Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD) is a niche innovation in teacher education t... more Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD) is a niche innovation in teacher education that empowers teachers to prepare learners to address global socio-environmental challenges. To advance the diffusion of this niche innovation into general teacher education, this article offers a systematic literature review based on a qualitative analysis of 158 peer-reviewed publications on TESD research. Our results show that TESD research is a growing field characterized by five types of inquiry: designing learning environments, understanding learner attributes, measuring learning outcomes, promoting systems change, and advancing visions for the field. Major innovation potentials of TESD for more general teacher education are its emphasis on the grand socio-environmental challenges of our times, methodologies to engage with knowledge diversity (e.g., inter/ transdisciplinarity), and sustainability science learning approaches (e.g., backcasting). We suggest that future work builds from this review to strengthen links between teacher education and TESD in enhancing quality education.
Over the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has received increasing attention in academia a... more Over the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has received increasing attention in academia and various fields of practice. More recently, it has also been introduced into environmental and sustainability education (ESE) settings. This study offers a first exploratory investigation of learner experiences with consumptionspecific mindfulness training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 training participants. Data analysis was undertaken applying a pluralistic qualitative methods approach. Our results draw an ambivalent picture. On the one hand, we found that mindfulness training can connect individuals with inner states and processes that are also relevant to their consumer behavior, thus providing valuable impulses for ESE. On the other hand, however, these generic learning outcomes do not easily translate to consumptive acts. One explanation for this is that mindfulness practice can sometimes serve as a self-confirmation process that reinforces prevailing values, expectations, and intentions. This indicates important challenges mindfulness practice poses in ESE.
Communication plays an important role in promoting sustainable consumption. Yet how the academic ... more Communication plays an important role in promoting sustainable consumption. Yet how the academic literature conceptualizes and relates communication and sustainable consumption remains poorly understood , despite growing research on communication in the context of sustainable consumption. This article presents the first comprehensive review of sustainable consumption communication (SCC) research as a young and evolving field of scholarly work. Through a systematic review and narrative synthesis of N ¼ 67 peer-reviewed journal articles, we consolidated the research conducted in this field into four distinct types: communication as an approach to (1) behavior change, (2) self-empowerment, (3) systems change, and (4) reflection on current discourses and practices around sustainable consumption. Our findings reveal that most journal articles focus on incremental changes in individual consumer behavior ("weak" sustainable consumption) and employ communication as an intervention tool with little reference to communication science and theory. They also reveal integration challenges arising from the disciplinary diversity and fragmentation characteristic of the research field. Future research should develop shared frameworks and terminology, diversify its foci, synthesize relevant evidence , and innovate critical perspectives that go beyond one-way business-to-consumer communication. The results of our review can serve researchers engaged in sustainable consumption communication to better systematize their efforts and contribute more effectively to changing systems of consumption in the future.
Sustainability as a guiding idea for societal and economic development causes a growing need for ... more Sustainability as a guiding idea for societal and economic development causes a growing need for reliable sustainability assessments (SAs). In response, a plethora of increasingly sophisticated, standardizAed, and specialized approaches have emerged. However, little attention has been paid to how applications of SAs in different contexts navigate the challenges of selecting and customizing SA approaches for their research purposes. This paper provides an exploration of the context-specific conditions of SA through a case study of three research projects. Each case study explores the different approaches, methodologies, as well as difficulties and similarities that researchers face in "doing" SA based on the research question "What are common challenges that researchers are facing in using SA approaches?" Our case study comparison follows a most different approach for covering a wide range of SA applications and is structured along with three key challenges of doing SA: (i) Deliberation, learning and assessment; (ii) normative assessment principles; (iii) feasibility, especially regarding data quality/availability. Above all, the comparative case study underlines the role and importance of reflexivity and context: We argue that a more explicit and transparent discussion of these challenges could contribute to greater awareness, and thus, to improving the ability of researchers to transparently modify and customize generic SA methodologies to their research contexts. Our findings can help researchers to more critically appraise the differences between SA approaches, as well as their normative assumptions, and guide them to assemble their SA methodology in a reflexive and case-sensitive way.
