TY - JOUR

T1 - Teaching about sustainability through inquiry-based science in Irish primary classrooms

T2 - the impact of a professional development programme on teacher self-efficacy, competence and pedagogy

AU - Murphy, Cliona

AU - Smith, Greg

AU - Mallon, Benjamin

AU - Redman, Erin

PY - 2020/8/2

Y1 - 2020/8/2

N2 - Research suggests that innovative and engaging professional development is instrumental in supporting teachers in developing their competence and confidence in teaching sustainability. An international initiative was developed to explore whether a competencies-oriented Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) professional development model was transferable across three different international contexts (Ireland, Germany and Mexico). This paper reports on the adaptation of this model within the Irish context, through the development of an innovative professional development programme for primary teachers. Through a mixed-methods approach which gathered data via pre- and post-programme surveys, teachers’ reflective journals and post-programme group interviews, the paper explores Irish primary school teachers’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, teaching sustainability through science education after participation in a professional development programme. The findings suggest that this programme, structured around the existing evidence for effective professional development in science education and ESD, positively influences teachers’ self-efficacy, supports teachers’ critical engagement with sustainability competencies and promotes the development of transformative pedagogies for sustainability through Inquiry-Based Science Education.

AB - Research suggests that innovative and engaging professional development is instrumental in supporting teachers in developing their competence and confidence in teaching sustainability. An international initiative was developed to explore whether a competencies-oriented Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) professional development model was transferable across three different international contexts (Ireland, Germany and Mexico). This paper reports on the adaptation of this model within the Irish context, through the development of an innovative professional development programme for primary teachers. Through a mixed-methods approach which gathered data via pre- and post-programme surveys, teachers’ reflective journals and post-programme group interviews, the paper explores Irish primary school teachers’ experiences of, and attitudes towards, teaching sustainability through science education after participation in a professional development programme. The findings suggest that this programme, structured around the existing evidence for effective professional development in science education and ESD, positively influences teachers’ self-efficacy, supports teachers’ critical engagement with sustainability competencies and promotes the development of transformative pedagogies for sustainability through Inquiry-Based Science Education.

KW - primary school

KW - science education

KW - Sustainability

KW - teacher professional development

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Sustainability education

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087009745&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/13504622.2020.1776843

DO - 10.1080/13504622.2020.1776843

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85087009745

VL - 26

SP - 1112

EP - 1136

JO - Environmental Education Research

JF - Environmental Education Research

SN - 1350-4622

IS - 8

ER -