The research group "Sustainability, Education and, Geography" works with a wide range of questions at the crossroad between sustainable development, education, and geography. With the introduction of the new national curricula from 2020 (LK20), Sustainable Development has become a central topic in Norwegian schools. Sustainable development is an interdisciplinary subject that can benefit from, among others, a geographical perspective, with its traditional focus on the links between nature and society. Sustainable development lies at the intersection of environmental, economic, and social issues exemplified by the current climate crisis and the resulting need for energy and ecological transitions.

Geography, with a focus on different geographical levels and a critical perspective on power, would be useful in synergy with other environmental social sciences to gain a critical and pluralistic view of sustainability teaching. Connecting different geographical levels is important for illustrating the linkages between local conditions and natural and social global processes. Furthermore, a critical perspective is important in making students aware of the power relations that create conflicts about how to manage important environmental problems. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) could if neglecting social conflicts and mainly focusing on changing individual behaviour, be experienced as normative and moralistic. A critical perspective represented by for instance a political ecological perspective inside social geography may counter this.

Sustainable development education is relatively new in Norway and internationally, as it has become a subject of education in the last thirty years. The novelty of the subject and its interdisciplinarity make it suitable for developing innovative didactic approaches. This gives opportunities to do research on methods that could supplement traditional classroom teaching, including using exploratory project works, field courses and use of digital tools in the teaching.

The research group will contribute to strengthening the section's expertise in sustainable development and geography didactics while advancing research on key social aspects of sustainable development concerning future generations.

Activities and objectives

• Seminars regarding multiple aspects of sustainable development teaching, including subject content and didactics.
• National and international research projects focusing on topical aspects of sustainable development.
• Research geographical perspectives of sustainable development teaching.
• Establish interdisciplinary research partnerships with national and international institutions on relevant topics.
• Contribute to subject didactic development and research-based teaching practice.
• Participation in national and international conferences.