Storytelling for Sustainability in Higher Education: An Educator's Handbook, 2020
The concept of storytelling has sparked renewed interest in different fields of research and prac... more The concept of storytelling has sparked renewed interest in different fields of research and practice. Stories are presumed to simultaneously convey information, explain problems and evoke emotions. Educators and communicators wishing to explore the potential benefits of storytelling in a sustainability context, however, have struggled with conceptual ambiguity about what distinguishes storytelling from other pedagogical approaches, and how it best relates to sustainability issues. This chapter proposes a definition of “storytelling for sustainability” we call “SusTelling”, gives examples that illustrate different features of SusTelling in practice, and critically appraises both opportunities and risks of using storytelling for sustainability in education and communication.
Storytelling for Sustainability in Higher Education: An Educator's Handbook, 2020
A challenge in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to develop learning fo... more A challenge in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to develop learning formats and settings that take into account the changing learning styles of young people and are able to effectively initiate learning processes. Filmmaking is one such pedagogical approach; the potential of active participation in film projects to stimulate learning has been researched and documented more intensively in recent years but has so far hardly diffused into the practice of ESD. This chapter reports on a workshop which began with a teaching experience wherein students in their first semester were trained to create short films conceived in the narrative format of storytelling on their own mobile devices. Since then, the method has been tested in various environments within schools, universities and technical colleges. By combining research-based learning and aesthetic practice, students use their mobile phones to investigate the climate crisis and its social consequences to develop and disseminate effective approaches to action in film. The experience of using filmmaking in this way has indicated the potential of the approach for ESD in terms of facilitating cognitive competencies and comprehensive personal development as well as the development of change agency and chairpersonship.
Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the... more Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the reduction of the so-called attitude–behavior gap, or by weakening material values while increasing subjective well-being. The current controlled longitudinal study tested these propositions by employing a sustainability-adapted mindfulness-based intervention (sMBI) to two different samples (n = 60 university students; n = 71 employees). Although the intervention successfully enhanced mindful experiences in both samples, we found no evidence for neither direct effects on sustainable consumption behavior or related attitudes, nor for the reduction of the attitude–behavior gap. However, the intervention led to greater well-being in the student sample and suggested a decline of materialistic value orientations in both samples. The results blunt previous claims about potential causal effects of mindfulness practice on sustainable consumption behavior. Nevertheless, they indicate that the sMBI affects behavior-distal variables, such as material values and well-being, which in turn could influence consumption behavior in the long run.
Many detrimental effects on the environment, economy, and society are associated with the structu... more Many detrimental effects on the environment, economy, and society are associated with the structure and practices of food systems around the world. While there is increasing agreement on the need for substantive change in food systems towards sustainability, divergent perspectives exist on what should be the appropriate points of intervention and strategies to achieve such change. Change in diets and nutrition, the importance of social food movements, and sustainable farming practices are all disparately featured in the literature; yet, there is little effort at synthesis and integration. This review offers a comprehensive overview of perspectives on food systems change towards sustainability. We discern where there is convergence in approaches and assess how the literature reflects emergent theory on sustainability transformation. We analyzed more than 200 peer-reviewed articles employing a fertile approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis. First, we performed a semantic hierarchical cluster analysis of the full texts to identify thematic clusters representing different perspectives on sustainability transformations and transitions of food systems. Second, we conducted a qualitative text analysis for the most representative papers of each cluster to examine in detail how deep changes in the food system are conceptualized in these clusters. We identified five distinct approaches to food systems change that are currently discussed, i.e. Alternative food movements, Sustainable diets, Sustainable agriculture, Healthy and diverse societies, and Food as commons. Each approach provides a nuanced perspective on identified sustainability problems, envisioned sustainable food systems, and proposed actions to change food systems towards sustainability. The findings offer guidance for researchers and practitioners working on food systems change towards sustainability.
