Screenshot showing first three programmes, from Muinín Catalyst STEAM Education for Sustainable Development and Futures Literacy, Sept 2024
We relaunched our resource platform, this month as we come to the end of the Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM (MCSS) project, our 2-year Science Foundation Ireland and Department of Education joint-funded project, as part of the Discover Programme. This blog uses extracts from our final report. You can read more about Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM and our findings in our upcoming report available on our website from 14th Oct 2024,
In Context: Muinín Catalyst STEAM Education for Sustainable Development and Futures Literacy
Our aim from the beginning was to augment and transition the Irish senior cycle, in particular Transition Year, with 21st-century future-ready skills, towards a curriculum for all, both educators and learners will need. Aside from many recent research studies, identifying future growth areas requiring ICT and strategic, product and digital design skills as necessary (NSS 2025, EGFSN, 2020; DES, 2015 ), the project built upon CoDesRes EPA-funded and industry-funded (CPL plc, Ireland's largest recruitment company) research to develop an evidence-based beta field test. Given the calls for global educational reform, the rapid shifts in Climate Science and an increasing awareness of the impact future-ready teachers and learners will need a different set of skills and competencies, that are cultivated from an early age.
As the world grapples with the ramifications of climate change and an increasingly Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) (USAHEC, 2018) world, the imperative to equip future generations with the knowledge and skills to navigate and mitigate these challenges has become increasingly evident. Ninety-one per cent of our core cohort reported they were worried about their futures because they didn't think they had one and that adults and leaders were doing nothing. They also reported our Phase 1 resources gave them hope as it never left them sitting in the problem, developing their agency by building their confidence and competence to take action.
Young peoples' requirements from education systems were highlighted in an earlier European Commission survey (2019) in which 41% of young people in Europe reported 'education systems did not provide adequate tools to understand climate change, the environmental challenges and ways to act more sustainably' (Quest, 2023). The concerns of young people were documented country by country and in Ireland, the top two priorities
protecting the environment and fighting Climate Change (EU 67%, IRL 67%) and
improving Education and Training (EU 56%, IRL 59%)
were equal to or higher than than EU collective responses. If we turn our attention to teachers, we see educational concerns also. A UNESCO survey (GEMRT, 2023) spanning 100 countries revealed the stark reality: only 40% of teachers felt confident in explaining the severity of climate change to their students. Further, an earlier GEMRT (2021) report found that 47% of the 100 countries’ curriculum frameworks that were reviewed had no reference to climate change.
In an era marked by unprecedented environmental challenges, the urgency for educational reform has never been more pronounced. Ireland's current state education system and education policy is informed by the policy initiative 'Our Sustainable Future' (DECLG, 2012), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the National Implementation Plan (2018 - 2030). The aim for Education for Sustainability is to
‘ensure that education contributes to sustainable development by equipping learners with the relevant knowledge (the ‘what’), the key dispositions and skills (the ‘how’) and the values (the ‘why’) that will motivate and empower them throughout their lives to become informed active citizens who take action for a more sustainable future’.
Dept.Ed, 2014:4
However, given the underpinning of the strategy, 'ensure that education contributes to sustainable development' the understanding of Sustainable Development needs to be reconsidered in 2024. The predominant definition of Sustainable Development comes from the World Commission on Economic Development's (WCED) Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, 1987. Sustainable development
...is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'
Brundtland, 1987
Changing Context: Education as Sustainability
Since 1987, due to climate changes over the last forty years, the ability of future generations to meet their needs has been compromised and therefore if education is to meet the needs of the present, it will have to begin to support the development of skills and competencies that can support learners, indeed citizens, for all futures, even if we are unable to predict what those futures maybe be. MCSS sought to support future-ready teachers and learners by building Futures Literacy within the Irish Education system, through educational resources developed by educators, artists and industry and academic experts. Futures Literacy is defined by UNESCO as helping
'people understand why and how we use the future to prepare, plan, and interact with the complexity and novelty of our societies.'
