School-based Education for Sustainable Development: How Does Sustainability Competence Change in the Course of a School Year?

Sustainability competence is an important goal of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Therefore, ESD is also anchored in educational plans. However, empirical findings on school-based ESD have just recently emerged. This study examines how students' sustainability competencies (aged 9 to 16) develop over the course of a school year. On the basis of a proposed framework model for sustainability competencies, sustainability-related knowledge, attitudes -towards sustainability, and self-reported sustainability behaviour of 1318 pupils in 79 school classes of different secondary school types in Baden-Wurttemberg were measured at the beginning and end of a school year. This measurement took place after the introduction of ESD as a guiding principle in the new educational plans. The results of multilevel analyses showed an increase in sustainability knowledge, but a decrease in attitudes towards sustainability over the course of one school year. In addition, there were also differences in level and partially in the development depending on the attended school track, gender and grade level. The findings are discussed in terms of their significance for school-based ESD.