One of the main objectives of higher education for sustainable development is to nurture holistic... more One of the main objectives of higher education for sustainable development is to nurture holistic conceptions of sustainability in students, so that they can use sustainability as an approach to analyze and solve complex problems in their future professional fields. Existing studies have shown that students differ substantially in how relevant they consider the concept of sustainable development to their future careers. Previous studies have identified socio-demographic characteristics, disciplinary background and past experiences with sustainability education as potential influencing factors. To date, the relationships between one's own "understanding" of sustainability (sustainability conception) and the importance students attach to sustainability has hardly been investigated. This case study offers a first systematic examination of how the perceived professional relevance of sustainability is influenced by different individual characteristics and sustainability conceptions. Based on data from a recent survey of n = 1,364 first year undergraduate students from 14 different major subjects, our findings indicate that in addition to the previously reported individual characteristics like sex and academic affiliation, sociocultural sustainability conceptions are an important influential factor for the perceived importance of sustainability for their professional contexts. However, the regression analysis shows that the model based on predictors found in the literature lacks incremental power. This paper unveils that further research is needed on the underlying factors that explain the strength of perceived relevance of sustainability in students and that these influences need to be taken more into account in curriculum development.
There is broad agreement that the regulative idea of sustainability needs to be specified in publ... more There is broad agreement that the regulative idea of sustainability needs to be specified in public deliberation so that it can contribute to sustainable development policies and practices. The media plays a critical role in this endeavor. However, journalists commonly criticize the terminology of ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ as blurred, fuzzy and ambiguous. The vibrant controversy over how journalists should engage with the sustainability terminology is however facing an apparent lack of research on how sustainability terminology actually has been embraced and used in the media.
This study aims to close the aforementioned research gaps in providing a twofold account of the field in Germany. First, in a trend analysis, it sketches the usage of sustainability terminology in six major German newspapers from 1995 to 2015. Second, in an in-depth analysis for the three years 2001, 2007 and 2013, more than 16 000 usages of sustainability terminology have been coded according to their underpinning meaning. The findings show that sustainability terminology in major German newspapers is used in about twice as many articles in 2015 compared with 1995. What changes is not only the frequency, but also the meanings, with which sustainability terminology is used. There is an apparent tendency towards a ‘semantic consolidation’ of sustainability terminology in the post-2000 years. The meaning thereby moves away from a non-specific and replaceable fashion word towards a more sophisticated and elaborated reflection of the concept of sustainable development. Data analysis finds that political alignment of the newspaper plays a critical role in this.
Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 2017
Despite advances made there is still an implementation gap with regard to Education for Sustainab... more Despite advances made there is still an implementation gap with regard to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal educational systems at the school level. The present paper focuses on sustainability reporting as a recently emerging practice in the school sector. It presents the approach and findings of an exploratory interview study at three pioneer schools in Germany that have started to establish sustainability reporting mechanisms. The study has examined how the reporting process is evaluated by project managers with regard to its benefits and challenges. Findings support the potential of sustainability reporting at schools to contribute to an increase in studentsí participation in sustainability-related activities at school, create accountability concerning the schoolís efforts, help structure the existing sustainability projects and demonstrate new possible courses of action. The high expenditure of time, the teachersí high workload and lack of support given to the teachers have been identified as major challenges of the reporting process. Further directions for future research into reporting practices at schools are given.
