Manitoba Education and IISD

Research program

Major activities

• Research into sustainability policies at the school division level in Manitoba; and support materials for sustainable schools

• Exploration of the “green jobs” sector and sustainable development careers as guidance for school guidance counsellors.

• Research into sustainable development knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Manitoban households and students

• Research into ESD in First Nations Schools in Manitoba.

Measuring knowledge, attitudes and behaviours

• Project to assess levels of awareness and understanding of sustainable development among Manitoban youth and adults

• Two survey instruments originally designed

• In 2007-2008; conducted a random sample of Manitoban households: 5,000 with 10% return

• Also took a “convenience” sample of Manitoba students in Grades 6, 8 and 9-12 in three districts, with 294 returns

The design of the instrument

• A combination of three indexes: knowledge, attitudes and behaviours

• Within each, to test across the economic, environmental and social dimensions of SD

• Drew from existing instruments• Refined by 160 experts

Households survey

• 50% of the sample would get an “A” for knowledge of the basics of sustainable development (80% or better correct answers)

• Good levels of supportive attitudes• Over 50% indicating positive choices• Favourable attitudes more strongly linked

to behaviours than specific SD knowledge

Manitoba Students: Knowledge index

• Grades 6, 8, and 9-12• 20% would get an “A” in SD knowledge• A progression in increasing levels of

knowledge through the grades, which is what one would like to see

• Low correct responses on: • Social justice• The responsibility of business• Cultural diversity

• High correct responses on:• Water management• Helping people out of poverty

Manitoba Students: Attitudes

• Highest responses for these positions:

• Everyone should be taught the knowledge, values, issues and skills for SD

• People should get involved in environmental issues

• An example of progression:

It is OK for companies to make products that are designed to be thrown away after one use

• 48% of Grade sixers thought this was OK• 46% of Grade eight students• 22% of Grade 9-12 students

Manitoba Students: Behaviours

• Positive behaviours not as strong as knowledge and attitudes

• Regression in some behaviours through the grades (eg; bringing lunch in reusable containers; recycling; purchasing decisions)

• For the whole group of students, at the bottom of the list is “I have taken a course in which sustainable development was discussed”, with an average of 13.7% reporting such experiences.

Manitoba Students: Observations

• Having attitudes favourable to ESD/SD is marginally more influential than actual knowledge, with respect to behaviours and choices for SD

• Gender is a factor: more girls choose more positive behaviours for SD

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Outcomes of 1st phase

• Based on the 2007-2008 work, we determined that our results were most likely fairly sample-specific and not generalizable

• The exercise with students provided insight into how to strengthen the instrument and the methodology

• More work was needed to develop a rigorous assessment tool that anyone might consider using to measure progress toward achieving the aims of the Decade.

In 2009-2010, we initiated a second phase of the research• Our expert advisor in social indicators

analysis, Dr. Alex Michalos, is now at Brandon University, and we are working closely with BU on phase 2.

• Refined the survey instrument• Moved to an online process to streamline

data collecting• Focused on Grade 10 students only • Expanded the sample size: currently at

1010 returns, from a wide range of participating school divisions

• We have noted that this effort has contributed to the promotion of ESD as an integrated approach in larger number of schools and divisions

 

Participating school divisions

•Brandon•Border Land School Division •Evergreen School Division •Fort la Bosse School Division •Interlake school division •Mountain View School Division •Prairie Rose School Division •Rolling River School Division •Southwest Horizon School Division •St. James-Assiniboia School Division • Winnipeg School Division

 

Next steps

• We ran into “survey fatigue” in a number of schools; however, we hope to increase our sample size to at least 1500 before beginning the analysis.

• We will have a first general report on the data later in May.

• The Deputy Minister of Manitoba Education has been following this research as it has relevance to the work that he is contributing to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) committee tasked with developing and monitoring indicators for the Decade.