Malawi and specifically the Northern Region remains a mostly agricultural and very rural country. Hence, many households rely on agricultural activities, either as smallholder farmers or employees on bigger farms. Furthermore, the Malawian population growth of three per cent per annum is very high, which is why the demand for food and other resources like water or energy increases drastically. As 'Agriculture' is a subject within the Malawian curriculum this article focuses on its role and content. The research focuses on the teaching methods and content of the subject. A main focus was put on the way the concept of sustainability is being taught and the areas of sustainability that are being covered. A qualitative methodological approach, combining document analysis, ethnographical research and fourteen semi-structured interviews with teachers at public secondary schools in the Northern Region provided an in-depth insight into how the concept of sustainability is being grasped and taught. The importance and chances of teaching 'Agriculture' as a subject became visible, while at the same time many general and subject-specific obstacles remain and partly diminish the positive effects of the subject. Teachers are aware of the concept of sustainability, without necessarily being familiar with the terminology 'sustainability' .
Using the 'future workshop' (FW) method, adolescents can be prepared for responding to climate-related risks at the local level. The 'KLAR!-Zukunftswerkstatt' presents a case study combining climate change information, FW and place-attachment theories. Its development and application with 41 learners in one upper-secondary school in Austria are demonstrated. Statistically significant findings suggest that students are more aware about mitigation and adaptation behaviors after participating in FW. Qualitative findings demonstrate that students developed higher levels of action knowledge for mitigation and adaptation behaviors. Such teaching approach is not limited to the researched case, but supports environmental education in general.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.