In the face of existing obstacles in the interdisciplinary research on sustainable consumption be... more In the face of existing obstacles in the interdisciplinary research on sustainable consumption behaviors, we argue for the need of an integrative framework from an interdisciplinary perspective. Such a framework is presented in the form of a three-dimensional cube model of sustainable consumption behavior (SCB-cube) extended by a fourth impact dimension. The model has two purposes for application: (I) to systematize existing research on different behaviors on a common taxonomy and (II) to facilitate the selection of relevant sustainable consumption behaviors in social sustainability research based on impact. We critically appraise existing intent- and impact-based research approaches on the four key dimensions of the SCBcube, focusing on the ecological and socio-economic impacts of consumption behaviors. Recommendations for the selection of relevant behaviors for empirical behavioral research are given, using the SCB-cube as a guiding heuristic. The main audience for this model is social science researchers measuring sustainable consumer behaviors on the individual level.
Purpose: Promoting sustainable consumption among young consumers has become a key priority on the... more Purpose: Promoting sustainable consumption among young consumers has become a key priority on the research agenda in such different fields as education for sustainable development, environmental psychology, and consumer policy. Progress in this field has been hampered by a lack of sophisticated research instruments capable of measuring consumption behaviors that are relevant both in terms of their sustainability impacts and their suitability for teenagers. This study addresses this research gap and presents a scale for young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors (YCSCB) in the areas of food and clothing.
Design/methodology/approach: The scale was developed in a two-step, mixed-methods approach. In an initial qualitative interview study, the actual behaviors of theoretically selected young consumers (n=8) were identified with regard to acquiring, using, and disposing of consumer goods in the areas of food and clothing. The YCSCB scale was constructed using the findings of this qualitative study and then validated in a subsequent quantitative study (n=155).
Findings: The YCSCB scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure young consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior in the areas of food (n=14 items) and clothing (n=13 items).
Originality/value: The findings of this research provide a twofold contribution to advancing research on young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors. Firstly, it presents a consolidated scale that is explicitly constructed for teenagers and their consumption contexts. Secondly, it proposes a heuristic for developing more sophisticated measurements of SCB among young consumers that would allow comparison between studies, is focused on behaviors (instead of confounding behaviors with intentions, attitudes or values), and is impact-oriented in terms of sustainability relevance.
Values guide people in their lives as overarching principles of judgements and decision-making. F... more Values guide people in their lives as overarching principles of judgements and decision-making. Focusing on Schwartz’s circumplex value model, the present work is the first systematic literature review to comparatively synthesize the empirical evidence of the stability and change of values in adulthood. Besides understanding the extent of value change, the aim of this review is to reveal the conditions under which values change. The search procedure and screening revealed 19 publications reporting empirical studies on 25 adult samples containing at least two measurements of Schwartz’s values in respondents. Results suggest moderate to high rank-order stabilities of values, even through potentially life-changing transitions. There is evidence of small changes, rarely consistent with theoretical predictions or cross-sectional findings. Preliminary experimental evidence shows that values can be changed with interventions. We identify considerable gaps in knowledge about value change and propose promising avenues for further research.
Current food consumption and production cannot be considered sustainable due to extensive ecologi... more Current food consumption and production cannot be considered sustainable due to extensive ecological, social and economic issues along the supply chain. Reducing food waste is a major instrument in increasing food security and alleviating environmental pressure and thus increasing sustainable food consumption. In Germany, the main generators of food waste are private households. The typical approach to mitigate this is to better inform consumers by means of awareness campaigns. However, research shows that additional solutions are required to tackle the problem of household food waste. Nudging is a relatively new approach to guide consumer behavior gently into a certain direction but there is little experience with its application in the field of consumption politics, let alone food waste reduction. The study addresses this research gap and conducts a first exploratory analysis of the possibilities to reduce household food waste via nudging. The study focuses on the use of food purchase plans as a means to reduce household food waste. It analyses 101 personal questionnaires which were carried out to extract consumers' preferences in this respect. The evidence shows that respondents are open to a change of behavior and also to the use of purchase plans. Furthermore they are interested in feedback on individual food wasting behavior, specific advice on meal planning and social interaction on this topic with their communities. The results also show that young respondents and those living in large households with families are more open to changing their behavior in this respect. These results may be used to gain first experiences in using nudging to reduce household food waste; however, future research is needed to validate and build on these results.
