Teaching Sustainability as a Social Issue

Abstract

Many researchers cite living more sustainably as humans' most pressing long-range challenge. Engaging students with the social issues associated with living more sustainably may help to create dialogue about such needs. Unfortunately, despite calls by education researchers for the development of this kind of instruction -- and the apparent need for renewed public discussion on matters like climate change -- very little is known about how teachers deliver instruction on the social issues of sustainability (SIS). Through the research question, “How do teachers implement and assess SIS in a classroom setting?” this chapter reveals findings suggesting that teachers successfully used an SIS approach to spur dialogue among students. These findings show the benefits and ongoing pedagogical challenges of using dialogue as a means to learn about SIS.