Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ECF4CLIM (A EUROPEAN COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK FOR A LOW CARBON ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH EDUCATION)
Reporting period: 2021-10-01 to 2023-03-31
Sustainability transformations need citizens with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable effective individual action, as well as societal institutions that empower and encourage citizens and organisations to act in favour of sustainability. The acquisition of the necessary competences requires transdisciplinarity, that is, collaboration across disciplinary boundaries and between the different “social worlds” – in brief, science, policy, and society. Crucially, such competence-building can only succeed if citizens are enrolled in processes of continuous learning, dialogue, and empowerment.
The ECF4CLIM project supports this work by co-designing and testing a European Competence Framework for climate change and sustainable development, which is transdisciplinary and will enable and empower the citizens to act towards the necessary transition towards sustainability.
ECF4CLIM mobilises a multidisciplinary group of academics within a consortium of experts in technical, environmental, economic, social, educational and pedagogical areas relating to sustainable development. It engages students, teachers, parents, and the wider educational community in contributing to climate action and fostering transformational change towards sustainable development in the spirit of ‘citizen science’. To do so, the project pursues four broad lines of activity to strengthen the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes, practices, and social norms:
• Identifying the challenges and opportunities in the area of sustainability and climate competences through a process of co-design of the ECF
• Testing the ECF at selected demonstration sites, with attention to both individual and collective competences
• Engaging the broader educational community in evaluating the ECF
• Empowering the broader educational community to trigger and sustain transformational change
The ECF4CLIM project supports this work by co-designing and testing a European Competence Framework for climate change and sustainable development, which is transdisciplinary and will enable and empower the citizens to act towards the necessary transition towards sustainability.
ECF4CLIM mobilises a multidisciplinary group of academics within a consortium of experts in technical, environmental, economic, social, educational and pedagogical areas relating to sustainable development. It engages students, teachers, parents, and the wider educational community in contributing to climate action and fostering transformational change towards sustainable development in the spirit of ‘citizen science’. To do so, the project pursues four broad lines of activity to strengthen the requisite knowledge, skills, attitudes, practices, and social norms:
• Identifying the challenges and opportunities in the area of sustainability and climate competences through a process of co-design of the ECF
• Testing the ECF at selected demonstration sites, with attention to both individual and collective competences
• Engaging the broader educational community in evaluating the ECF
• Empowering the broader educational community to trigger and sustain transformational change
ECF4CLIM has undertaken the following activities, following our participatory and transdisciplinary approach, and working hand-in hand with 13 schools and universities in Finland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.
- Co-designing our initial European Competence Framework (ECF)
To elaborate an initial ECF, we drew upon two types of material and analysis: first, a broad international crowdsourcing exercise in the spirit of citizen science, and second, an analysis of relevant scientific literature, other ECFs, international, national and regional policy frameworks, and national curricula. Our initial ECF is a living document, a roadmap designed to provide actionable knowledge understanding on how to apply the normative and conceptual ideals – the usual focus of competence frameworks – to everyday practices of implementing competences at schools and universities. The initial ECF went through an analysis by selected experts to confirm that our work was on the right track.
- Establishing the baseline of competences and environmental performance at our demonstration sites (DS)
Employing a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods (environmental KPIs, questionnaires, interviews, documentary analysis, and reconvened focus groups), the project established the initial state of play at schools and universities (our DS) in terms of the individual and collective competences and environmental performance. This baseline provides the basis for continuous evaluation throughout the project lifetime.
- The novel hybrid participatory approach: the SCTs and SCCs
The project employed a novel bottom-up, reflective, and deliberative approach to experiential learning, via the so-called STAVE tool – Systematic Tool for Behavioural Assumption Validation and Exploration (www.pachelbe.eu). At each SD, we set up Sustainability Competence Teams (SCTs) and Sustainability Competence Committees (SCCs). The former were established separately for students, teachers, and staff, whereas the latter bring together a wider range of education-sector stakeholders.
- The initial identification of interventions that foster the acquisition of competences
Drawing on the empirical evidence gathered through the baseline assessment, the SCTs and SCCs identified an initial set of measures, tailor-made for each demonstration site, and designed interventions to foster sustainability and climate action.
ECF4CLIM is developing a digital platform that integrates the crowdsourcing space outputs, simulation tools, a learning space, and IoT solutions that allow real-time monitoring of selected parameters.
- Co-designing our initial European Competence Framework (ECF)
To elaborate an initial ECF, we drew upon two types of material and analysis: first, a broad international crowdsourcing exercise in the spirit of citizen science, and second, an analysis of relevant scientific literature, other ECFs, international, national and regional policy frameworks, and national curricula. Our initial ECF is a living document, a roadmap designed to provide actionable knowledge understanding on how to apply the normative and conceptual ideals – the usual focus of competence frameworks – to everyday practices of implementing competences at schools and universities. The initial ECF went through an analysis by selected experts to confirm that our work was on the right track.
- Establishing the baseline of competences and environmental performance at our demonstration sites (DS)
Employing a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods (environmental KPIs, questionnaires, interviews, documentary analysis, and reconvened focus groups), the project established the initial state of play at schools and universities (our DS) in terms of the individual and collective competences and environmental performance. This baseline provides the basis for continuous evaluation throughout the project lifetime.
