Global Monitoring of Target 4.7: Themes in National Curriculum Frameworks; Background Paper Prepared for the 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report

This study is an initial attempt to monitor ESD and GCED content in curricula globally. The goal here is to analyse national curriculum documents to reveal if, how, and to what extent ESD and GCED content is present across the globe. For this purpose, the research team developed a coding scheme based on key ESD and GCED knowledge, skills, behaviours and pedagogies that was used in evaluating the various national curriculum documents for evidence of ESD and GCED content. In this paper, we present the study in the following order. Further explanation of ESD and GCED, and a discussion of issues relating to their implementation and monitoring will come first. Then we will review similar studies that have also attempted to monitor GCED and ESD through content analysis. The study’s methods and findings will then be presented, followed by a discussion of the challenges addressed in developing a coding system to monitor curricula effectively. Finally, we share a series of recommendations that will focus on ways for moving forward in monitoring GCED and ESD effectively, both at a curricular level and beyond.