Environmental education as a comprehensive formative process for the transition toward sustainable societies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29105/mdi.v14i24.372Keywords:
environmental education, sustainability, sustainable development, environmental competencies, social transformation, educational policies, ecological citizenship, critical thinkingAbstract
Environmental education (EE) is a key strategy for promoting a social transition toward sustainable development models that integrate ecological, social, and economic dimensions. This essay critically analyzes how EE—not merely as the transmission of content, but as a comprehensive formative process—contributes to the construction of a more sustainable society. It explores contemporary approaches to EE, its relationship with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the challenges involved in its educational practice, and its impact on civic awareness and action. Recent evidence indicates that integrating EE into formal curricula, teacher training, and project-based educational experiences fosters pro-environmental values, critical thinking, and sustainable behaviors across various educational levels. It concludes by highlighting the need for coherent educational policies, active learning, and interdisciplinarity to ensure that EE effectively contributes to sustainability goals.
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