- The novel hybrid participatory approach: the SCTs and SCCs
The project employed a novel bottom-up, reflective, and deliberative approach to experiential learning, via the so-called STAVE tool – Systematic Tool for Behavioural Assumption Validation and Exploration (www.pachelbe.eu). At each SD, we set up Sustainability Competence Teams (SCTs) and Sustainability Competence Committees (SCCs). The former were established separately for students, teachers, and staff, whereas the latter bring together a wider range of education-sector stakeholders.
- The initial identification of interventions that foster the acquisition of competences
Drawing on the empirical evidence gathered through the baseline assessment, the SCTs and SCCs identified an initial set of measures, tailor-made for each demonstration site, and designed interventions to foster sustainability and climate action.
ECF4CLIM is developing a digital platform that integrates the crowdsourcing space outputs, simulation tools, a learning space, and IoT solutions that allow real-time monitoring of selected parameters.
Progress beyond the state of the art
- Novel, validated, and replicable hybrid participatory approach to monitor the acquisition of ECF competences in different socioeconomic and environmental contexts in Europe.
- Tools for exploring the role and impact of collective competences in sustainability education in their context, to help bridge the gaps between attitudes, discourse, and action, between individual and collective action, and between competences and action.
- An innovative STAVE approach adapted to the educational context.
- Innovative organisational models (SCTs and SCCs) to foster sustainability and engage a wide range of local actors.
- Fostering the creation of a transdisciplinary international network of schools, local authorities, and educational and sustainability experts collaborating towards a more sustainable Europe.
• New products and services
- The ECF4CLIM digital platform
Expected results until the end of the project
- Multidisciplinary ECF tested and validated at 13 demonstration sites in 4 countries.
- Hybrid participatory methodology to analyse the capacity of the interventions to enhance the individual and collective sustainability-related competences.
- Participatory and deliberative approach to the co-design, co-implementation and co-evaluation of measures and interventions.
- Full or partial integration of the ECF into the educational programmes and curricula.
- Educational tools and materials.
- Consolidation of the Sustainability Competence Teams (SCTs) and Sustainability Competence Committees (SCCs).
- A digital platform with crowdsourcing, IoT, and calculation tools.
- Networking with other relevant projects and activities.
Potential impacts
Our ECF has the ambition to serve as a reference tool for the Member States, the public and private sector, stakeholders, and NGOs. We have produced a practical roadmap that operationalizes the ECF elaborated by the JRC (GreenComp) and engages several EU countries to promote the adoption of the ECF by enhancing its legitimacy and building broad societal support.
Our hybrid participatory methodology – entailing close collaboration with schools, universities, and the wider educational community – is designed to foster engagement, sense of ownership, relevance, and sensitivity to context. This applies in particular to the elaboration of overall project indicators, which aims to enable critical reflection on the links between attitudes, knowledge, action, and impacts relating to sustainable development and climate action.
We are also engaged in intergenerational and transdisciplinary dialogues on climate action, environmental protection and behavioural changes for sustainable development with an extensive participation of pupils and students, supported by educators, practitioners, and academic experts.
- Novel, validated, and replicable hybrid participatory approach to monitor the acquisition of ECF competences in different socioeconomic and environmental contexts in Europe.
- Tools for exploring the role and impact of collective competences in sustainability education in their context, to help bridge the gaps between attitudes, discourse, and action, between individual and collective action, and between competences and action.
- An innovative STAVE approach adapted to the educational context.
- Innovative organisational models (SCTs and SCCs) to foster sustainability and engage a wide range of local actors.
- Fostering the creation of a transdisciplinary international network of schools, local authorities, and educational and sustainability experts collaborating towards a more sustainable Europe.
• New products and services
- The ECF4CLIM digital platform
Expected results until the end of the project
- Multidisciplinary ECF tested and validated at 13 demonstration sites in 4 countries.
- Hybrid participatory methodology to analyse the capacity of the interventions to enhance the individual and collective sustainability-related competences.
- Participatory and deliberative approach to the co-design, co-implementation and co-evaluation of measures and interventions.
- Full or partial integration of the ECF into the educational programmes and curricula.
- Educational tools and materials.
- Consolidation of the Sustainability Competence Teams (SCTs) and Sustainability Competence Committees (SCCs).
- A digital platform with crowdsourcing, IoT, and calculation tools.
- Networking with other relevant projects and activities.
Potential impacts
Our ECF has the ambition to serve as a reference tool for the Member States, the public and private sector, stakeholders, and NGOs. We have produced a practical roadmap that operationalizes the ECF elaborated by the JRC (GreenComp) and engages several EU countries to promote the adoption of the ECF by enhancing its legitimacy and building broad societal support.
Our hybrid participatory methodology – entailing close collaboration with schools, universities, and the wider educational community – is designed to foster engagement, sense of ownership, relevance, and sensitivity to context. This applies in particular to the elaboration of overall project indicators, which aims to enable critical reflection on the links between attitudes, knowledge, action, and impacts relating to sustainable development and climate action.
We are also engaged in intergenerational and transdisciplinary dialogues on climate action, environmental protection and behavioural changes for sustainable development with an extensive participation of pupils and students, supported by educators, practitioners, and academic experts.