UNESCO, 2012
Transition Year was selected as the site of the research for the education pathway for the following reasons;
The NCCA Senior Cycle review (2016 - 2019) generated a shared vision for the Senior Cycle and a strong base from which to shape a curriculum that genuinely meets the needs of all learners for years to come.
The opportunity to develop eco-social leadership skills as well as support educators to transition from teaching content to facilitating learning relevant to the 21st Century and the challenges we will face.
As a developmental year there is no set curriculum and no exams.
In three years, these young people will vote and we need 21c future-ready informed citizens
These combined factors guided MCSS’s design to gain a deeper understanding of the educational landscape, its challenges and opportunities and how to mitigate for, this within the context of 21c VUCA world. The imperative for transformative action has never been more pressing. In the face of the looming Climate Crisis, education stands as a critical tool for equipping our educators and young people with the knowledge, skills, and emotional resilience necessary to navigate an uncertain future. Within this context, the urgent need for a post-industrial education system, that is learner-centred, increasingly customisable and self-directed is a global call for educational reform.
Technology has increased access to knowledge and blended learning approaches allow teachers and learners to move beyond the classroom and textbooks. Hybrid on and offline learning offers the possibility of differentiated learning pathways and more effective learning outcomes, within a class group. Coupled with inquiry and project-based learning, the discovery, creation and processing of knowledge can be more effective and increasingly, autonomous and self-directed opportunities.
Globally there is a radical reimagining of how we prepare our youth for the realities of the 21st century and at the core the MCSS pedagogical practices and philosophy lies in the recognition that education must transcend disciplinary boundaries and embrace a holistic understanding of the world. Further, educators need support to augment education systems that are understandably slow to change and curricula that inevitably due to time-lag can be out of sync with contemporary STEM research and knowledge. The Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM (MCSS) project emerged from three years of EPA and industry (CPL plc, Ireland's largest recruitment company) funded research to continue transitioning the Senior Cycle towards a 'curriculum for all'.
Screenshot showing the next six of ten programmes, Sept 2024
Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM focuses on Education for Adaptation, as Sustainability, rather than Education 'for' Sustainable Development. Further, alignment with the European Sustainability Competence Framework (JRC, 2022) in which Sustainability is viewed as a core competence offers a more contemporarily relevant definition of sustainability as
“a way to prioritise the needs of all life forms, ensuring that human activities do not exceed the limits of the planet’s resources”.
(JRC, 2022)
This prioritises the more than human, and interdependent system and limits to resources. The European Green Deal, in which The GreenComp Framework, sits as a policy action emphasises the need to address gaps in environmental education by integrating sustainability competencies into educational programs. Such competencies are designed to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for sustainable thinking, planning, and action, which through the GreenComp framework, individuals are encouraged to:
Think holistically and critically examine the worldviews underlying current social, economic, and environmental systems.
Take action, both individually and collectively, to transform society and shape a sustainable future.
Embed sustainability skills across disciplines to train the agents of change necessary for societal development.
Our findings, supported by other studies and surveys all speak to the urgent need for a shift toward competency-based educational models that foster sustainability knowledge and attitudes, equipping students with the tools to address environmental challenges and contribute to building a more sustainable and resilient future (JRC, 2022). MCSS's approach is not just about teaching students about the environment; it's about empowering learners by building their capacity for systemic, creative and critical thinking while supporting educators to build capacity for facilitating inter and transdisciplinary learning, no matter their subject expertise. Our Sustainable STEAM programmes, by focusing on Futures literacy not only integrate the arts into the STEM fields, but they support the development of competencies and processes inherent in their practices that are necessary for Futures Literacy (UNESCO,2012), by integrating multiple literacies (social-emotional, ecological/climate, design, digital, media, information, scientific) in a holistic way.
