Keywords

FormalPara Key Message

This chapter documents a contextualised case study foregrounded in selected primary schools where teachers had to conceptualise and implement a whole-school project on relevant sustainability issues. It uncovers the challenges faced therein and the ‘disconnectedness’ among the key components which constitute the whole-school approach. The chapter laid the foundation for further studies to consolidate or to review the model of whole school as an approach in mainstreaming sustainability in teaching and learning.

1 Introduction

Schools have a crucial role in empowering our youth with the necessary sustainability competences and culture needed as the future workforce and to adeptly face current and future challenges (Atchia, 2022; Murdoch, 2004). The whole-school approach (WSA) to sustainability, which lies at the heart of effective learning for sustainability, is an effective way to develop sustainability competences and culture among the stakeholders of the school community and consequently among the society at large.

Since its emergence, the WSA has been in response to global calls to reorient the management and practice of formal education to contribute in addressing inequalities and building a better world (UNCED, 1992; UNESCO, 2002). The WSA for sustainability, which is grounded within the scholarship of school effectiveness and school improvement, encourages schools to innovate and showcase changes in practice not only within the different formal spheres of schools (student achievement, teaching and learning, ethos and climate, school infrastructure and school leadership) but also within the wider community. The WSA provides the necessary structure to holistically integrate the calls for sustainable development and sustainability, through its integration in the formal curriculum as well as through sustainable school operations such as integrated governance, stakeholder and community engagement, long-term planning and sustainability monitoring and evaluation (Kohl et al., 2022). The WSA includes the active participation and partnerships of all stakeholders within schools (teachers, pupils, management and administrative staff), and the community (organisations, business, industry and governments).

Moreover, the WSA to sustainability views school beyond its role as a training ground to foster appreciation of the environment to showcase it as a site of good practice for the community. Aligned to international conferences, documents, recommendations and commitments, it questions the dominant approach of educating ‘about’ the environment only and instead encourages the need for educating ‘for’ sustainability. The WSA to sustainability does not only engage students and other stakeholders in the community to critically reflect on their current lifestyles and actions, but also provide opportunities to act on informed decisions to bring changes toward a more sustainable world. The focus has shifted from the ‘what to teach students?’ and ‘how are they behaving?’ to seeing schools as a focal point where children, adults and the community interact to learn and develop competences together (Tilbury & Wortman, 2004). The pedagogy underpinning the WSA focuses on the development of skills, competences and dispositions for partnerships, participation and action within learners. This shift has had implications for how to conceptualise and approach issues such as school governance, pedagogical approaches, curriculum, extracurricular activities, resource management, the use of school grounds and community partnerships (Henderson & Tilbury, 2004).

Thus, as a potential means to empower the Mauritian youth with the necessary sustainability competences and culture, a case study methodology underpinned by the UNESCO model of WSA, as depicted in Fig. 21.1, was used.

Fig. 21.1
A chart has a circle labeled culture. It contains a Venn diagram in which 3 sets labeled curriculum, campus, and community overlap.

UNESCO WSA framework. (UNESCO, 2014)

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2 Policies on Whole-School Approaches and Education for Sustainability in Mauritius

The formal education sector has been the focus for change toward sustainability since the 1970s. This focus has been driven by authoritative international documents and commitments, such as the Rio Earth Summit (1992), Agenda 21, World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), Tbilisi Declaration, Dakar Framework for Action and the WESSA conferences, which advocated for educational reform or reorientation to reflect the sustainability agenda. Evidence of educational institutions reflecting the principles of sustainability started to appear mainly in the United Kingdom, North America and Europe to eventually reach other parts of the world, including Mauritius. Mauritius, a small island developing state, is a member of several regional and international organisations. Therefore, as a member state of such organisations, Mauritius has signed the relevant conventions and agreements related to sustainability. In this respect, our national policy documents, which are analysed in this chapter, are all inspired by drawing from regional and international conventions, agreements, programmes and documents. Table 21.1 depicts some of the key national conferences, documents, recommendations and commitments that support the use of WSA and ‘Education for Sustainability’ in Mauritius.

