Pedagogies of Preparedness: Use of Reflective Journals in the Operationalisation and Development of Anticipatory Competence

Senan Gardiner and Marco Rieckmann
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Senan Gardiner: Education and Pedagogical Sciences, University of Vechta, Driverstraße 22, 49377 Vechta, Germany
Marco Rieckmann: Education and Pedagogical Sciences, University of Vechta, Driverstraße 22, 49377 Vechta, Germany

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 8, 1-22

Abstract: In higher education there is a growing demand for graduates with the competence to transform our society toward a sustainable future. Part of this competence in sustainability is anticipatory competence, the ability to engage with multiple futures, manage uncertainty and hold a worldview that the future can and should be steered toward a more just sustainable path. In order to further examine and operationalise anticipatory competence, a course “Sustainability and the Future” was developed and run in the University of Vechta, Germany, as part of an action research cycle exploring key competencies for sustainability in higher education. Reflective journaling was used to explore the competence acquisition process along with focus groups with students after the course. The analysis of this programme shows that while certain subject areas such as values, transport and population models provoke more critical reflection on the future, skills such as the ability to work with emotional aspects of the future, for instance hope, were perceived to be necessary for anticipatory competence.

Keywords: education for sustainable development; higher education; sustainability competence; anticipatory competence; reflective learning (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 (7)

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