Developing an innovative IBSE-based ‘toolbox’ on ESD for primary and post primary teachers and teacher educators

The SUSTAIN (Supporting Science Teaching Advancement through Inquiry), funded through EU Comenius, is a pan-European network collaboratively developing an innovative IBSE-based ‘toolbox’ on ESD for primary and post primary teachers and teacher educators.

With its focus on problem-solving and critical thinking, inquiry-based science education (IBSE) is well-suited for teaching Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at school. Like IBSE, ESD gives explicit attention to developing young people’s creative ability to problem solve and imagine new scenarios through the active learning processes of conceptualising, planning, acting and reflecting. It provides the space for critical thinking to be combined with the creative act of interpreting images of the future. This dimension helps students to develop skills necessary for democratic engagement In response to the 21st century global challenges highlighted by the economic, social and environmental crisis, ESD is taking shape in schools. To ensure that ESD becomes more widespread and brings about the desired awareness among pupils, teacher professional development is paramount: it is essential to provide teachers with appropriate and cutting-edge tools and learning materials for ESD.