Fostering students' sustainability consciousness in general education classrooms: Local perspectives and global approaches

Fostering students' sustainability consciousness in general education classrooms: Local perspectives and global approaches

• Savelyeva, Tamara The Education University of Hong Kong

The 2017 Institute on General Education cum Teacher and Student Conference (2017: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GJ Interdisciplinary
• P Social Context of Education
  • PB Comparative Education

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

Stemming from a long tradition of liberal education in Hong Kong universities, General Education (GE) courses and programs have been part of Hong Kong tertiary education structure for less than a decade. Together with the recently implemented compulsory 2009 New Senior Secondary Liberal Studies (NSS LS) curriculum, GE represents a continues and sustainable structure of liberal education in the city. Although thousands of young Hongkongers participate in liberal studies courses and programs through secondary and tertiary levels of education, the influence of this structure of liberal education on their mindset remains unclear. This paper features selected results of the RGC funded study, which investigated sustainability consciousness of Hong Kong first year university students, enrolled in GE programs. The analysis of ~5000 student surveys and over 1000 reflections revealed three main features of students' sustainability consciousness: intentionality to make a difference; engagement with complex questions about identity, society and nature; and eschatological perspectives, which included imaginative, future-oriented and action-oriented approaches to critical reflection, supported by the rhetoric of hope, promises and commitment for better future. This presentation aims to discuss ways for implementing these findings in the GE and NSS LS classrooms with reference to local and international practices of liberal studies education.

Paper presented at the 2017 Institute on General Education cum Teacher and Student Conference, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

• English

Conference Papers

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/091e913b

2017-11-13