Developing Innovative Approaches to ESD

Curriculum Reform in TVET in China, 2007-2009

The research project entitled Developing Innovative Approaches to Education for Sustainable Development: Curriculum Reform in TVET China facilitated curriculum reform in the TVET sector in China through the development of contextually-based, innovative approaches towards teaching and learning of issues relevant for sustainable development. The project, which was initiated in 2007 and completed at the end of 2009, involved and was co-financed by the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, Griffith University (a UNEVOC Centre in Australia), Zhenjiang Technology Institute of Economy (a UNEVOC Centre in China) and 10 higher vocational education institutes from various regions in China.

The project identified sustainability concepts and activities across 27 TVET programmes and subjects, namely: accounting, agriculture, architecture, arts, automatization, biological science, chemical engineering, commerce, electronics, environmental protection, finance, food biochemistry, forestry, franchising, indoor-decoration, industrial design, international trade, irrigation, IT, logistics, machinery, management, materials management, printing, secretary studies and tourism.

The ESD content and new teaching methods that emerged from the research can be incorporated into TVET programmes to develop learners’ capacity to understand socially and environmentally significant issues for improving the quality of life and to apply concepts of sustainable development. The research methodology allowed for a conceptualization of students’ attitudes towards sustainable development in the context of their current studies and future employment, and the main pedagogical issues within this learning could be identified. The analysis of the data collected and the end results of the research will be published and distributed to UNEVOC Network members and other entities in the UNESCO Member States.