Education for Sustainable Development and the Transformation of Self: How the World Can Become a Better Place to Live for All

Abstract

This chapter explores the nature of transformative education within different traditions arguing for a social emancipatory view of transformative education that accommodates both social change and individual transformation (Taylor, 2008) as the most appropriate way of teaching and learning for sustainable development (SD). Mezirow (2000) claims that change to our worldview is a process of learning that occurs in at least one of four ways: by elaborating existing frames of reference, by learning new frames of reference, by transforming points of view, or by transforming habits of mind. It is argued in this chapter that to enable transformative education, learning in technology education classrooms and through teacher training programs needs to employ all four approaches. A transformation of self through design and problem-solving is argued as an active way of developing a particular worldview in accord with the ideals of education for sustainable development (ESD).