Evaluation of an Educational Model Based on the Development of Sustainable Competencies in Basic Teacher Training in Spain

Pedro Vega-Marcote, Mercedes Varela-Losada and Pedro Álvarez-Suárez
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Pedro Vega-Marcote: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Coruña, A Coruña 15071, Spain
Mercedes Varela-Losada: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Vigo, Vigo 36005, Spain
Pedro Álvarez-Suárez: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Granada, Granada 18002, Spain

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 3, 1-20

Abstract: The environmental deterioration of the planet, caused by unsustainable development and an unfair model, requires global change on a political, social and environmental level. To boost this change, it is necessary to redirect education and, specifically, environmental education, to educate citizens so that they are capable of making responsible decisions and behaving sustainably. The purpose of this study is to evaluate an educational teacher training model based on the development of sustainable competencies and on the solving of environmental problems. Its final aim is to search for a model that enables students to participate, individually and collectively, in the solution of socio-environmental problems in their surroundings, but without losing the global perspective, and that fosters sustainable life styles. To do so, a quasi-experimental quantitative research was performed with two pretest-posttest phases to compare the results of an active and participative methodology with another more expository one. The results show significant differences in the knowledge, attitudes and intention of the behavior of the aspiring teachers. Thus, this first analysis shows that the experiential educational model promotes and favors sustainable actions in higher education (the faculty of educational science, responsible for basic teacher training) more efficiently and could be the basis for future proposals in this field.

Keywords: educational model; sustainable competencies; environmental education; teacher training (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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