Guiding Principles of Transformative Education for Sustainable Development in Local School Organisations: Investigating Whole School Approaches through a School Improvement Lens

Guiding Principles of Transformative Education for Sustainable Development in Local School Organisations: Investigating Whole School Approaches through a School Improvement Lens

This thesis investigates the guiding principles required in the school organisation to make a permanent implementation of transformative Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) possible, while aligning with a whole school approach. Swedish upper secondary schools actively implementing ESD were selected for the study.

The research design consists of a mixed method approach that was developed from the field of school improvement research. The methods used include semi-structured interviews with school leaders and questionnaire surveys with teachers. School leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of quality in their local school organisation was studied, and the guiding principles promoting transformative ESD were identified. These include four principal quality criteria that need structural support through collegial meetings to establish a holistic idea of ESD in the organisation: collaborative interaction and school development, student-centred education, cooperation with local society, and proactive leadership and long-term perspective.

The two main contributions are 1) identification of the school organisation that provide firm ground for local implementation of transformative ESD, and 2) that the internal school organisation is a prerequisite for school collaboration with the surrounding society, which is a main goal of ESD, according to policy and theory. The results may provide useful recommendations for schools and ESD implementation programmes.