Table 21.1 Selected policy documents that support the use of WSA and Education for Sustainability (EfS) in Mauritius
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However, it is important to note that though several initiatives of using whole-school approaches for EfS have emerged in Mauritius during the past decades as depicted in Table 21.1, many have not been sustained. For instance, the Green School Project was a highly acclaimed initiative at both primary and secondary school levels for the first few years but unfortunately went to oblivion. In fact, we believe that though the development of policies is crucial in providing the necessary environment, the sustainability culture can only be developed if associated with the right approach and the proper mindset, which are often the missing link to reach the targets of EfS. Responding to this call, the case study described in this chapter showcases the use of the WSA model where a structured pathway is used to implement whole-school sustainability projects (WSSP).

3 A Mauritian Case Study

This section summarises the context, methodology and sampling before presenting the findings and discussions of the Mauritian case study which unpacked the experiences of using the WSA by 30 primary school teachers in their respective schools.

3.1 Context of the Case Study

The primary education in Mauritius, which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, lasts for 6 years (grade 1 to grade 6) following 2 years of early childhood education. All primary school students sit for the ‘Primary School Assessment Certificate’, which is the national examination marking the end of the primary schooling. The result of the examination is used to allocate seats to the students in regional secondary schools.

Teachers working in primary schools, though recruited by the Ministry of Education, have to successfully complete a pre-service ‘Teacher’s Diploma’ course at the ‘Mauritius Institute of Education’ (the only tertiary institution specialised in teacher education in Mauritius) to become full-time primary teachers. As part of the course, the prospective teachers have to complete a 45-h module entitled ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, where they are engaged in the implementation of a sustainability project in the schools at which they are posted. The sustainability project aimed at mainstreaming sustainability into all aspects of school life by rethinking the curriculum, defining campus operations, embracing organisational culture, enabling student participation, promoting leadership, and establishing community relationships (UNESCO, 2014).

3.2 Methodology and Sampling

A case study methodology was used to unpack the experiences of using the WSA by 30 primary school teachers in their respective schools. Using a convenience sampling, 30 primary school teachers enrolled in a professional learning course on ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ at the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) constituted the sample of this case study. As part of the course requirement, they had to implement a small-scale project with pupils of grade 5, aged 9–10 years old. Fig. 21.2 summarises the steps trailed by each participating school of this case study.

Fig. 21.2
A 7-step flow diagram. The steps include identifying the grade 5 section, conducting brainstorming sessions, setting-up a whole-school team, holding a brainstorming session with the team, developing the whole-school sustainability project, implementing it across the school, and analyzing data.

Summary of methodology used to unpack the experience of primary teachers on the use of WSA for sustainability

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As depicted in Fig. 21.2, once the grade 5 section for implementation of the sustainability project was finalised, the participating teacher organised a brainstorming session with his/her respective pupils to identify a potential theme for the project, that is aligned to the content prescribed in the primary school curriculum. Following the brainstorming session, a ‘whole-school team’ consisting of the following representatives was set in consultation with the headmaster of each of the 30 sampled schools:

  • Headmaster or Deputy Headmaster (Head of the school and chairperson of the project school team)

  • Holistic Education teacher (teacher responsible to teach non-core subjects related to the holistic development of pupils, as per the current National Curriculum Framework)

  • Information and Communication Technology teacher

  • School administrative staffs including the clerical officers and the school attendants

  • President or Secretary of the ‘Parent-Teacher Association’

  • Representative of a local non-governmental organisation

  • Representative of the local authority (village or municipal council)

  • Representative of government organisations (Central Water Authority, Ministry of Environment, and other relevant organisations related to the topic under study)

  • Representative of a private company in the area (bank, supermarket, filling station, …)

  • Five pupils representing the class who are selected by the participating teachers under the guidance of the chairperson of the project

The ‘whole-school team’ had as guiding aim compliance with sustainability ideas and principles such as equity, good governance and community engagement. Following the setting up of the ‘whole-school team’, the participating teachers together with the pupils were engaged to (i) brainstorm on the topics they would like to focus on in their whole-school sustainability project (WSSP), (ii) elicit the idea in relation to sustainability engagement and (iii) conceptualise and develop the whole-school sustainability project. These steps were significant to ‘hook’ the pupils on the topic and create a sense of ownership towards the project. The feasibility of the project was then discussed with the headmaster (also the chairperson of the ‘whole-school team’), before presenting the same to the ‘Parent-Teacher Association’ meeting. The whole-school sustainability project was then presented in the ‘whole-school team’ meeting and amendments were brought wherever required.

