A Case Study in K-12 Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract: To better prepare students for the sustainability challenges of the future, the K-12 sector needs a system that encourages multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration to successfully implement sustainability education (Parry & Metzger, 2023; Timm & Barth, 2021; Zguir et al., 2021). This research is a mixed-methods case study that uses Kotter’s theory of change to prioritize Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the curriculum and extra-curricular activities of the Nightingale-Bamford School, which is a K-12, private, all-girls school located on the Upper East side of New York City. The aim is to explore the impact the changes have on both faculty and students. Teachers that were a part of the change process voluntarily participated in surveys and interviews. Students that experienced the curriculum and service-learning changes also participated in interviews. The development and implementation of the program increased the willingness of faculty to engage in ESD, had mitigating effects on self-efficacy, and had a small impact on the faculty’s knowledge of pedagogical approaches. The ESD program increased the intention of students to act on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results indicate that Kotter’s theory of change can be used to impact the professional action competence of faculty to engage in ESD and to positively impact the intention of students to act on the SDGs. More studies are needed to investigate long term impacts of the change process and how the change process impacts faculty and students in other K-12 settings.