5. Inspiring Examples

The Nordic countries have been, and continue to be, in the process of implementing the concept of sustainability in their education systems. This has happened based on research that takes place at universities, within various national and international organisations, and which is published for policymakers in various academic journals and books and in the form of various reports such as the IPCC Climate Reports (last published in 2023). There is, however, a long and complicated road from new knowledge being published to teachers incorporating part of that knowledge into their teaching, and students being educated in sustainability. This long and complicated road is shown in the model of didactic transposition (see Figure 9), which schematically shows this process.

Figure 9: The process of didactic transposition shows how knowledge goes from being produced at universities to ultimately becoming some kind of learning outcome for the students (Chevallard, 1989).

As the survey results show (see chapter 7), there can be several barriers associated with teaching sustainability. Teachers in the survey mentioned lack of skills, lack of teaching materials, and an overcrowded curriculum which can be attributed to internal didactic transposition 1. The survey also mentions the students' lack of interest in SD as a relatively frequent occurrence, which can be attributed to internal didactic transposition 2. In other words, it is not an entirely easy process to develop and implement ESD — even if it is an extremely urgent and relevant agenda for the current education system in the Nordic countries.

The expert group has, therefore, found it relevant to provide a few diverse inspirational examples from educational work in the Nordic countries which might inspire teachers who are looking for more meaningful ways of engaging with sustainability in their educational practice. These examples are not intended as instructions or something to be widely replicated but rather to inspire teachers’ imagination — their faglige fantasi — so that they and their whole school communities can find new ways of teaching sustainability and, perhaps also, new ways of flourishing at work.

Science education

Community engagement

Sustainable energy supply

Lower secondary education

This inspiring example is about natural science teachers who developed a thematic way of teaching about energy supply. The 7^th grade science teachers wanted to develop and implement a joint course on sustainable energy supply in the local area. The science teachers came from the subjects of biology, geography, and physics/​chemistry and jointly taught four 7^th grade classes.

The teachers agreed that each class should work on how different forms of energy could be produced in the local area from a sustainability perspective, and what implications this would have for the citizens in the local area. The teachers agreed that the students had to work with wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, nuclear power, and coal power. In each class, there were to be five groups of students, and each group had to choose which of the energy forms they wanted to work with. The science teachers visited the different classes and provided professional input before the student groups were sent out into the local area to carry out various investigations. For example, some of the groups examined energy output from small wind turbines they had made themselves and subsequently conducted interviews with parents and friends regarding what they thought about the installation of wind turbines in the local area. Other groups investigated the energy output of solar cells and the optimal placement of them.

The course ended with the student groups presenting their projects. The students thus gained an insight into several forms of energy, and some of the implications it would have for the local community if they were to be placed there. During the course, the students had thus worked with the UN global goals no. 1, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15 as well as part of UNESCO's sustainability competencies.

In the course, the students were free to choose the forms of energy supply they wanted to study as well as what and how it should be investigated, while at the same time they gained an insight into a wide range of energy forms. The teachers determined the general framework for the project, and at the same time had great pleasure in working together with colleagues and gaining an insight into the colleagues' considerations and expertise.

Creative curriculum adaptation

Active student engagement

UN SDGs

Lower secondary education

This example of strong student co-determination in SE took place at a large school in Silkeborg, Denmark. In the centre of the school, there was a closed atrium yard which lay unused. A team of teachers teaching 8^th grade (four classes) agreed to create a common course for the students, which was about transforming the atrium garden into a sustainability garden. The focus was on UN SDG 15, life on land, which was combined with several of the other UNSDGs. Each class was allocated ¼ of the area of the atrium garden, which they had to agree to develop in terms of form and content. Each individual student came up with ideas, which were subsequently discussed and either accepted or rejected by the rest of the class. Throughout the course, the students had a great deal of responsibility and co-determination; an important part of the task was precisely getting the students to negotiate an agreement in class in relation to the intervention. The role of the teachers in the course was mainly facilitative, ensuring that the students followed a plan and making sure relevant parts of the national curriculum were catered to.

In the process, one of the classes chose to combine UNSDG 15 with UNSDG 6, clean drinking water, and subsequently built a water-collection system for irrigation. Another class combined UNSDG 15 with UNSDG 2, stop hunger — building planter boxes with vegetables. A third class combined UNSDG 15 with UNSDG 3, health and well-being, and built garden furniture that would encourage the other students to spend more time outside.

