosophical hermeneutic analysis

Abstract

Education for sustainable development (ESD) and higher education for sustainable development (HESD) are complex, multidisciplinary fields of enquiry, drawing on concepts and terms from different disciplines and languages. Although the fields are advancing in their acceptability within educational systems worldwide, they are currently struggling to achieve sought-after graduate and societal outcomes such as environmentally-responsible or sustainability-focussed-citizenship. The research described in this article explores the possibility that miscommunication or misunderstanding of basic concepts within these fields is contributing to slow progress towards their objectives. We used a philosophical hermeneutic analysis to explore how the terms ‘competence’ and ‘capability’ are used within selected ESD/HESD papers. We identify substantial internal contradictions and inconsistencies with respect to differences between learners’ abilities and their willingness to perform these abilities, and to the educational context in which these outcomes are sought. We emphasise the importance of linking educational objectives with pedagogical approaches to teaching and assessment.

Keywords:

• ESD literature
• philosophical hermeneutic analysis
• sustainability competence
• sustainability capability; pedagogy; assurance of learning

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor and reviewers for their constructive comments, feedback and recommendations relating to earlier drafts of the article.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial interest in the research described here.

Declaration of conflicting interests

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Notes

1 Bildung is an idea in the European continental education tradition, which translates only poorly in English. It distinguishes a more instrumental training-oriented education from a concept of education that focuses on emancipatory processes of Self-Bildung. Gestaltungskompetenz is a widely used concept of key competencies that elaborate learning objectives of Bildung in ESD.

2 Überwältigungsverbot (which could be translated as ‘overwhelming ban’, meaning that students should not be overwhelmed or indoctrinated) in the German discourse on civic education is widely accepted to mean that (school) education should not manipulate learners, not force them to think or behave in a particular way or to adopt specific values. Therefore, de Haan and others state that Gestaltungskompetenz should be developed, but it has to be a self-directed learning process, and if students are assessed, only their abilities should be assessed, not their willingness, values,…, because a teacher should not decide what the students should think or how they should behave.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kerry Shephard

Kerry Shephard is Professor of Higher Education Development at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He is interested in learning and teaching in the affective domain, emphasising higher education for sustainable development, academic integrity and community engagement.

Marco Rieckmann

Marco Rieckmann is Professor of Higher Education Development at the University of Vechta, Germany, and is interested in education for sustainable development, higher education development, pedagogy and competence development and assessment.

Matthias Barth

Matthias Barth is Professor for Education for Sustainable Development at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany. His strong passion is on research and teaching for sustainability with an emphasis on competence development, innovative learning settings and curriculum change.