Three decades of international recommendations have highlighted the importance of advancing gender equality in achieving the aims of Education for Sustainability (EfS) at all levels of education. However, there has been a persistent disconnect between considerations of gender and sustainability in early childhood education (ECE). This article presents findings from a small-scale, mixed methods research project that sought to address this gap. The project explored educators' understandings of the relationship between gender equality and sustainability, using survey and interview methods, with early childhood educators in Victoria, Australia. Key findings indicate a disconnection between discourses of sustainability and gender equality obscures educators' perceptions of the ways that gender influences EfS in ECE. Equally, while the majority of participants had not previously considered their connection, they believed gender equality is important to, and pedagogically aligned with, their sustainability teaching objectives. The findings are used to propose a Continuum of Gender Equitable Early Childhood Education for Sustainability.

Locus of Control (LOC) is a general term used in social and educational psychology to refer to the perceived source of control for behavioural outcomes. Since the 1980s, various instruments have been developed to measure this construct in relation to pro-environmental behaviours and action. In this article, we revisit the value of this construct and its measurement to offer a critical analysis of the psychometric properties and instrument construction approach of eight publicly available Environmental Locus of Control (ELOC) instruments. Our analysis focuses on both the robustness of their instrumentation alongside the continued relevance of these measures to diverse audiences in light of various methodological advances. Findings suggest that while the theories and tools available for developing and validating ELOC have become more sophisticated, even the most recent ELOC instruments still exhibit key limitations, particularly in relation to content and construct validity. In light of this, we propose a series of considerations for developing more rigorous ELOC instruments to help improve future measurement of action and self-determined behaviour.

Concerns are mounting about the attraction and retention of teachers in Australian schools. This study draws upon a questionnaire of 2444 Australian primary and secondary school teachers, which revealed that only 41% of respondents intended to remain in the profession. Through a thematic analysis of the qualitative data within the questionnaire, we use employee turnover theory to enable an understanding of the reasons 1446 of the respondents described as influencing their intentions to leave the profession. These reasons included heavy workloads, health and wellbeing concerns for teachers and the status of the profession. We also use turnover theory to analyse responses from all 2444 respondents and explore possible mitigating strategies or practices that might reduce turnover intention, including meaningful reductions in workload and raising the status of the teaching profession. In doing so, we contribute nuanced qualitative empirical insights which can inform policy and practice.

Background Steering planetary and human health towards a more sustainable future demands educated and prepared health professionals.Aim This research aimed: to explore health professions educators’ sustainable healthcare education (SHE) knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and teaching practices across 13 health professions courses in one Australian university.Methods Utilising a sequential mixed-methods design: Phase one (understanding) involved an online survey to ascertain educators’ SHE knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and teaching practices to inform phase two (solution generation), ‘Teach Green’ Hackathon. Survey data was descriptively analysed and a gap analysis performed to promote generation of solutions during phase two. Results from the hackathon were thematically analysed to produce five recommendations.Results Regarding SHE, survey data across 13 health professions disciplines (n = 163) identified strong content knowledge (90.8%); however, only (36.9%) reported confidence to ‘explain’ and (44.2%) to ‘inspire’ students. Two thirds of participants (67.5%) reported not knowing how best to teach SHE. Hackathon data revealed three main influencing factors: regulatory, policy and socio-cultural drivers.Conclusions The five actionable recommendations to strengthen interdisciplinary capacity to integrate SHE include: inspire multi-level leadership and collaboration; privilege student voice; develop a SHE curriculum and resources repository; and integrate SHE into course accreditation standards.

AbstractIn this article, we collectively explore the significance of engaging with theory in environmental education research. Inspired by Jackson and Mazzei’s (2011) postqualitative research methodology, each researcher provides a short sample of engaging with his/her chosen theoretical concept for one shared data source. Through our three individual theoretical engagements with a short video, we collectively demonstrate that the data may be enacted in different ways, based on the theoretical concept that is engaged. This may potentially actualise multiple different and partial realities of the researched, and by decentring the researcher, this can also rework humanist epistemologies. We suggest that non-researcher-centred and/or non-anthropocentric actualising may contribute to more sustainable relationships in environmental education and its research, not only between the researcher and the researched, but also among the researchers.

My study aims to explore the conceptual foundations of sustainability locus of control as a construct and to develop a sustainability locus of control scale for use with Australian adolescents. By utilising a four-phase mixed-method and Rasch modelling, I developed a new theoretical framework about locus of control and a Sustainability Actualisation Questionnaire, which consists of five scales: Procedural Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, Internal Sustainability Locus of Control, External Sustainability Locus of Control, and Action. Findings show these scales aid research-based practice development focussing on how different environmental and sustainability education might develop students’ procedural knowledge, self-efficacy, locus of control and action.

Managing natural resources and socio-ecological systems sustainably is one of the greatest challenges for society today. In order to deal with the complexities and uncertainties inherent to this ch ...

This thesis studied four CEMUS courses offered in spring 2011. The purpose of this study was: 1) to measure CEMUS students‘ self-reported behavior and action as well as behavior intention towards sustainable development; 2) to analyze different factors and barriers to their behavior and action; 3) to analyze course coordinators‘ knowledge and perspectives about behavior change and action towards sustainable development; and 4) to analyze each course‘s impact on students. Finally, this thesis discusses how education can be improved to foster behavior and action towards sustainable development. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. According to the results, most CEMUS students were willing to recycle; to switch off electricity when it‘s not needed; and to travel by bicycle or public transportation instead of by car. On the other hand, fewer students had a willingness to pay for environmental costs and to cut down water consumption and waste. Among the opportunities for indirect action, it was political participation and working within the field of sustainable development (SD) that were most preferred. In contrast, much fewer students were willing to avoid purchasing products from companies with poor track records on CSR, to participate in voluntary work related to SD and to donate money for social or environmental causes. The two most frequently perceived constraints for behavior change among students were a lack of money and obstructive social norms. As a course outcome, four out of six coordinators expect students to take action afterwards but there is a lack of knowledge on how to encourage students to behave and act more sustainably. Based on the results, this thesis discussed what kinds of learning methods can be applied in CEMUS and ESD. It was concluded that education should focus on a specific domain and a small spatial scale, and assign project assignments in which students communicate and interact with stakeholders. Such an approach will help to approach the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). CEMUS could also implement the theory of locus of control, emotional involvement and four different kinds of knowledge in their education in order to improve the effectiveness of CEMUS courses when it comes to promoting behavior and action towards sustainable development.