Potential for knowledge in action? An analysis of Korean green energy related K3–12 curriculum and texts

Abstract

While understanding green energy development and what drives it are important, there is increasing consensus that sustainability transitions concerning usage need to be viewed in terms of the place specific contexts, including education, that critically mold them. In order to support sustainability transitions, information and knowledge building are not enough; knowledge must be turned into action. This research examines the potential efficacy of Korea’s efforts in this regard via an analysis of K3–K12 geography education curriculum and texts vis-à-vis green energy content. There is scant disconnect between the curriculum and the texts analyzed, and, aside from the small shortcomings unearthed, analyses suggest that Korea is cogent of the ability of geography education and education for sustainable development to turn knowledge into action, thereby empowering civil society to drive its green energy transitions going forward.

Keywords:

• Content analysis
• education for sustainable development
• geography education
• green energy
• Korea
• sustainability transitions

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the editors and three reviewers for their insights and assistance in bringing this article to its final form.

Notes

1. The third ‘Human Time’ domain focuses on, ‘… the tradition and unique culture of our nation, the development of the culture and national history, human development and cultural characteristics of each historical era.’

2. Though outside the purview of this particular article, a thorough review of the ESD literature in general has been recently supplied by Hedefalk, Almqvist, and Östmana (2014).