When the school garden/living room had to be laid out, the students’ input and expertise were included in many ways. In mathematics, they calculated the size and material consumption of planter boxes. In craft and design, they designed and built the planter boxes. Delivery of plant soil was also ordered, which had to be brought into the area. This was physically hard work — perhaps harder than what normally took place in physical education.

During the process, the teachers thus ensured that relevant professional content was included in the teaching. All in all, this meant that the project was extremely meaningful to the students, and they felt great ownership of the process and the finished sustainability garden. The students were proud to be able to harvest their own organic vegetables — something many of them had not experienced before.

The organisation and implementation of the course fits the PACK model (Jónsson & Macdonald, 2021). The students’ interests are the starting point for the learning process, and students and teachers together develop, plan, and implement the course. This contrasts with more conventional teaching, where curriculum and evaluation govern the teaching.

Resources for SE

Primary and secondary education

Adult education

Critical thinking

The Finnish National Agency for Education has published a guide in three languages (Finnish, Swedish, and English). It aims to foster sustainability in learning, culture, and practices: https://www.oph.fi/en/sustainable-future. The guide provides comprehensive information and resources on SD for education experts, from early childhood to adult education. It covers various dimensions of sustainability and offers practical advice, materials, and case studies to support implementation in educational settings. Additionally, the guide encourages reflection on values, fosters constructive dialogue, and sparks critical thinking. The guide also provides useful tips and links (in Finnish) for promoting sustainability in early childhood education.

Resources for SE

Climate education

Climate change

Subject teaching

Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation in Finland has published a teacher’s climate guide for subject teachers. This guide is available in three languages (Finnish, Swedish, and English). The teacher’s climate guide is a resource material designed to support subject teachers in their teaching and educational work. It describes climate change from the perspective of each subject taught in elementary schools. Additionally, it offers visual materials and task ideas suitable for each subject. Beyond the subject-specific material, the guide has compiled concise tips for multidisciplinary learning and climate education in primary schools, as well as general information packages on climate change and climate education.

Resources for SE

Non-formal education

Head-heart-hand pedagogy

Belonging to Nature is a project led by several non-formal educators from many countries in Europe. Part of the project was to develop thirty workshops on nature connection that can be used in various settings with young people, adapted to their ages, natural surroundings, and to different aims. The manual is based on the concept of Human Ecology with activities focusing on different spheres: Self, Social, Earth, and Spiritual Ecologies. Activities range from energisers and team-building activities to long content-based sessions, all using non-formal methodology and having fun and learning as main ingredients. The activities have been tested in diverse environments. The project highlights the importance of young people’s ecological development when spending quality time outdoors and connecting with nature. The activities are based on head-heart-hand pedagogy recognising the three main faculties of the human being — thinking, feeling, and doing — which correspond to understanding, sharing, and manifesting. See more at: https://belongingtonature.com/.

Water

Active student engagement

UN SDGs

An elementary-school teacher with students investigated local water resources through a problem-based approach related to a new water treatment plant. Students investigated what tools could be used if a new water treatment plant would be built. Based on their observations, students made their own suggestion on where to situate a possible new water treatment plant. The students also argued for the importance of clean water which related directly to UNSDGs 6 ‘clean water and sanitation’ and UN SDG 3 ‘good health and well-being’. Furthermore, the students discussed the possibilities and the challenges of transporting clean water with ships to settlements in need of clean water.

The above example from a teaching session has been included in this report because it highlights a water issue that is present in several of Greenland’s smaller settlements — access to clean water — and is founded on a problem-based approach of students’ own inquiry.

Sustainability education

Creativity

Whole school approach

School development

Tertiary education

Hallormsstaðaskóli in the east of Iceland is an educational institution providing a platform for people to develop their creative capacities for sustainability. An educational and cultural centre has been operating in Hallormsstaður for over ninety years. Teaching at the school has always been characterised by ideals that align with many of the current principles of sustainability, such as practical craft knowledge woven together with the ethics of using nature, science, and local resources with attentive care for both nature and society. The school was founded as a women’s school, focusing mainly on household skills, but has undergone various reforms as society has changed while educational opportunities and demand have been transformed.

