Successes, drivers and barriers of Education for Sustainable Development in Canada, England and Australia

Abstract

The world is plagued by a daunting array of interrelated environmental crises, economic instability and social injustice. In order to mitigate these issues for present and future generations we look towards the concept of sustainable development (SD) and hence education for sustainable development (ESD) which supports SD. In this qualitative study, participants from varying roles in Canada, England and Australia were interviewed to determine their perceptions and understanding of current practices, successes, drivers and barriers of ESD and changes over time. The progress of ESD in these three countries was compared and contrasted to discover that although they use different terms to describe the work, and have different structures and sociopolitical situations, there was much agreement about what has been accomplished and what needs to be done. Strong leadership, government policy, financial and staff support were seen as drivers, while lack of time and commitment were seen as barriers.