The Role of Education in Shaping

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• The Role of Education in Shaping
• Sustainable Energy Behaviours
• A Seminar for CREE at the University of Bath
• by
• Andrew Darnton
• 22nd March 2007

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Background Objectives

• AD an independent desk researcher including for
  Defra, WWF, EST
• Today discussing two recent studies for EST (both
  as yet unpublished)
• Research brief for Study One
• Establish and review the current state of
  knowledge about the impact of education /
  awareness raising programmes on childrens
  long-term behaviour (ie. their behaviour as
  adults).
• Research brief for Study Two
• Explore...
• i) Current and future role of schools in wider
  communities
• ii) Implications for sustainable energy agenda,
  and for EST
• iii) Likely impacts of school-community links on
  energy-related behaviour change

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A Common Hypothesis

• Study One identified a growing opportunity for
  encouraging sustainable energy behaviours via
  education, thanks to the Sustainable Schools
  agenda
• Changing behaviourforms a large part of the
  Governments thinking on sustainable development.
  Education is one of the key ways by which
  Government expects to realise this cross-cutting
  goal.
• Sustainable Schools Consultation Paper (May 2006)
• Together, the studies aim to unpick this

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Overview

1. Research Methods
2. Availability of Evidence
3. Lessons from Behavioural Theory
4. Lessons from Educational Theory
5. Whole School Approaches
6. Sustainable Schools
7. Next Steps

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ADs Methods

• No common methodology/format for desk research
  (eg. MRS)
• Desk research not academic literature review
• Meeting new research objectives through
  existing evidence
• Not a systematic method, but a synthesis of
  sources suggested by individuals best placed to
  judge (thus ideal for SD studies)
• ADs three part method (as used in these EST
  studies)
• i) Datagathering
• ii) Scoping
• iii) Reporting
• EST Study One (Longterm Behaviours) 55 selected
  sources
• EST Study Two (Energy Schools) 45 selected
  sources
• Studies begun in October 2006, completed March
  2007

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Availability of Longterm Evidence

• As anticipated, a dearth of longterm impact
  evaluations available
• Study One identified only three longterm
  evaluations (ie. with more than 2-year
  follow-ups)
• Growing to Greatness (NYLC (US) 2006)
• Longterm survey of ex-service-learners, within
  random sample of 18 to 28 year olds. Differences
  in behaviour observed, but causality not
  investigated.
• National Trust Guardianship Scheme 2006 (Peacock
  2006)
• Small-scale follow-up study of ex-primary
  pupils, to establish lasting pupil impacts of
  conservation work on local NT site. Hard to
  identify relevant behaviour measures, and
  causality not investigated.
• Longitudinal Citizenship Study (eg. NFER 2006)
• Forthcoming evaluation of Citizenship Curriculum
  by NFER. Four Annual Reports to date, but impact
  evidence due in 2008 at best.

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Availability of Evidence the Citizenship Study

• Citizenship Study serves as case in point, on
  gargantuan scale
• Citizenship in schools as an experiment in
  knowledge and behaviour to see if 2002s 11 year
  olds know more...and will be more involved by
  2009 (Crick 2002) if results negative or
  inconclusive compulsion will be dropped
• NFER appointed to run longitudinal Citizenship
  study (2002-2010) to track progress of
  Citizenship arrangements, and evaluate pupil
  outcomes of knowledge, skills, attitudes and
  behaviour
• Impact outcomes not yet available (c. 2008?), but
  (unreleased) qaire suggests few behavioural
  measures beyond (reported) voting intentions.
• Pro-environmental component suspected to comprise
  intentions to litter, behaviour-specific
  attititudes, and understanding of citizenship
• Difficulties in measuring behavioural outcomes
  inc. isolating effects (causality), and light
  touch nature of Citizenship in curriculum (eg.
  lack of definition, lack of agreed behavioural
  outcomes, varying assessment measures)

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Availability of Longterm Evidence Evaluation
Limits

