Barriers to Learning for Sustainability: Reflections from a British Science Teacher

Abstract We collectively face a constellation of complex and interconnected environmental, social, and economic problems that threaten human and planetary wellbeing now and in the future. Learning that enables students across all levels and settings of education to become change agents for a more sustainable future, is widely expected to play a crucial role. However, “education as usual” with its one-way transmission of information from teacher to passive learners, disciplinary silos, and high-stakes, facts-based assessments, will not suffice to equip learners with the knowledge and competencies needed to address chronic and complex obstacles to sustainability. Forging a more sustainable path forward will require rethinking of traditional educational systems that were designed for different times. It will also necessitate a shift from traditional, teacher-centered pedagogies to strategies that nurture action-oriented, experiential and reflective learning in the face of complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change. In this contribution, the reflections of a British science teacher provide a first-hand perspective on the disconnect between the international discourse on transformative learning for sustainability and everyday classroom practice within the constraints of prevailing educational systems.