Sustainable consumption and lifestyle as an educational theme : What educational goals do we set when we want to anticipate social change?
Abstract
To promote responsible consumer behaviour (fulfilling one of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 12), UNESCO has outlined a set of competencies as educational goals relevant for different levels of education. The article aims to analyse these competences - which domains of learning they address (cognitive, emotional, social and/or behavioural), and how they relate to the transformative dimension of learning - development of the ability to shape a sustainable future.
This analysis shows that the educational goals for SDG 12 should affect all domains of learning in a balanced way, thus being a part of holistic education; and they contribute to the ability to convey social transformation (which is typical for education for sustainability in general). The authors describe how the educational goals for educating a responsible consumer can be met within a concrete program designed for different levels of education and types of schools.
Education of this type can bring not only the necessary knowledge, but also to change the established patterns of thinking and behaviour, which is important for changing consumer habits and lifestyle in society. The overall goal of the program presented here is to empower children / pupils / students to become an active element of the economy that can shape the economic system through their daily decisions.
For this purpose, educational and methodological materials of various types were created.