• Study One not a definitive collection of
  evidence, but signs of unidentified further
  sources were slim
• Contacts interviewed doubted much else out there,
  and literature reviews (some systematic)
  complained of lack of longterm evidence (eg. EPPI
  Centre at IoE NICE Behaviour Change Review due
  Dec 2007)
• Considerable barriers to undertaking longterm
  evals mean such evidence is unlikely to be
  forthcoming, for instance...
• - relatively high costs
• - hard to undertake (eg. recruit participants
  long after an initiative)
• - low recall among ex-participants
• - near-impossibility of establishing causality
  (NB available evals dont...)
• - misgivings among educationalists as to
  value/aim of the exercise

? Conducting longterm behavioural evaluations is
certainly impractical, and may be inappropriate
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Availability of Shortterm Evidence - Generic

• As well as a lack of longterm outcome
  evaluations, only a limited number of shortterm
  behavioural outcome evals identified
• Robust evidence of behavioural impacts clearest
  in Safety Education
• - Lifeskills Learning for Life Centre, Bristol
• - Kerbcraft (pedestrian safety skills training),
  Drumchapel pilot
• Some evidence on shortterm behaviour change also
  in health domain
• - Reviews of healthy eating programmes, and some
  NHSS impacts
• Little evidence of shortterm behaviour change by
  children elsewhere some no evidence, some
  targetting parents behaviours indirectly
• - Energy-related Env Citizenship Fairtrade
  Other (ie. Waste)
• Conclusions

? few ed activities look for behavioural
outcomes ? children not seen as primary
audience/actors in many areas of SD-related
behaviour change
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Availability of Shortterm Evidence
Energy-Related

• Relative to extent of initiatives, evidence of
  impacts is scarce
• eg. Powergen new schools programme, not
  evaluated yet
• eg. BG Think Energy undergoing relaunch (not
  evaluated yet), and future eval would explore
  brand awareness and programme perceptions
• CSE/EST Energy Matters exceptional
• - compelling evidence of behavioural impacts vs.
  comparison group (qv. Capener 1998, featuring 12
  month follow-up)
• - ...but measures parental behaviours, not
  pupils
• - ...and causality implied, not established
  statistically
• GAP Action at School also shows impacts
• - in terms of whole-school resource savings,
  but not pupils behaviours
• - wider impacts (eg. empowering pupils) not
  investigated

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Making a Case for Longterm Impacts

• Widespread conviction across the sources that
  education impacts on behaviours in the longterm
  given lack of longterm evidence, this remains a
  conviction
• Conviction exists in different formulations, all
  based on deep transformative effects, but best of
  which acknowledge uncertainty, eg.
• Clearly education can influence attitude in
  order to change behaviour.... This strong
  relationshipis not supported by all studies.
• Education on Energy European Communities 2006
• It is essential that the Citizenship push
  continues as it would appear these messages
  emerge as modifications to behaviour later on as
  adults, but unfortunately not at the time.
• Teenage Dirtbag, Encams 2004
• The work in schools is sowing seeds, we have to
  hope they get nurtured.
• Dickens Camelot Streets Waste Project,
  Liverpool, 2004

? Faced with (irreparable?) absence of evidence,
best turn to theory
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Lessons from Behavioural Theory

• Theory shows factors driving pro-environmental
  behaviours to be complex, qv. eg. Kolmuss and
  Agyemans Mind the Gap (2002)
• The question of what shapes pro-environmental
  behaviour is such a complex one that it cannot be
  visualized through one single framework or
  model.
• Moreover, different barriers face different
  individuals, even for the same behaviour (qv. eg.
  Barr et al 2005)
• External (contextual) barriers seen to
  predominate (eg. Shoves lock in) thus both
  Stern and McKenzie Mohr advise address physical
  barriers first
• Three internal (psychological) barriers feature
  across diverse theories each represents limiting
  factors, difficult for individual to tackle
• - Norms (Norms guide how we should behave
  McKenzie Mohr)
• - Agency (cf. Perceived Behavioural Control,
  Self Efficacy)
• - Habit (Many behaviors...matters of habit or
  routine...rarely considered Stern 2000)

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Lessons from Behavioural Theory Role of
Education

