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idging the gap between research and society with education for
sustainable development
Črtomir Tavzes1,2*, Vesna Starman1, Jaka Gašper Pečnik1,2
1 Innorenew CoE, Livade 6a, Izola, crtomir.tavzes@innorenew.eu, vesna.starman@innorenew.eu, jaka.pecnik@innorenew.eu
2 University of Primorska, Andrej Marušič Institute, Muzejski trg 2, Koper, info@iam.upr.si
* Corresponding author
Education for sustainable development is primarily about creating a learning environment for transformative
experiential learning, which is generally understood as a reciprocal process of transforming oneself and the social
environment (Wals and Corcoran 2012). In the learning process, participants themselves create knowledge from
experience and then apply it to their own lives. Scardamalia and Bereiter (Visvizi et.al. 2020) call this the theory
of collaborative knowledge construction. The theory explains how a community of learners actively creates
knowledge and emphasizes the need to educate individuals on how to function in a society where knowledge and
innovation are fundamental principles. They add that innovation in education should be understood as ideas that
trigger the design of educational modernization, services, and approaches to achieve learning objectives more
effectively (Visvizi et.al. 2020).
In this paper we will present a pilot project Loose Cells - Innovation at the Crossroads of Art and Science,
which was carried out by representatives of different educational institutions, exploring different innovative
approaches in the development of art and science to promote sustainable development in education.
After the pilot project, we conducted a case study involving data collection through semi-structured interviews
with participating students. Based on the data collected, we found that the interdisciplinary approach contributed
to the complexity of sustainable development understanding, while encouraging participants to develop creative
and innovative visual solutions. The research, therefore, helped to foster the attitude towards education for
sustainable development.
Keywords: education for sustainable development, interdisciplinary approach, STEAM, creative and innovative
visual solutions
Acknowledgement: Authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew
project [Grant Agreement # 739574] under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program, the Republic
of Slovenia (investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union European Regional
Development Fund).
REFERENCES
Dass, P., 2015. Teaching STEM effectively with the learning cycle approach. K-12 STEM Education, 1/1,
5–12. The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST). https://www.learntechlib.
org/p/209587/
Visvizi, A., Lytras M.D., Daniele L., 2020. The future of innovation and technology in education. Emerald
Publishing Limited
Wals, A. E. J. & Corcoran, P. B., 2012. Re-orienting, re-connecting and re-imagining: learning-based responses
to the challenge of (un)sustainability. In : A. E. J. Wals in P. J. Corcoran (ed.). Learning for sustainability in times
of accelerating change. Wageningen Academic Publishers. Wageningen
17–18 NOVEMBER 2022 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA 21
sustainable development
Črtomir Tavzes1,2*, Vesna Starman1, Jaka Gašper Pečnik1,2
1 Innorenew CoE, Livade 6a, Izola, crtomir.tavzes@innorenew.eu, vesna.starman@innorenew.eu, jaka.pecnik@innorenew.eu
2 University of Primorska, Andrej Marušič Institute, Muzejski trg 2, Koper, info@iam.upr.si
* Corresponding author
Education for sustainable development is primarily about creating a learning environment for transformative
experiential learning, which is generally understood as a reciprocal process of transforming oneself and the social
environment (Wals and Corcoran 2012). In the learning process, participants themselves create knowledge from
experience and then apply it to their own lives. Scardamalia and Bereiter (Visvizi et.al. 2020) call this the theory
of collaborative knowledge construction. The theory explains how a community of learners actively creates
knowledge and emphasizes the need to educate individuals on how to function in a society where knowledge and
innovation are fundamental principles. They add that innovation in education should be understood as ideas that
trigger the design of educational modernization, services, and approaches to achieve learning objectives more
effectively (Visvizi et.al. 2020).
In this paper we will present a pilot project Loose Cells - Innovation at the Crossroads of Art and Science,
which was carried out by representatives of different educational institutions, exploring different innovative
approaches in the development of art and science to promote sustainable development in education.
After the pilot project, we conducted a case study involving data collection through semi-structured interviews
with participating students. Based on the data collected, we found that the interdisciplinary approach contributed
to the complexity of sustainable development understanding, while encouraging participants to develop creative
and innovative visual solutions. The research, therefore, helped to foster the attitude towards education for
sustainable development.
Keywords: education for sustainable development, interdisciplinary approach, STEAM, creative and innovative
visual solutions
Acknowledgement: Authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the InnoRenew
project [Grant Agreement # 739574] under the Horizon2020 Widespread-Teaming program, the Republic
of Slovenia (investment funding of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union European Regional
Development Fund).
REFERENCES
Dass, P., 2015. Teaching STEM effectively with the learning cycle approach. K-12 STEM Education, 1/1,
5–12. The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST). https://www.learntechlib.
org/p/209587/
Visvizi, A., Lytras M.D., Daniele L., 2020. The future of innovation and technology in education. Emerald
Publishing Limited
Wals, A. E. J. & Corcoran, P. B., 2012. Re-orienting, re-connecting and re-imagining: learning-based responses
to the challenge of (un)sustainability. In : A. E. J. Wals in P. J. Corcoran (ed.). Learning for sustainability in times
of accelerating change. Wageningen Academic Publishers. Wageningen
17–18 NOVEMBER 2022 I IZOLA, SLOVENIA 21