Some years ago, the school revised its take on education and provided a comprehensive program in Creative Sustainability for students at the upper secondary level. In 2024, the school began cooperating with the University of Iceland, offering a 60-ECTS program in Creative Sustainability. The school’s website describes the policy and values of the school are described.

Resources for SE

Primary and secondary education

Pollution

The ocean

A collaborative Nordplus project called “Digital language meetups and Nordic cooperation for a greener future” developed common teaching materials about ocean pollution for Nordic schools, translated into Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, and Faroese (https://nordeniskolen.org/da/temaforloeb/rent-hav). Supported by Nordplus, Icelandic organisation Landvernd, and Norden i Skolen, the initiative produced an interactive teaching package that includes e-books, animated films, and competitions focused on sustainability.

Teachers have praised the material for its accessibility and relevance, helping students understand their connection to the sea and the importance of marine conservation. The materials encourage critical thinking about plastic use and participation in activities like beach cleanups to promote environmental awareness. Norden i Skolen facilitated the distribution of this teaching material across the Nordic region, showcasing successful educational collaboration despite differences in history and context among the countries.

Sustainability education

Whole school approach

School development

Student governance

Norheim School is an elementary school with 260 students located in Karmøy. The school has been working on climate and sustainability for a long time and is environmentally certified with the Green Flag. Environmental and sustainability issues are a central theme in the school’s activities. The school aims to teach students how they can contribute both collectively and individually to making environmentally conscious choices in their daily lives. SD is an integrated part of the curriculum, including topics such as waste sorting, energy saving, consumption, indoor climate, diet, transport, and the local environment.

Norheim School has established an environmental council where the majority are students, giving them influence and experience in participating in decision-making processes and taking responsibility for the decisions made. The students, through the environmental council or by involving all classes at the school, conduct annual environmental reviews, allowing them to contribute ideas for measures that make SD an even better-integrated part of the school’s activities. This gives students insight into the work with the environmental review and what guides the environmental action plan to be implemented. The school also prepares an annual activity plan.

In addition to climate and sustainability being a recurring theme, the school focuses specifically on climate and sustainability for twelve weeks each year. All grades and students are involved and participate. In this work, Norheim School emphasises what students can actively do. Students work on interdisciplinary topics such as sustainability and waste, beach clean-up campaigns, battery hunts, plastic pollution, circular economy, planting and harvesting, toxin-free schools, making birdhouses, and insect hotels. Norheim Elementary School has a holistic, systematic, and inclusive approach to working on climate and sustainability.

Sustainability education

Whole school approach

School development

Student governance

International cooperation

Drøbak Montessori Secondary School is a small secondary school with big ambitions and it is Green Flag certified. The school’s curriculum is directly linked to the environment and sustainability, providing students with practical experiences and the opportunity to influence the environment and society. The school wants to integrate environmental awareness into subjects so that it becomes a natural part of students’ daily lives. Students work practically and theoretically with UN SDGs throughout the school year.

Additionally, students delve into a self-selected topic over four weeks, choosing from various subjects such as human rights, freedom of expression, exploratory work related to chickens and bees, and life under water. The school has a subject called “The Sea,” where students learn about marine life and become independent in boating. The school also has bees, chickens, and a vegetable garden, and organises an autumn market where parents, siblings, and other interested parties are invited to learn about the school and buy food, such as homemade honey and vegetables from the school garden. Drøbak Montessori Secondary School emphasises waste sorting and composting, using the compost to improve the soil in the school’s vegetable garden and as fertiliser for plants and flowers. The school has established an environmental council with students who set goals and create plans for measures to be implemented.

Climate, environment, and sustainability are also central to the school’s operations. Drøbak Montessori Secondary School is a Powerhouse school, meaning the school building is designed to produce more energy than it consumes over its lifetime. The building is heated by pumping warm air from two deep wells, and solar panels are installed on the roof. Occasionally, the school supplies electricity to the power grid. Students have learned how the building functions and use this knowledge when guiding visitors and informing them about the building.

The school participates in international collaboration related to sustainability, including student exchanges focused on renewable energy. In autumn 2022, the school organised sustainability games, to which students from several countries were invited.