It is important to note that though the sustainability issue was identified during the brainstorming session involving only the class teacher and the pupils, validation and conceptualisation of the projects involved all members of the ‘whole-school team’. Beyond the provision of feedback and validation, the whole-school team had the responsibility to seek financial support needed to shape and implement the whole-school sustainability project, either from the ‘Parent-Teacher Association’ or from sponsors from the local community. In fact, all members of the ‘whole-school team’ were given specific roles and responsibilities to ensure that team spirit and collective engagement are maintained throughout the ‘whole-school sustainability project’.

The sustainability project became the school project, where all members of the ‘whole-school team’ met at least once a week to ensure the proper monitoring and evaluation of the implementation phase. This was done through structured follow-up to (i) identify issues that emerged during the implementation phase, (ii) analyse the issue, (iii) amend the implementation plan, if needs be and (iv) mobilise support and resources.

The data collected in the form of teacher diaries were then collected and qualitatively analysed to unpack the experiences of primary teachers who used the WSA for sustainability.

4 Findings and Discussions

Table 21.2 depicts the projects, categorised under topics/concepts which are included in the school curriculum, that emerged from the 30 participating schools.

Table 21.2 Whole-school sustainability projects
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Referring to Table 21.2, we concluded that all the selected themes were actually issues being faced in the Mauritian context, namely waste production, water pollution, loss of biodiversity, health and energy issues.

Analysis of the teacher diaries revealed that though the identification of issues and planning of the implementation phase were done within the boundaries of the classrooms, the implementation strategies used by the participating schools varied from one context to another. It was actually noted that most of the 30 participating schools used interactive and participative out-of-classrooms approaches to address sustainability issues. The following quote from a participant supports the importance of out-of-classrooms activities:

The walk instilled a strong sense of awareness about water recycling and conservation in my students. As the learning experiences did not only take place within the four walls of a classroom, pupils were happy and excited. Student-centred learning took place. And the walk would be memorable for them.

The participating teachers expounded that pupils’ engagement in the WSA project empowered them with skills, know-how and dispositions that will help them to cope with national issues and realities. The interactions and engagement of the main participants (pupils and teachers) with other stakeholders add value to the school project and provided opportunities to bridge the gap between formal and informal learning in a range of contexts and concepts. Moreover, the activities planned by the teachers to engage their pupils in the sustainability project were rich in terms of learning experiences and learning by doing. Pupils were made to ask questions, develop and apply critical-thinking skills and analyse their own thinking in the project. One participant stated the following:

These tasks enabled my pupils to develop skills that will accompany them throughout their life as responsible citizens. For instance, they were able to collaborate in a civic activity in groups, thus developing in them interpersonal, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In fact, the National Curriculum Framework 2015 aims at developing knowledge, skills and values beyond the boundaries of the 5 learning areas in order to prepare learners to meet the challenges of daily life and deal with unpredictable situations like the one recently faced with the COVID-19 lockdown.

The participating teachers also highlighted that by engaging and immersing themselves in the local community, the pupils developed sustainability skills and values. The WSA project helped them to become creative, good observers, investigators, communicators and critical thinkers. The whole-school projects also provided opportunities for the pupils to conduct surveys, collect and analyse data, examine the current context and propose solutions to the selected problems. Through engagement in the project, pupils developed higher order thinking needed to sort out problems in real life situations. In fact, their contributions in the project had dual benefits for the pupils. They were provided with various learning opportunities to extend their knowledge on the topic in addition to developing skills and values needed to sustain the environment.

In addition to the above opportunities, the whole-school sustainability projects provided several benefits related to the four components of the holistic 4C model depicted in Fig. 21.1, namely enacted curriculum, campus, community and culture, as detailed below.

