![Sample our Environment & Sustainability journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5935/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Environment-Sustainability.jpg"})
Abstract
The sustainable development (SD) concept is based on the idea that economic and social development should be linked to the environment. However, controversies about various associated issues often arise due to the differences in protagonists’ viewpoints, depending partly on whether they focus mainly on environmental, economic, or social dimensions and partly on ideological stances related (for instance) to the optimal ways of promoting economic growth and social justice. This study investigates views of 638 Swedish upper secondary students who responded to a questionnaire probing their views of SD from two perspectives. In the first, the dimensions were separately introduced, so the respondents only had to consider one dimension at a time. In the second, the dimensions were introduced in an integrated fashion, so the respondents had to consider effects related to all three dimensions. The results strongly indicate that the students’ views and priorities concerning the dimensions depend on both the perspective and the context. Implications for teaching and learning are discussed.
Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Jari Appelgren for advice on the statistical analysis, the International Institute for Sustainable Development for the survey instrument that provided foundations for this study, the Swedish National Graduate School in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Research, and all the participating schools and students. We also thank Dr Maria Ojala for helpful comments and Dr Jelle Boeve-de Pauw for fruitful discussions.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
T. Berglund is a PhD student in the Department of Environmental and Life Sciences at Karlstad University in Sweden. Since 2001, she has been teaching science and mathematics in Swedish upper secondary schools. Her research interest is in the field of education for sustainable development and student perspectives on sustainable development.
N. Gericke is an associate professor in biology education and scientific leader of the research center: Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education Research (SMEER) at Karlstad University, Sweden. His area of research includes education for sustainable development from both conceptual as well as implementation perspectives. Other research interests include history and philosophy of science, models and representations in science, genetic education and textbook research.
Notes
2. Artologik software for the web; www.artologik.com.