The Efficiency of Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Perhaps the most pressing challenge of our era is how to sustainably manage the planet's resources while simultaneously creating wealth and prosperity for a rapidly expanding population. This essential function is encapsulated in the concept of sustainable development (SD). Over the past few decades, the world community has accepted SD through international agreements. As a response to this challenge, Education for Sustainable Development was established. However, empirical research is often lacking in the discourse surrounding ESD, where policy recommendations and practitioners' internal feelings are largely the driving force behind decisions and implementation strategies. To assess the effectiveness of ESD, data from students of varying levels was used. Along with the ongoing discussion on the definition of ESD, we determined the degree to which teaching could be classified as holistic or pluralistic. By conducting a series of descriptive analyses and estimating structural equation models, we were able to demonstrate that ESD may indeed have an effect on students' sustainability consciousness outcomes. The outcome of this study suggests that ESD plays a significant role in addressing SD.