Sustainable Education and the Use of Problem-Based Learning as a Conceptual Framework for Implementation

摘要

This study explores the use of sustainability education, in terms of the work of Prince Charles' Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, and the principle of oneness, at the Ashley Church of England Primary School in Walton-on-Thames, England, and its replicability within an early childhood education classroom setting in the United States. The study's methodology, a qualitative analysis, was conducted in two stages, consisting of individual interviews and focus groups, which provided identification of a conceptual framework present in the Ashley Church of England Primary School and the creation of a plan for implementation and replicability within an early childhood education setting in the Midwestern United States. Stage One occurred during interviews and focus groups conducted at the Ashley Church of England Primary School outside of London, England. The purpose of this stage was to identify the process in which sustainability education and the principle of oneness were implemented in a cross-curricular, school-wide manner. It was during this stage that problem-based learning was identified as the conceptual framework necessary for implementing sustainability education at the Ashley Church of England Primary School. Stage Two analyzed data collected and produced a month-long curriculum for the implementation of instruction aimed at promoting the principle of oneness in an early childhood education classroom setting. Throughout this stage, the researcher identified mindsets regarding curriculum implementation. This study ultimately identified the conceptual framework of problem-based learning at the Ashley Church of England Primary School as a method of teaching sustainability education. However, the analysis revealed only partial replicability of the implementation of the principle of oneness in an early childhood education classroom setting. This study explored the roles of socioeconomic status, affluence, teacher preparation, problem-based learning, and mindsets required for the successful implementation of sustainability education in a classroom setting. The study also suggests the need for future research regarding the use of all Harmony principles, as well as a longitudinal study on the effects of sustainability education at the Ashley Church of England Primary School.