2a. Provision, Quality of and Access to Education

Track Chairs

  • M. Tuncay Saritas, Research Center for Continuing Education & Distance Learning, Faculty of Education, Balikesir University, Turkey.
    tsaritas@balikesir.edu.tr
  • Péter Tóth, Department of Technical Education, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary.
    toth.p@eik.bme.hu

Goals and Objectives and Areas of the Track

On the Stockholm Conference in 1972 education for sustainable development was recognised as a vital topic for shaping the future (UNEP, 1972). In 2005, the topic of education for sustainable development has once more become the focus of public attention by the United Nations. Implementing sustainability issues into learning and education was the main aim during the United Nation Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005 until 2014.

Therefore, four major thrusts and seven strategies were formulated (UNESCO, 2005, p. 5):

(i) improving access and retention in quality basic education,

(ii) reorientation of existing educational programmes to address sustainability,

(iii) increasing public understanding and awareness of sustainability, and

(iv) providing training to advance sustainability across all sectors.

Strategies (UNESCO, 2005, p. 17):

(1) vision-building and advocacy,

(2) consultation and ownership,

(3) partnership and networks,

(4) capacity-building and training,

(5) research and innovation,

(6) use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and

(7) monitoring and evaluation.

Based on this variety significant impulses were set during the decade, and at the same time different foci emerged. There emerged different foci at different levels and areas of education in the respective countries (UNESCO, 2014; Riess, 2010; Schrenk and Holle-Giese, 2005). Commonly, there were manifold activities and initiatives, but a comprehensive and holistic concept is still missing (Scott et al., 2012; Grindsted and Holm, 2012). Moreover, the current UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report stresses the global lack of education and the need for shared activities. Education is shared responsibility. So, how about the provision, quality of and access to education in the light of sustainability and development towards sustainability?

Contributions can focus on the above stated four thrusts and seven strategies, but also on the SDG 4 and further related topics, e.g. new methods and tools, etc., in order to stress the provision, quality of and access to education for sustainability.

Further topics/research fields:

  • Organizational Learning and Change (Transformation and change within an organization, industry or community)
  • Education for all and lifelong learning (formal and informal learning places)
  • Systemic Change, System Dynamics, Systems Thinking (connections between environmental, economic, social and political systems)
  • Sustainability Science (a new academic discipline)
  • Community Participation

Length and content of the proposed abstract to the track

Each proposed abstract (in connection to an area pointed out above) of between 300 and 500 words (including all aspects),

  1. shall be best organized (without headlines) along usual structures (e.g. intro/method/findings or results/ discussion/conclusions)
  2. does not need to, but can include references
  3. shall provide in a final section
    a. to which SDG(s) and SDG-target(s) their proposed abstract especially relate to (e.g. “SDG+Target: 14.1.”).
    b. a brief indication how the proposed contribution relates to the topic of the Conference (“ACCELERATING PROGRESS TOWARDS SDG’s IN TIMES OF CRISIS”).

Abstracts which do not outline points 3.a.) AND 3.b.) might not be given special consideration in the selection for potential publications and might be considered less relevant in the Review.

Potential publication channels

With regard to potential publications, depending on the number and quality of contributions the following publication opportunities have already been envisaged:

  1. The Journal (Opus et Educatio, http://opuseteducatio.hu)
  2. Conference proceedings with own ISBN number (each abstract and – later – full paper)

Submission

Please submit your abstract by visiting the abstract submission system (you will be required to setup an account first) at

https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/login?redirect=/stages/2332/submitter

Extended deadline for abstracts: 15 February 2021

PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER A PARTICIPATION IN OUR PHD-WORKSHOP! https://2021.isdrsconferences.org/phd-workshop/