Enacted Curriculum

Through the whole-school sustainability projects, participating teachers and pupils were involved in interdisciplinary learning. The WSA enabled students to explore the relationships, connections and integration of different subjects at primary education level, such as Science, History, Geography, Languages, Maths and Arts. In fact, Mathie and Wals (2022) highlighted that the interdisciplinary approach is associated with a reduction in the curriculum coverage time as it effectively brings together knowledge of different disciplines, reducing the load of individual subjects. The following quote from a participant supports the above statement:

My classroom was transformed into a mini laboratory to encourage pupils to participate in learning where knowledge and experiences gained from different subject areas are brought together to spread the need for the protection and conservation of the ‘blue gold’, that is water…

Through the whole-school sustainability projects, the teachers were able to achieve several curriculum objectives in Maths, Science, Arts and History. In fact, each participating teacher incorporated both their curricular aims and externally mandated achievement aims into the project.

Campus

School ethos and school vibrance are powerful dimensions in providing a conducive learning environment. The morning assembly, the meetings (either weekly or fortnightly) and the interactions with relevant resource persons at the school helped in contributing to the school ethos and climate. The visits by stakeholders in the schools contributed to a congruence which is not usually seen and experienced on the school campus.

Community

The WSA project also helped to bring parents and other stakeholders into the school community, which has been a difficult task for long in the Mauritian education system. Through the projects, parents were not only given the opportunity to take cognisance of the learning processes of their children at school levels but were also given the opportunity to become part of the decision-making process. In fact, by involving parents who are the child’s first teachers, schools created a dynamic home-school partnership which enabled close monitoring of the pupils’ learning and progress. In fact, through the projects, schools were able to build strong relationships between all key stakeholders.

Culture

Implementation of the WSA projects has showcased the development of a sustainability culture in the participating schools, which encompasses the achievement of objectives related to enacted curriculum, campus and community, as depicted in Fig. 21.1. In fact, engagement in the WSA projects developed a sustainability culture, impregnated with citizenship and sustainability values and attitudes towards the environment. All members of ‘whole-school team’, including pupils, teachers, school administrators and members of the community, highlighted that engagement in the projects led to the development of key values and attitudes, such as trustworthiness, respect, altruism, integrity, generosity, courage, gratitude, adaptability, self-respect and flexibility. The project contributed to community building in the school and provided a purpose for all actors in the participating schools. However, it should be noted that this was not the case for all the 30 schools involved in the case study. Variations in the understanding of sustainability led to alternatives in the operationalisation of the WSA to sustainability.

Challenges Encountered During the Implementation Phase

Some of the challenges encountered during the adoption of a whole-school approach were limited communication between the stakeholders, limited resources to monitor tasks implementation and accountability. It was also not clear to whom the actors were accountable as the management practices are shifted from one single person to a collective decision-making panel. Thus, the issue of accountability jeopardised the whole-school approach in some of the participating schools. Moreover, not all the members of the whole-school approach had the skills to work and operate in a team. Another important challenge was the time constraints which impacted on the teaching and learning process and the compliance with the school curriculum.

Though the ‘whole-school approach’ was well received by all the key actors within the ‘whole-school team’, of all the participating schools in this case study, the major challenge faced by the schools was the alignment of the teaching and learning practices with the assessment practices. In Mauritius, education is very competitive due to national examinations at the end of primary schooling, which enable students to secure their seats in ‘star’ secondary schools. Therefore, for the parents of these students, engaging in activities out of school is considered as a waste of time.

5 Alignment of the Mauritian Experiences of Using the Whole-School Approach to Education for Sustainability to Other Contexts Documented in the Literature

The whole-school approach provides a framework for a holistic, systemic, collective and reflexive efforts towards education for sustainability. It is an attempt to embed sustainability issues from multiple perspectives in an integrated and relational way (Mathie & Wals, 2022). In the Mauritian case study, the use of the whole-school approach through the implementation of a WSA project, as implemented in 30 primary schools, showcased good practice in working holistically to promote students’ learning and well-being. It was also acknowledged that school community, created through the ‘whole-school team’, impacted positively on pupils’ socio-psycho-pedagogical development by providing useful and meaningful learning experiences. By adopting this approach, the participating schools increased their engagement within the community, securing sustainable improvements. The approach allowed different members of the school community, namely students, staff, parents and other community members coming from diverse sectors (both public and private), to work collaboratively. This is reflected in the following statement of an educator:

……the project allowed us to strive to be a caring learning community where staff, pupil, parents work together with mutual respect to fulfil our God-given potential with integrity, compassion and a sense of honour in the generous pursuit of a better world for all to share.

