Institute of Environmentology, Research and Education for Sustainability or Sustainable Development, Kazutoshi Fujihira

ESD and Environmental Education Research

Institute of Environmentology >> ESD and Environmental Education Research

We have been conducting research on "education for sustainable development (ESD)," applying control science. In addition, environmental education, which is intended to solve or prevent environmental problems, occupies an important position in ESD.

Function of ESD

In order to solve or prevent environmental and social problems and achieve sustainable development, human activities need to be controlled sustainably. Moreover, for the purpose of controlling human activities, "changes in people's behaviors" are necessary, and people are required to have sufficient capacity and motivation to change their behaviors. Accordingly, we consider that ESD plays the role of increasing capacity and motivation to enable people to change their behaviors toward sustainable development.

Methodology of ESD

When an ESD program is considered, first of all, it is necessary to show a proper control system in accordance with a given educational theme. Next, the program should be planned so as to contain as many elements that increase learners' capacity and motivation to change their behaviors toward sustainable development as possible. The following itemizes "elements increasing learners' capacity" and "elements increasing learners' motivation."

1. Elements increasing learners' capacity

(1) Understanding a controlled variable and its desired value
A controlled objective is required to adjust a controlled variable to its desired value. Therefore, learners need to understand both the controlled variable and its desired value.

(2) Increasing capacity to design control measures
It is necessary for learners to design control measures, or changes in behaviors that enable the controlled objective to be achieved. Accordingly, their capacity to design control measures should be increased.

(3) Increasing capacity to implement control measures
Moreover, learners are expected to implement control measures in the real world. Therefore, their capacity to implement control measures should also be increased.

2. Elements increasing learners' motivation

(1) Recognizing the relationship between the controlled variable and problems
Recognizing the relationship between the controlled variable and problems is equivalent to realizing that learners themselves are involved in the environmental or social problems that should be tackled. It leads to developing learners' sense of responsibility.

(2) Recognizing the problems and disturbances
Recognizing the problems means understanding about the problems that should be tackled. Meanwhile, recognizing disturbances means perceiving harmful influences on the controlled object caused by the problems.

(3) Recognizing learners' direct benefits which accompany the control
Recognizing learners' direct benefits accompanying the control is also effective to increase their motivation. 'Benefits' in this context include not only economic profits but also various factors which improve learners' quality of life such as improvement of their health.

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