Developing a Pedagogical Approach with the Aim of Empowering Educators and Students to Address Emerging Global Issues such as Climate Change and Social Justice: A Case Study

Abstract

The “Green Nudges” program, developed within the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is based on behavioral science and nudge theory. Aimed primarily at universities, it explores ways to adopt a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Studies show that many young people recognize climate change as a major problem but that it leaves them feeling helpless and anxious—something that our teaching practice confirms. As we had had no success teaching sustainability using conventional approaches, we used the pedagogical design capacity (PDC) principle to develop a novel workshop format and implement it in a pilot series of three repeated workshops. The workshop concept is based on empowering educators and students to tackle emerging global issues while also boosting critical thinking, field research, and teamwork skills. An important part of the integration of different tools was based on supporting students’ self-direction and knowledge- and evidence-based decision making. The results demonstrate that the proposed pedagogical framework resonates with and empowers students. At the same time, the workshop empowers educators to competently navigate complex and sustainability-oriented topics within the field of education for sustainable development (ESD).