‘Literature and Education for Sustainable Development’ is an elective course offered to graduate students at the School of Education, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica. The course introduces pre- and in service teachers to education for sustainable development through literature. The course shows how, through the study of literature a number of sustainability, concerns can be analyzed and addressed. Students are, therefore, taught to read eco-critically a variety of texts. Based on this, they then identify a sustainability concern in their community then develop and implement a plan to address this. Some of these community action projects have included: addressing violence through literacy, learning to manage waste, creating green spaces and school gardens.
The course is based on a project in which pre-service teachers were, through their literature course, engaged in analyzing and addressing violence. To formalize the project and extend the focus on sustainability, the course 'Literature and Education for Sustainability' was developed for graduate students at the University of the West Indies.
To help students:
Understand the concept and issues of 'sustainable development';
Analyze local and global sustainable development problems;
Understand the relevance of literature to ESD;
Study texts from an ESD perspective;
Develop pedagogies for ESD;
Address in concrete ways a sustainability concern; and
Develop an individual ethic of social responsibility.
In addition to the above description of the course's activities, students explore pedagogies for Education for Sustainable Development; in particular, they examine how to infuse sustainability in language arts as well as other disciplines. Students thus engage with pedagogies for change.
A deepening awareness and knowledge of sustainability
The development of ethics of social responsibility
The development of ability to read texts eco-critically
An awareness of pedagogies for ESD, for change
Greater interface between the university and the community
Learning in community
Development of systems thinking, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Using literature to teach 'sustainable development'
Teaching and learning in community allowing for a greater interface between university and community
University being more relevant to community
Providing opportunity for cross-disciplinary teaching and learning
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