INTERACT - Tackling ESD related wicked problems in geography teacher training with multimodal vignettes

Problem context

The implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) tends to be perceived as challenging by teachers (Block et al. 2019). A recurring explanation for this is that sustainability-related topics and issues are often based on problems that represent central social challenges, but are also characterised by complexity, controversy and uncertainty at different levels. INTERACT aims to make these problems - discussed as "wicked problems" (Simm et al. 2021) - the explicit subject of teacher training and further education. Through an innovative teaching concept, (prospective) teachers are sensitised to the complex teaching challenges of these wicked problems in the context of ESD and at the same time their opportunities for reflection and action in the classroom are specifically promoted.

Achieves

General Objectives

to establish a sustainable cooperation between three university partners in the field of geography education for sustainable development (ESD).
to improve the quality of teacher training in the field of ESD through the criteria-based co-constructive development, implementation and dissemination of multimodal vignettes on ESD-related wicked problems
to promote pre-service and in-service teachers’ abilities to notice, deeply reflect and deal with ESD-related wicked problems.

Specific Objectives

to develop research-based criteria for designing multimodal vignettes about wicked ESD problems
to define core ESD-topics for designing multimodal vignettes
to co-construct 12 multimodal vignettes on wicked ESD problems based on the developed design criteria
to evaluate 12 multimodal vignettes on wicked ESD problems based on trialing and peer feedback
to implement the multimodal vignettes in teacher training
to disseminate the multimodal vignettes in teacher training

Innovations

INTERACT is innovative in three ways:

INTERACT focuses on wicked problems as an urgent but so far in teacher training insufficiently addressed core area of successful ESD.
INTERACT develops with the multimodal vignettes based on authentic teaching situations an innovative method for deep reflection and peer dialogue in teacher training.
INTERACT addresses successful ESD in co-constructing the multimodal vignettes considering multinational curriculum perspectives.

Results

INTERACT implements a series of activities along three main lines:

development of a handbook for vignette design and evaluation
co-creation of multimodal vignettes reflecting authentic teaching situations on ESD-related wicked problems
implementation of the vignettes in (inter)national pre-service and in-service teacher training.

Complementary activities include rigorous (peer-)evaluation, conference presentations and publications for quality assurance and broad dissemination.
The central result of our project is a comprehensive collection of multimodal vignettes on authentic situations from European classrooms, in which the wickedness of teaching ESD-relevant topics is revealed, together with flexible teaching material for their profound dialogical reflection. All materials will be made available to educators via the project website and OER platforms, making a significant contribution to improving European teacher education in the context of ESD even beyond INTERACT.

This project is founded by the European Union.