Sustainability education

Whole school approach

Student governance

Teamwork

Peer learning

Oxievång school in Malmö has been working systematically to make everyone involved in the sustainability work at the school. The school leadership supports organising teacher training and creates a forum for teachers to discuss the integration of sustainability in the various subject areas. All teaching staff attended specific courses on UN SDGs in order for every teacher to be able to integrate them into their subject areas. The school leadership facilitated teaching staff to start to work more in teams and meet every week. Peer learning led to developing and evaluating the teaching and learning, which has led to transparency and more knowledge about the overall pedagogic work. A central approach in teaching has been to strengthen the democratic perspective in pedagogic work. This is in order to increase pupils’ capacity to express themselves critically and discuss controversial issues such as antisemitism and racism.

Thanks to the coordinated work of the teachers, pupils have been able to bring input from other subject areas into various lessons. One example comes from home economics. By further incorporating sustainability in the various subject areas, the course has reached more depth and it has been easier for students to see the links between the subjects. This has also resulted in more pupil-led activities, such as taking care of beehives and producing honey as well as choosing more vegetarian food. See more at: https://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/inspiration-och-stod-i-arbetet/inspiration-och-reportage/sa-arbetar-oxievangsskolan-med-fragor-om-hallbar-utveckling.

Reduce consumption

Interdisciplinary education

School development

Student governance

Pupil engagement is key in Backebo School. They involved their pupils in the school’s sustainability work through specific formalised councils. The pupil sustainability council had representatives from every class. The council’s aim was to discuss which issues students found interesting to engage with. They met regularly to have continuity.

The school also created a council for staff working in the school which aimed at discussing how to work with the sustainability issues the pupil council found engaging. This council also included staff working in areas such as the building site, the kitchen, and caretaking. The student council would then have a shared responsibility in implementing their ideas. Backebo School has three overarching goals that have guided their work: create more possibilities to rest during the school day (this includes teachers and pupils), respect all living creatures and increasing knowledge on animal welfare, and decrease consumption at the school.

A key to working with sustainability amongst the teaching staff at the school was also to work interdisciplinarily for subject areas not to be isolated. In this way, teachers had an opportunity to include various perspectives and implement them in teaching and learning. To enable this way of working, there were formalised ways of meeting amongst teachers. Peer learning has been key in order for teachers to develop their competence in this field.

Teacher training occurs continuously through courses, networks, and projects with researchers in various subject areas including sustainability. Through interdisciplinarity, peer learning, and continuous professional development, teaching staff have kept sustainability on the agenda. With specific councils for sustainability work at the school, it is easier to not lose track. See more at: https://www.skolverket.se/skolutveckling/inspiration-och-stod-i-arbetet/inspiration-och-reportage/sa-arbetar-backeboskolan-med-fragor-om-hallbar-utveckling.

Green Flag

Whole school approach

Thematic work

Interdisciplinary education

One of the smallest schools in Åland has been working with the Green Flag for a long time, Kökar Primary School with five pupils in grades 1–9. They have followed the Green Flag strategy and worked on the basis of one of the themes specified in the program. The school has then worked on the theme during the school year, partly with theme days but also specifically in separate subjects.

The Åland primary school curriculum emphasises the importance of a sustainability perspective in all teaching. Sustainability is inscribed in all subject areas, so that the teaching of the subjects includes sustainability as part of the teaching.  Sustainability is included in all course syllabi and is also included in the assessment criteria for most subjects. The Green Flag program is a support in implementing sustainability according to the curriculum.

In Kökar Primary School, a plan with objectives and contents is made at the beginning of the term. The pupils are involved in the work already in the planning stage and this has many advantages. Since there are so few pupils, the teacher still must review their tasks as they are all involved in all other work in the school.

 The school has, thanks to the Green Flag, developed practical routines such as not using paper towels or disposable containers, and other measures for environmental reasons. Since it involves some bureaucracy to be a Green Flag school, the school is pausing this year. But routines established through the Green Flag program remain in place.

Educational support

Nordic cooperation

Development

Nordplus is the largest educational programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers, supporting mobility and network-building in the Nordic and Baltic countries, including Åland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland. It promotes SE, from preschools to adult education, through cross-border cooperation and innovative projects as well as funding initiatives that incorporate green practices into teaching, such as climate change, green entrepreneurship, and SD. By fostering collaboration and building competencies, Nordplus plays a vital role in advancing SE and contributing to a greener future in the Nordic region. More information on the programme and how it works towards the Nordic Vision 2030 can be found on www.nordplusonline.org.