ESD in school: Understanding French-speaking Swiss pupils’ representations of sustainability

Abstract

In the context of the Anthropocene, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is crucial to educate the next generation. However, it has long been neglected in curricula. In this study, we were interested in knowing pupils’ representations of sustainability. In this regards, 219 French-speaking Swiss pupils in compulsory school filled out an online survey. The preliminary results distinguished three groups of pupils characterised by their knowledge, attitudes and visions of the future in a sustainability perspective. Moreover, our results reveal that pupils from poorer backgrounds and in a vocational training school path were more passive towards sustainability. Finally, they understand and are practising eco-gestures, but do not understand what sustainability is. These findings legitimise the need to implement an ESD in classrooms with the aim of empowers learners with knowledge, “savoir-être” and “savoir-faire” to act for societal and environmental transformation.

Keywords:

• ESD
• Swiss pupils
• social representations
• sustainability attitudes
• transformative education

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the partner teachers for making it possible to collect this data, as well as the pupils for taking the time to answer the questionnaire.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 According to the regulations in place in the Canton of Vaud, the researchers received the authorisation to collect data in classrooms from the Education Research Coordinating Committee of the HEP Vaud, the Department of Education and Vocational Training of the Canton of Vaud and the school principals.