Development and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Student Sustainability Competencies

Eva-Maria Waltner, Werner Rieß and Christoph Mischo
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Eva-Maria Waltner: Department of Biology and Pedagogy of Biology, University of Education Freiburg, Kunzenweg 21, 79117 Freiburg, Germany
Werner Rieß: Department of Biology and Pedagogy of Biology, University of Education Freiburg, Kunzenweg 21, 79117 Freiburg, Germany
Christoph Mischo: Department of Psychology, University of Education Freiburg, Kunzenweg 21, 79117 Freiburg, Germany

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 6, 1-20

Abstract: The importance of education, and ESD in particular, for achieving sustainable development is highlighted in the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since the Brundtland Report (1987) and the Agenda 21 conference in Rio in 1992, many measures and programs have been launched. However, no widely accepted and validated assessment instruments are currently available to examine the output levels of ESD on the student side as a means to contribute to monitoring the effects of ESD initiatives. Furthermore, connections to the results of empirical educational research are often lacking. Indeed, operationalization is necessary in order to evaluate actions of fostering ESD. Taking concepts of empirical educational and other relevant research findings (for example, psychology for sustainability) into account, this study develops a reliable and valid approach to measuring sustainability competencies. In this paper, novel data of a first school assessment is presented. One thousand six hundred and twenty-two students (aged from 9 to 16) participated in the survey. The paper-pencil questionnaire covers general (socio-demographic) as well as cognitive, affective, behavioral, application- and curriculum-orientated aspects of sustainability competencies. The evidence for the validity and reliability of the instrument indicates that the presented assessment tool constitutes a suitable instrument by which to measure sustainability competencies in secondary schools. The gathered insights show a path towards the operationalization of sustainability competencies to clarify the needs and achievements of ESD implementation in schools.

Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD); operationalization; competency model; learning objectives; meta-model; sustainability competencies; education for sustainability; future education; global action program (GAP) on ESD; sustainable development goals; SDGs; implementation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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