Contribution of COP31 to Sustainability Education by Academics of MAKÜ Faculty of Education

Two studies by the academics of MAKÜ Faculty of Education aim to contribute to the education and youth agenda of COP31 in the field of sustainability and climate action.

The first of the studies included in the 31 projects prepared by MAKÜ within the scope of COP31 is the “Development Study of the Sustainability and Climate Action Micro Competence Program” prepared by Dr. Faculty Member Esra Çakar Özkan, Associate Professor Dr. Funda Uysal, and Dr. Gülşah Kıymık. The program is planned to be aligned with the European Sustainability Competence Framework (GreenComp) and the Turkish Higher Education Qualifications Framework in a way that encompasses climate literacy, green skills, systemic and critical thinking, and action competence.

The study titled “Sustainability Education through Transformative Learning: A Competency-Based Design in Teacher Education” by Dr. Faculty Member Esra Çakar Özkan focuses on enhancing the sustainability awareness of teacher candidates. In a 10-week application that combines UNESCO's education competencies for sustainable development with the transformative learning approach, an increase in participants' sustainability awareness was observed. The shift of teacher candidates from individual responsibility understanding to systemic awareness was among the prominent results of the study.

The studies aim to contribute to the development of knowledge and skills for climate action by integrating sustainability education into teacher training processes.