In fact, the whole-school approach defined the entire school community as the unit of change and involved coordinated action between three interrelated components, namely (i) curriculum, teaching and learning; (ii) school ethos and environment and (iii) family and community partnerships (Goldberg et al., 2019). The whole-school approach successfully integrated conceptual knowledge, skills and values development into the daily interactions and practices using collaborative efforts that include all staff, teachers, families and children (Jones & Bouffard, 2012; Meyers et al., 2015). The case study has also showcased coordination among the three interrelated components of the WSA highlighted by Goldberg et al. (2019).

However, it was also noted that the nature and effectiveness of such coordination depends on the commitment of the relevant stakeholders and school leadership and what makes it be a good governance. In some cases, despite extensive investment in whole-school interventions, the nature of the interventions and their effectiveness remained unclear. Durlak et al. (2011) and Langford et al. (2015) also stated that whole-school interventions adopting a whole-school approach are failing to show impacts. However, this study showed that though interventions from key stakeholders of some of the whole-school teams were not aligned to the requirements of the national curriculum framework, the other schools showcased laudable alignments. Moreover, the Mauritian case study initiated some key transformations in teaching, role of parents and ‘Parent-Teacher’ associations, and even broadened the concept of school leadership and governance.

The key elements and pathways of the whole-school approach were supported by factors such as informal teaching, reinforcement and adequate time for relationships development embedded within the whole-school orientation. The results of this study are used to formulate a theoretical model of how the whole-school approach builds school connectedness (Rowe & Stewart, 2011). The whole-school approach provides a framework for a comprehensive education for sustainability and the qualities recognised to consolidate education within it are coherence, appropriate policies, transparency, practice and continuing professional development (Morgen et al., 2019).

Curriculum approaches that promoted inclusive student participation through real-life activities and student-centred activities in which students had a say in their learning were important in promoting school connectedness in this study. These approaches demonstrated direct links to school connectedness, which is strongly verified by the literature (Patton et al., 2006; Simovska, 2007). However, what was more important is that it engaged students in a greater number of interactions with other students in their own class, in other classes, with school staff, and with members of the broader school community. In this respect, it is important to note the benefits of linking real-life, student-centred curriculum activities to a whole-school community activity, for the promotion of connectedness (Rowe & Stewart, 2011), which act as a cementing material to tighten the WSA.

Whole-school approach also contributed in positive reinforcement, especially when school staffs interact with students. School staff (teaching and non-teaching) established working and interpersonal relationships with students in a variety of contexts, either during classroom or out-of-classroom activities. Moreover, the informal interactions among school community members promoted mutual reciprocity. This development of informal interactions was key at merging the formal and non-formal learning processes. The whole-school approach therefore created a potential framework for accommodating non-formal learning within the formal education system.

6 Recommendations

It has been theoretically suggested that the school organisation is one of the most crucial facilitators of ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ implementation in practice (Nikel & Lowe, 2010). Global sustainability agenda challenges traditional pedagogies and calls for a school education that fosters awareness of the complexities and uncertainty of the surrounding world. It calls for a holistic approach to address global and complex problems thereby developing the necessary competences and sustainability culture among our youth. The way that schools are organised and operate in Mauritius or elsewhere does not do justice to the importance of sustainability concepts and principles and does not create the environment required for sustainability to be embedded in the teaching and learning cultures. Expanding and extending the school governance by ‘roping’ in key actors in the decision-making process and its translation in the school operations is a must. A school organisation that promotes such changes can be regarded as reflexive in relation to social learning and new social movements (Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2015). This allows us to explore how different ways of organising a school relate to different ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ implementation strategies and offer some recommendations for future ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ implementation efforts based on a framework rooted in school improvement research.

7 Conclusion

Academic literature and policy documents consistently advocate the adoption of a ‘whole-school’ approach as one of several necessary components in the successful pursuit of education for sustainability. However, the implementation of whole-school approaches remains partial and disconnected, with the focus being placed on distinct topics or projects, rather than attempting to identify the underlying commonalities that make up the broader tenets of this approach. Thus, it would be relevant to rethink the teacher education models by transiting from a campus-based to a more school-based teacher education programme implementation. Our study has also indicated that commitment of key actors at school to bring a transformation in the teaching and learning practices can contribute to establishing a whole-school approach to sustainability.