From Environmental Education to Posthumanism: Changes in Politics, Pedagogy and Practice

TY - CHAP

T1 - From Environmental Education to Posthumanism

T2 - Changes in Politics, Pedagogy and Practice

AU - Ward, Kumara S

PY - 2025/7

Y1 - 2025/7

N2 - The United Nations identifies education for sustainability as a key strategy in addressing the sustainable development goals and assisting humanity to live in a changing world. Environmental education or education for sustainability has evolved significantly over the last 40 years with content and pedagogy gradually encompassing the three key recognised domains of environment, economy and society through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This paper traces the development of education for sustainability and asks questions about the pedagogies it has generated and the impact they have had on the attitudes and behaviours of children and young people. It considers the past foci of education with regard to scientistic approaches to education for sustainability, stages related to education about, in, for and with the natural world, and the turn toward broader approaches that encompass affective engagement with sustainability education and climate change education particularly in early years and elementary levels of education. It looks to our engagement with the human and non-human worlds for context and content for transformative pedagogy. In the process this paper interrogates some of the theoretical constructs that have supported the gradual development of education for sustainability and identifies post humanist thinking as a contemporary and applicable approach for teachers. This provides a rationale for teachers to critically consider children’s need to know about the science related to climate change, children’s the need for additional ways of knowing and being as earth citizens, agency now and in the future, and the capacities needed as they emerge as active citizens in the 21st century. Ultimately, it highlights the need for every curriculum subject to be underpinned by education for sustainability.

AB - The United Nations identifies education for sustainability as a key strategy in addressing the sustainable development goals and assisting humanity to live in a changing world. Environmental education or education for sustainability has evolved significantly over the last 40 years with content and pedagogy gradually encompassing the three key recognised domains of environment, economy and society through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This paper traces the development of education for sustainability and asks questions about the pedagogies it has generated and the impact they have had on the attitudes and behaviours of children and young people. It considers the past foci of education with regard to scientistic approaches to education for sustainability, stages related to education about, in, for and with the natural world, and the turn toward broader approaches that encompass affective engagement with sustainability education and climate change education particularly in early years and elementary levels of education. It looks to our engagement with the human and non-human worlds for context and content for transformative pedagogy. In the process this paper interrogates some of the theoretical constructs that have supported the gradual development of education for sustainability and identifies post humanist thinking as a contemporary and applicable approach for teachers. This provides a rationale for teachers to critically consider children’s need to know about the science related to climate change, children’s the need for additional ways of knowing and being as earth citizens, agency now and in the future, and the capacities needed as they emerge as active citizens in the 21st century. Ultimately, it highlights the need for every curriculum subject to be underpinned by education for sustainability.

UR - https://www.stemeducationhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Galamba-Droubi-Kato-2025-Environmental-Education.pdf

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

SP - 16

EP - 31

BT - Environmental Education

A2 - Galamba, Arthur

A2 - El Droubi, Sufyan

A2 - Kato, Danilo

PB - Autografia

CY - Sao Paulo

ER -