• 1998 study suggested 80 of factors determining
  p-e behaviours are not related to p-e knowledge
  or awareness (cited by KA in Mind the Gap)
• However, education-led factors and learning
  contribute to underlying motivations across p-e
  behaviours, and shape societal norms
• Theoretical drivers which can be linked to
  educational activity include
• - Raising awareness of oppties for and impacts
  of p-e behaviour
• - Encouraging p-e beliefs, and positive
  behaviour-specific attitudes
• - Tackling norms, agency and habits, often
  through group work
• - Building emotional investment in a problem,
  often via active involvement
• - Providing a forum in which sus lifestyle
  approaches can be negotiated
• - Creating action learning opportunities, for
  reflective practice
• ? Behavioural theory suggests education-related
  factors are not key determinants, but they shape
  deep-seated longterm factors

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Lessons from Environmental Education Theory

• Andy Dobson asks fundamental question about role
  of Citizenship education in pro-environmental
  change (2003)
• Can liberal education cope with the value-laden
  nature of
• sustainability questions?
• Or, from Martha Monroe, at what point does
  education teeter into advocacy or worse,
  brainwashing?
• Citz-related disciplines of Environmental
  Education and Education for Sustainable
  Development riven with debates over purposes
  (eg. education by, with, for the
  environment or SD)
• Behavioural outcomes inherent in Environmental
  Education since Tbilisi (1977) but
  educationalists tend to be polarised
• Paul Vare and Bill Scott identify polar
  purposes as complementary
• ESD1 (environmentalists view) teaches
  pre-determined behaviours
• ESD2 (educationalists view) develops learners
  capacity to think critically
• Growing appreciation that ESD1/2 tensions are
  resolved on the ground

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Lessons from Environmental Education Theory

• Martha Monroe et als Framework for Env Ed
  Strategies 2006 in press

• Env Ed and B Change a continuum (Monroe joining
  up the literatures)
• Purposes of env ed morph into one another in
  participative approaches

• Env ed spans both behaviours and debate for
  best fit, activities should span spectrum (and
  evaluate all)

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Towards Consensus? Citizenship Revisited

• Study One stressed experimental nature of
  Citizenship project, with ultimate goal of
  creating better citizens by 2009
• Part of wider behaviour change agenda to enhance
  democratic life for all of us...beginning in
  schools and radiating out (Citizenship Orders,
  1999)
• But NFER evaluation suggests insufficient
  emphasis on Active Citizenship opportunities mean
  there is currently no radiating out (Ireland et
  al 2006)
• Even if there were, its doubtful NFER
  Longitudinal Study would evidence it
• Current tension between NFERs participative
  approach and Ofsteds essentially prescriptive
  approach (2006), emphasising core curriculum
  content, timetabled lessons, robust assessment,
  Citizenship GCSE (...and linkages to ECM!)
• Its unclear which direction Citizenship will
  take by 2009, conclude NFER
• QCA Secondary Curriculum Review (2007) further
  complicates the picture a move towards
  child-centred flexible delivery, and increased
  participation

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Towards Sustainability? Whole School Programmes

• As ESD1/ESD2 purposes morph in participation, so
  better citizens are best created through learning
  in practice
• Practise What You Teach (DfE 1993) definition
  of whole school approach
• Whole school approach includes teaching
  learning, school management, pupil participation,
  community links
• Many whole school programmes sustainability-relate
  d, including EcoSchools, Healthy Schools (NHSS),
  and GAP Action at School (if short-term)
• As an example of these programmes, EcoSchool
  elements include
• Environmental management tool EcoCommittee
  Awards/Accreditation framework
• Benefits to whole school (inc. Ofsted!), whole
  pupil (empowerment more than attainment), and
  whole community (social norms and social
  impacts GAP)
• Key function is to embed issues/values in school
  ethos

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Towards Sustainable Schools

• Tony Blair (2004) in Consultation Paper (DfES May
  2006)
• Sustainable development will not be just a
  subject in the classroom it will be in its
  bricks and mortar and the way the school uses and
  even generates its own power. Our students wont
  just be told about sustainable development, they
  will see and work within it a living learning
  place in which to explore what a sustainable
  lifestyle means.
• Full of unfulfilled promise (the vision
  thing)...and Consultation met with qualified
  approval (DfES November 2006)
• We back your vision but show us you are serious
  in seeing it through
• but begs big questions, including
• - Very ESD2, and even radical but does Blair
  know (or intend) it?
• - What is a sustainable lifestyle and what are
  the limits to exploring one?
• - Not just a subject in the classroom...ESD
  not even a subject!

