Νοηματοδότηση της έννοιας της «αειφορίας» μέσα από τις αφηγήσεις εκπαιδευτικών της Περιβαλλοντικής Εκπαίδευσης για την πρακτική τους.

Abstract

The study explores ways of meaning-making of the “sustainability” concept by teachers who are committed to Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development (EE/ESD). Following narrative research, we conducted interviews with three female science teachers with long experience in EE/ESD, to gain an understanding of their thinking and practice based on their lived experience. The narrative analysis highlighted how the teachers approach and interpret the concept and how they relate it to their teaching practice. Difficulties in attributing meaning and embracing the concept as well as a critical stance and skepticism towards it were evident. Teachers did not have a firm and clear perception of “sustainability” while the narrative process itself gave them the opportunity to elaborate on it. The study’s findings are reported and the relevance of the narrative approach as an exploratory reflective process is discussed, which builds on and supports participants in bringing forth their experiences and their interpretation of them, as well as making sense of and renegotiating controversial concepts, such as that of “sustainability”.