Toward Equitable Futures in Environmental and Sustainability Education: A Scholarly Review of Social Studies Advocacy

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Educating for Climate Literacy and Justice: Preparing Teachers, Students, Communities, and Institutions for Sustainable Futures

Abstract

This study examined literature from 1989 to 2024 on how social studies contributes to environmental and sustainability education, with a focus on global citizenship education and sustainable development. Our analysis reveals three key themes: the urgency of sustainability issues in an interconnected world; focus on individual responsibility and building skills for collective action; and the marginalization of Indigenous voices and structural inequality. We argue that advancing decolonial futures requires environmental and sustainability education to address complex environmental challenges and critically engage with Western-centric ideologies that perpetuate global injustice.

Authors

• Yun Wen Chan, Texas State University

• Theresa Alviar Martin, Kennesaw State University