Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
235 Results found
Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives Year of publication: 2017 Corporate author: UNESCO UNESCO has been promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) since 1992. It led the UN Decade for ESD from 2005 to 2014 and is now spearheading its follow-up, the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD. The momentum for ESD has never been stronger. Global issues – such as climate change – urgently require a shift in our lifestyles and a transformation of the way we think and act. To achieve this change, we need new skills, values and attitudes that lead to more sustainable societies. Education systems must respond to this pressing need by defining relevant learning objectives and learning contents, introducing pedagogies that empower learners, and urging their institutions to include sustainability principles in their management structures. The new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development clearly reflects this vision of the importance of an appropriate educational response. Education is explicitly formulated as a stand-alone goal – Sustainable Development Goal 4. Numerous educationrelated targets and indicators are also contained within other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Education is both a goal in itself and a means for attaining all the other SDGs. It is not only an integral part of sustainable development, but also a key enabler for it. That is why education represents an essential strategy in the pursuit of the SDGs. This publication is designed as a guide for education professionals on the use of ESD in learning for the SDGs, and consequently to contribute to achieving the SDGs. The guide identifies indicative learning objectives and suggests topics and learning activities for each SDG. It also presents implementation methods at different levels, from course design to national strategies. The guide does not aim to be prescriptive in any way, but to provide guidance and suggestions that educators can select and adapt to fit concrete learning contexts 
Address by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, at the Global Education and Skills Forum: debate on the rise of populism, Dubai, 19 March 2017 Year of publication: 2017 Corporate author: UNESCO. Director-General, 2009-2017 (Bokova, I.G.) This address was presented by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO at the Global Education and Skills Forum. She debates on the Rise of Populism. 
Repensar l'educacio: vers un bé comú mundial? Year of publication: 2015 Corporate author: UNESCO The changes in the world today are characterized by new levels of complexity and contradiction. These changes generate tensions for which education is expected to prepare individuals and communities by giving them the capability to adapt and to respond. This publication contributes to rethinking education and learning in this context. It builds on one of UNESCO’s main tasks as a global observatory of social transformation with the objective of stimulating public policy debate. It is a call for dialogue among all stakeholders. It is inspired by a humanistic vision of education and development, based on respect for life and human dignity, equal rights, social justice, cultural diversity, international solidarity, and shared responsibility for a sustainable future. These are the fundamentals of our common humanity. This book enhances the vision provided by the two landmark UNESCO publications: Learning to Be: The world of education today and tomorrow (1972), the ‘Faure Report’, and Learning: The treasure within (1996), the ‘Delors Report’. 
Education for Sustainable Development Policy for the Education Sector Year of publication: 2017 Corporate author: Kenya. Ministry of Education | UNESCO Nairobi This ESD Policy provides for the incorporation of key themes of sustainable development such as poverty alleviation, human rights, innovation, health and environmental protection and climate change into the Kenyan education system. It promotes competencies such as critical thinking, crativity and making decisions in a collaborative way. 
Teacher Training for Multicultural Education in Favour of Democracy and Sustainable Development: the Territorial Approach Year of publication: 1995 Author: Raúl Galiardi | Paula Bernadini Mosconi Corporate author: UNESCO This publication is part of the book Teacher Training and Multiculturalism: National Studies. This book presents the outcomes concerning the initial training systems of teachers in eight countries at different levels of development in different regions of the world but who are faced with a common challenge to educate for cultural diversity. Both the conclusions of each particular study and the general outcomes demonstrate the complexity of the problems and the benefits of comparative analysis. Overcoming prejudices and stereotypes is not an easy task nor likely to be achieved in the short term. Mentalities change far more slowly than knowledge and, because of this, educational strategies need to be applied in the long term. This study also shows that it is necessary to improve the exchange of experiences as well as contacts between people and institutions who are confronted with the same problems in different contexts. The publication of the initial outcomes of this project is intended to enrich the quality of discussions between specialists and institutions who, in different parts of the world, are concerned by multicultural education as an instrument to promote understanding, respect and dialogue between cultures. 