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Sustainable Schools Definitions Elements

• No agreed definition of a Sustainable School
  exists (and arguably none is possible a rod for
  DfES own back, unlike other home nations?)
• Best definition yet has a Sustainable School as
  guided by the principle of care care for
  onself, care for each other, and care for the
  environment (DfES May 2006)
• Consensus is its a school which embeds
  sustainability in all they do, ie. takes a whole
  school approach to SD
• Consultation Paper identifies three aspects to
  delivery, the 3 Cs
• - Campus, Curriculum, Community
• - (but puts emphasis on the main first two)
• ...and 8 areas of school activity or doorways,
  to advance SD through
• Food and Drink Energy and Water Travel and
  Traffic
• Purchasing and Waste Buildings and Grounds
  Inclusion and Participation
• Local Well-being Global Dimension

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Becoming a Sustainable School

• No clear roadmap yet available (DfES Action Plan,
  due January 2007?)
• No evidence either two studies forthcoming
• i) NCSL / WWF Leadership for Sustainable
  Schools due March/June 2007
• ii) Ofsted/Reading University Pupils Views of
  Sustainable Schools 2006-09
• Consultation Paper identifies the whole school
  programmes NHSS and EcoSchools as ways in for
  schools who wish to get started (DfES 2006)
• ...but WWF Pathways (2004) approach more likely
  a flexible and dynamic planning tool and
  heir to DfES s3 self-assessment tool (2006)
• Ofsted/Reading case study schools all Pathways
  schools, and most also EcoSchools (Green Flag or
  towards), NHSS, Global Gateways etc.
• Will Sustainable Schools supersede or celebrate
  these schemes?
• And what of Every Child Matters? Consultation
  says ECM and Sustainable Schools are highly
  relevant to one another but the area
  under-represented is the environment
• How then to fit climate change into the ECM
  outcomes? Economic wellbeing! (DfES 2006)

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The Role of Energy in Sustainable Schools

• Energy prominent in the Sustainable Schools
  agenda (Doorway 2), and anecdotal evidence its
  the main attraction for schools getting involved
• DfES Sustainable Schools papers (2006) present
  energys role as follows
• Curriculum
• - through knowledge, values and skills become
  good stewards of energy in school and at home
• - but no place for climate change in QCA Review,
  and SD not mandatory till KS4
• Campus
• - by 2020 schools to be models of energy
  efficiency and renewable energy, showcasing wind,
  solar and biofuel sources in their communities
• - Sustainable Schools are affordable (and
  more fiscally prudent Kats 2006)
• - Emphasise good management of energy first,
  then deployment of appropriate technologies (EE
  equipment, passive designs, RE sources)
• Community
• - Schools to promote awareness of sustainable
  energy to stakeholders (contractors and
  suppliers, parents and community learners)
• - Schools to build links with Local Authorities
  and other outside bodies which support efforts
  to reduce energy use and increase renewable
  energy use

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Ways Forward for Sustainable Schools

• Provide a concrete definition of a Sustainable
  School, or at least a means of identification
  (accreditation framework?), in order to...
• Build an evidence base to inform how to become a
  Sustainable School, predominantly based in case
  studies
• Clarify the links between the Sustainable Schools
  agenda and other reshaping initiatives
  Extended Schools Citizenship EcoSchools etc
• Integrate the aims of Sustainable Schools with
  the Outcomes of Every Child Matters (ideally,
  rewrite ECM)
• Commit funding to support development of
  Sustainable Schools
• Present a joined-up face to schools to support
  their efforts to embed SD across the 3 Cs, ie.
  combine educational goals of DfES with behaviour
  change goals of Defra (via Climate Challenge
  team?)
• Pursue energy across the 3 Cs, maximising school
  energy savings, effective educational
  experiences, and community behaviour change

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• ad_at_andrewdarnton.co.uk