Water from the Perspective of Education for Sustainable Development: An Exploratory Study in the Spanish Secondary Education Curriculum

Abstract

<jats:p>Current educational curricula in Spain contain few references to sustainability topics, so there is insufficient coverage of these issues in the classroom. Notably, there is a lack of reference to the concept of water from a sustainable perspective. The key aim of this study was to analyze the presence of the concept of water in the curriculum that regulates secondary education in Spain using a previously established system of categories. An exploratory and descriptive research methodology was followed, in which we carried out a qualitative lexicographical analysis of the concept of water in the Spanish secondary education curriculum. An analysis of the cognitive demand required of students to learn about water, according to Bloom’s taxonomy, was also conducted. The results show that the concept of water appears moderately in the curriculum focusing on some aspects of Sustainable Development. Likewise, the analysis of the cognitive demand required of students for learning about water reveals that lower levels of knowledge and comprehension predominate based on Bloom’s taxonomy. We consider that teaching water from a sustainable perspective can generate in students awareness and values about nature and the environment, knowledge that contributes to sensible use of water and involvement for sustainable development.</jats:p>

Perceptions of Teachers in Training on Water Issues and Their Relationship to the SDGs

“…Therefore, there is a need for society to be aware and act responsibly through pro-environmental behaviours. Several studies highlight the importance of raising awareness among the population, with education being a relevant factor in the demand management and proper use of water [10,23,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. In fact, it seems that the higher the educational level of people, the greater their awareness about the quality of water and the damages caused by pollution [10], although it has no correlation with conservation behaviours [6].…”

“…The sociocultural context is related to the social representations about the causes, consequences and solutions to the water problem [24], so educational institutions are essential for raising awareness about water. Moreover, because it has not yet been adequately included in the current educational curriculum [35], the role of teachers as managers of this knowledge and awareness is very important [32,33].…”

Towards water literacy: an interdisciplinary analysis of standards for teaching and learning about humans and Water

“…Like these other literacies, however, it is a complex construct defined in many ways. We draw upon McCarroll and Hamann's (2020) definition of water literacy as the "culmination of water-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors" (p.2), which builds upon other definitions of water literacy that also foreground the importance of water-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors as part of water literacy (Amahmid et al, 2019;Çoban et al, 2011;Johnson & Courter, 2020;Martínez-Borreguero et al, 2020;Sammel, 2014;Simonds et al, 2018). The discrete knowledge, skills, and behaviors that comprise water literacy can be defined by water-related standards for teaching and learning.…”

“…Although water-focused teaching and learning can help students develop a more comprehensive understanding of water systems (Çoban et al, 2011;Davis, 2005;Havu-Nuutinen et al, 2011;McCarroll & Hamann, 2020), research indicates that students exhibit fragmented or incomplete understanding about socio-hydrologic systems posing them difficulties for making connections between water and its natural and human components (Çoban et al, 2011;Covitt et al, 2009;Gunckel et al, 2012;Havu-Nuutinen et al, 2011;Martínez-Borreguero et al, 2020;McCarroll & Hamman, 2020;Pan & Liu, 2018;Sadler et al, 2017;Shepardson et al, 2007;White et al, 2022), including those that are most pertinent to them (Fremerey et al, 2014;Gunkel et al, 2012;Shepardson et al, 2007). Water education experiences may not provide students sufficient opportunities to build upon prior knowledge and consider the location and social environment, nor their inherent values and ethical dimensions (Amahmid et al, 2019;Belland et al, 2015;Ben-zvi-Assarf & Orion, 2005;Covitt et al, 2009;Dean et al, 2016;Havu-Nuutinen et al, 2011;Littledyke, 2008;McCarroll & Hamann, 2020;Martínez-Borreguero et al, 2020;Shepardson et al, 2007). When students investigate these relations, they seem to overemphasize the human components with which they are most familiar (Ben-zvi-Assarf & Orion, 2005;White et al, 2022), or have difficulties linking different concepts of water systems with practical aspects occurring within their own context (Shepardson et al, 2007).…”

“…One of the primary challenges for teaching and learning about water and humans is the curriculum and disciplinary structure of K-12 subjects and courses (Çoban et al, 2011;Covitt et al, 2009;Dean et al, 2016;Martínez-Borreguero et al, 2020;Pan & Liu, 2018;Sadler et al, 2017). Overall, teaching and learning about water and humans is relatively limited in formal school settings and, when these topics are addressed, they are done so in a disconnected, discipline-specific, distributed manner (Brody, 1995;Covitt et al, 2009;Gunckel et al, 2012;Sadler et al, 2017;UNESCO, 2015).…”