Non-formal and Informal Programs and Activities that Promote the Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills in Areas of Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Year of publication: 2016 Author: Ashley Stepanek Lockhart Corporate author: UNESCO This study will examine the nature of, and how, non-formal and informal programs and activities contribute to the acquisition of knowledge and skills for children, adolescents, youth and adults in precise areas of Target 4.7. This will be done by highlighting different definitions, conceptual approaches and history, along with policies of GCED and ESD and non-formal education and informal learning, comparing attempts to operationalize GCED and ESD to indicators for measurement and monitoring and challenges therein, and by identifying relevant sample programs and activities from around the world to analyze and consider using as data sources. How non-formal and informal provision related to GCED and ESD links to formal education will be considered, along with its connection to the larger notion of lifelong learning. 
[Summary] Education for People and Planet: Creating sustainable Futures for All, Global Education Monitoring Report, 2016; Summary Year of publication: 2016 Corporate author: UNESCO Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Futures for All explores the complex relationship between education and the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, covering six fundamental pillars – Planet, Prosperity, People, Peace, Place and Partnerships. This report shows that education will not deliver its full potential unless participation rates increase dramatically and sustainable development guides education system reform. It also warns of the destructive impact that climate change, conflict, unsustainable consumption and the increasing gap between rich and poor have on education. A huge transformation is needed if we are to create sustainable futures for all. 
Towards the development of an international module for assessing learning in Global Citizenship Education (GCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): a critical review of current measurement strategies Year of publication: 2016 Author: Bryony Hoskins Corporate author: UNESCO The aim of the study is to support the development of an indicator for target 4.7 of the UN sustainable development goals (STG). The study provides a conceptual framework for measuring the competences from global citizenship education (GCE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) from a review of the literature and then an audit of the different aspects of these competences. The study establishes the extent that these competences can be measured using existing data. The results of this analysis show that most dimensions of GCE can to some extent be measured by the existing IEA ICCS 2009 and 2016 datasets and an outline of how this data can be used to develop an initial indicator or set of indicators for target 4.7 is given. However, in contrast, the study finds that existing data is much more limited on measuring ESD and the existing data does not provide enough coverage for indicator development at the moment. The study recommends that in order to provide a more comprehensive measure of both these competences it would be necessary to develop a new module on GCE and ESD. After considering the options, it is concluded that the most realistic option is for this module to be attached to the existing IEA ICCS survey. The study concludes that an indicator of all citizens across the whole world is probably unrealistic considering the challenges faced, but what could be achievable is an indicator covering some countries from each region from around the world. To make this a reality considerable political effort and search for funding would be required to engage new regions to the ICCS survey, for example, from Africa and the Middle East 
Developing a Monitoring Instrument to Measure Extracurricular and Non-formal Activities which Promote Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Year of publication: 2016 Author: Bassel Akar Corporate author: UNESCO The goal on Education is 1 of 17 Sustainable Development Goals that comprises a target to ensure all learners around the world have an opportunity to develop the competencies to promote sustainable approaches to living, including appreciating of cultural diversity, non-violence, and gender equality. Extracurricular activities and non-formal education (ENA) provides a non-traditional space for learning global citizenship and sustainable development. Around the world, communities have organized education programs and activities for youth outside school to learn the values and practices of being global citizens. Research shows, however, that most efforts to review and improve ENA for global citizenship and sustainable development have focused on summative evaluations with little attention to formative approaches of monitoring. Drawing on basic principles of action research, sustainable professional development, and education quality enhancement, a monitoring framework emerges to support organizations around the world in measuring progress towards education for global citizenship and sustainable development. This framework also suggests (1) inclusive monitoring spaces like internal reviews and online social networking platforms, (2) roles of stakeholders like donor agencies in institutionalizing monitoring practices, (3) instruments and measurable scales to facilitate dialogues that review program objectives and action plans, and (4) challenges in inclusive and sustainable monitoring tools and approaches. 
Education for Global Citizenship Education & Sustainable Development: Content in Social Science Textbooks Year of publication: 2016 Author: Patrica Bromley | Julia Lerch | Jeremy Jimenez Corporate author: UNESCO In times of violence and egregious destruction of human lives and the natural world, our recognition of the need for education that promotes peace and justice becomes particularly pressing. This background report reviews the state of existing research and data on relevant sustainable development content in social science education in countries around the world. Specifically, it examines the extent to which textbook content could help learners acquire the knowledge, skills, and values needed to meet goal 4.7 of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.” It reviews relevant literature and analyzes three cross-national, longitudinal databases containing information coded from textbook content to assess the current state of knowledge. The paper concludes by indicating where future research efforts are most needed, identifying geographic and substantive needs, and considering monitoring mechanisms that could encourage on-going evaluation and monitoring of textbook content.