The Future is Now: Designing Education for the Future
The MCSS programme was designed based on prior research (European Commission, 2022; McKeown et al, 2022) that showed the gaps in educational provision (state and EU-wide), if we are to support and prepare learners for the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Designed with teachers and learners MCSS recognises the critical role of educators in this transformative process. MCSS focuses on the complexities of the Climate Crisis and unlike conventional subject-specific teaching methods, MCSS embraces an inter and trans-disciplinary applied learning approach. Using Transition Year as an opportunity, MCSS’s comprehensive resources, fully scaffolded for both teachers and learners, offer in-class professional development, and ongoing support for teachers to transition to facilitating transformative learning experiences that go beyond the confines of the classroom/curriculum.
Delivery of the step-by-step lesson plans and practical STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) applied learning experiences is an opportunity for in-class / in-service learning and continuous professional development (CPD). The aim is to nurture a new generation of educators who are not just disseminators of information, but facilitators of change, while minimising additional workload, and after-hours extensive training.
Despite the transformative potential of initiatives like MCSS, significant challenges persist within the broader educational ecosystem. Recent assessments by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and UN observers, such as the OECD, highlight systemic deficiencies and challenges within the current education system and Transition Year. See here for findings from our baseline survey. The predominant global model of education is no longer adequate for the world we live in. Additionally, in Ireland the impending introduction of new curricular practices, within programmes such as the Leaving Certificate Climate Action and Sustainable Development, underscores the need for support and comprehensive teacher training to ensure successful implementation. Early consultation has highlighted a range of concerns regarding time, confidence and competence to deliver the subject within the current system.
MCSS was designed to augment the curriculum, particularly for use in Transition Year, serving as foundational primers for the knowledge, skills, and emotional resilience needed to navigate an uncertain future and educational reform. Transition Year offered the opportunity to engage educational stakeholders to develop resources that supported making a meaningful impact on the lives of learners and creating a more just and sustainable future.
The Future is Now.
It is time to prepare today's students for today’s world.
If you are interested in using our resources with your learners or FREE CPD on Education for Sustainable Development and Futures Literacy please contact hello@futurefocus21c.com
Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM uses a transdisciplinary, STEAM-based pedagogical approach. Returning to SDG 4, Target 4.7, one of the core missions of the Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM programme is to ensure an arts/design and culture-led approach to learning that is transdisciplinary and transformative. Learning that supports the development of informed citizens, who are systemic, critical and creative thinkers who can apply their knowledge in agile ways that are sensitive, generative and appropriately responsive to context, in relevant and meaningful ways. This is done through placed-based learning, which enables individuals to experience learning in local, real-life scenarios. Place-based approaches to learning grounded in local communities and contexts are relevant, engaging and inquiry-based. Students gain confidence and competence in affecting change, learning to manage risk, and developing creative, real-world solutions that are eco-socially just and restorative.
References:
Brundtland, GH (1987) Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Geneva, UN-Dokument A/42/427. Accessed 7.7.24
Department of Education and Skills (2012) (2019) Statement of Strategy Available here; https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/93e2da-department-of-education-and-skills-statement-of-strategy-2011-2014/ Accessed 7.7. 24
Department of Education and Skills (2016) Action Plan for Education 2016 - 2019 Available here https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/action-plan-for-education-2016-2019/ Accessed 5.4.24
Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (2018) Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (2012) ‘Our Sustainable Future’ Ireland Accessed 24.5. 24 Available here https://developmenteducation.ie/resource/our-sustainable-future-a-framework-for-sustainable-development-in-ireland/
European Commission: Joint Research Centre, GreenComp, the European sustainability competence framework, Publications Office of the European Union, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/13286
European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Green Deal – Research & innovation call, Publications Office of the European Union, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/33415
McKeown et al (2022)
Miller, R. UNESCO (2018) Transforming the future: anticipation in the 21st century Routledge, London
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (UNECE, 2005, 2009)
UNESCO (2012) Futures Literacy Available here: https://www.unesco.org/en/futures-literacy Accessed 12.6.24
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