APPROACH: How to take your first steps?

How to implement a whole institutional approach in your organisation

This guidance explains the merits of adopting this approach and gives you examples of the tools (learning materials, methodologies and case studies) that you can use to make this happen.

What is a whole institution approach and why is it important?

There is widespread interest in sustainable development in the FE system. However, what is often lacking is a whole institutional approach to embedding sustainable development into teaching and learning practices. For example, this recent study found in many cases that education for sustainable development often took a segmented approach and that valuable information about sustainable development curriculum initiatives often rests exclusively within discrete departments. For example, one college stated that so long as a group of sustainable development champions were active at the college, work was undertaken to embed sustainable development across the curriculum, but that the initiative lapsed once these individuals progressed to jobs elsewhere.

Hence, a more holistic approach is the optimum solution. It ensures that day-to-day activity and long-term sustainability are integrated and made bespoke to a provider’s circumstances because, for instance, a land-based college will have different sustainability priorities to an urban college. A whole institution approach ensures that daily activities and long-term sustainability are integrated and coherent. And it enables all the teams and individuals to be aware of the importance and role of education for sustainable development:

• for their own well being, health and quality of life.
• in meeting the requirements and demands of individual learners and staff.
• in meeting the needs and demands of employers
• in meeting applicable legislation (particularly environmental; employment law; and health and safety).

At this stage, you may feel that you only want to look at specific areas of sustainable development in terms of teaching and learning (e.g. discrete areas of the curriculum). However, a whole institution approach is the optimum way forward. It is something that you should aim for from the outset and is something that should be embedded into the leadership and management structures. (This is developed in more detail in Leadership and Management which also provides some guidance on other models than the Sustainable Development Education Panel's approach for adopting a whole institution approach to sustainable development such as the Five Capitals Model and Corporate Social Responsibility.)

Where do we start?

Firstly, it is useful to understand what the driver to engage in sustainable development is. For example is it:

• An altruistic interest in the wellbeing of future generations?
• A vocational/commercial objective?
• Wanting to meet the LSC milestones?
• Wanting to be ahead of the game?
• Wanting an improved public image?
• Other reasons?

Above all be clear about what is motivating you and your organisation. To reach your audience, sustainable development must be relevant, suit its audience and be delivered in language everyone can understand and act upon.

It is useful to understand what it is you want to achieve and what the benefits will be (and what they will look like) to your learners, teaching staff and stakeholders. Sketch out in a diagram or picture to help you create a more tangible and achievable outcome. Defra has put together the rationale for the effective inclusion and integration of education for sustainable development into the school curriculum that you could use as guidance: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/sustainable/educpanel/1998ar/ann4.htm

Understanding all people are directly affected by sustainable development issues. While awareness of these issues is high, the general level of understanding of them and of their significance and relevance is poor.

Policy while education has long been recognised as a key instrument for achieving participative citizenship in relation to sustainable development, policies that support practical educational change in this regard have been largely absent.

Entitlement all learners need to be equipped with the knowledge, values and skills in the area of citizenship and sustainable development that will allow them to participate as full members of society and work towards solutions to sustainable development problems and issues.

Effective education education for sustainable development can motivate teachers and learners resulting in effective teaching and learning which meets many established educational goals. A useful resource for a whole institution approach is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) document ‘Learning for Sustainability’. This is a practical guide for schools and school communities who want to develop good practice. Whilst it is aimed at schools, it contains good information that you can use as guidance about getting started on a participative approach to curriculum development.