Astrid Sinnes is Associate Professor in science education at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Her main research interest is education for sustainable development. For several years she has conducted research on how schools and teacher education institutions can transform in order to prepare students and teachers to contribute to the “green shift” in education. Astrid Sinnes has been a visiting scholar at Earth Institute, Columbia University. She has recently published a book on education for sustainable development for teachers and teacher educators.

More: www.nmbu.no/ans/astrid.sinnes

Keynote lecture:
 “Science education for a sustainable future; what competencies do young people need?”

In the talk, Astrid Sinnes will use current research on the situation for the global environment as a point of departure to discuss what competencies young people will need to live sustainable lives and become active citizens in world marked by climate change and other environmental threats. The talk will present research on how education systems can change in order to prepare students for this future. Research within education for sustainable development challenge the content and working methods of science education but also the way schools are being run in order to accommodate and teach students and teachers sustainable practices. In the talk Sinnes will argue that knowledge about the environment is not enough to develop competencies necessary to contribute to sustainable development. Connections must therefore be established between theoretical knowledge presented through the curriculum and the sustainable practices that the students experience in school.