Excess use of disposable to-go-cups constitutes a severe sustainability threat. Behavioral econom... more Excess use of disposable to-go-cups constitutes a severe sustainability threat. Behavioral economics and economic psychology suggest various antidotes. In the present paper, we report two studies – a large-scale intervention field study and an experiment – that constitute independent, pre-registered, and open replication attempts of a recently-introduced intervention procedure: dynamic social norms. We tested whether a dynamic norm, along the lines of “more and more customers are switching from to-go-cups to a sustainable alternative. Be part of this movement and choose a reusable mug” – can help café customers to avoid disposable to-go-cups. Data from a fourteen-week intervention experiment with a total of 23,946 hot beverages sold – 18,019 in disposable cups and 5,927 in reusable mugs – suggest that a dynamic-norm intervention for sustainable consumption helps customers avoid disposable cups and increases their use of reusable alternatives by 17.3% (or 4.1 percentage points). A follow-up online experiment corroborates this pattern and shows advantageous effects of a dynamic norm relative to a no-norm control condition, a static norm, an injunctive norm, and a combination of static-and-injunctive norm. In light of inconsistent and, at times, failed or even reversed replication results for seminal social norms studies, the present pre-registered studies indicate that dynamic norms are an effective means to facilitate sustainable behavior. We discuss scientific and applied implications and avenues for future research.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2017
Purpose - There is broad consensus that the implementation of education for sustainable developme... more Purpose - There is broad consensus that the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) requires the consideration of geographical and cultural contexts. Despite such an agreement at a theoretical level, there is so far an apparent lack of practical experiences and solid research on approaches that effectively manage to engage professional educators in higher education with ESD in the context of a developing country from the Global South. This paper aims to address this gap and present a case study from a pilot professional development program (PDP) that sought to implement and mainstream ESD among Ethiopian colleges of teacher education (CTEs) and theological seminaries (TSs).
Design/methodology/approach - The research presented is based on the methodology of evaluative case study research in ESD. It analyzes the PDP’s specific objectives with regard to capacity and structure building, describes major activities implemented and how these relate to the objectives and explores major outcomes of the PDP.
Findings - The paper presents a comprehensive training curriculum aimed at addressing ESD in Ethiopian CTEs and TSs in a whole-institution approach. Results suggest that the PDP’s approach to combine human capacity and institutional structure building was effective in supporting the implementation and mainstreaming of ESD in CTEs and TSs in Ethiopia.
Originality/value - This case study presents original research on a pilot Ethiopian PDP that was implemented in collaboration with two academic institutions from Ethiopia and Germany.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2019
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationship between introspection and key competencies f... more Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationship between introspection and key competencies for sustainable consumption (KCSCs). It investigates whether mindfulness training can cultivate the ability to introspect and stimulate the development of KCSCs.
Design/methodology/approach: Two independent studies were analyzed. Data were retrieved from interviews with participants of a consumer-focused mindfulness training (Study 1, 11 participants), as well as from diaries of students attending a university seminar with mindfulness training (Study 2, 13 students), and made subject to qualitative content analysis.
Findings: Both studies show a clear intersection between both constructs and suggest that mindfulness training can contribute to the development of KCSCs and learners’ ability to introspect. The studies also demonstrated that introspection is not equally related to all competencies and that KCSCs must not be reduced to introspection.
Research limitations/implications: Both KCSCs and introspection are complex and latent constructs and hence challenging to observe. The research understands itself as a first exploratory approach for empirically investigating this complex relation.
Originality/value: While increasing (self-)reflectivity is at the core of competence-based education, a systematic engagement with the practice of introspection as a means to enhancing reflectivity is surprisingly lacking. Mindfulness training could be a promising way to cultivate introspective abilities and thus facilitate learning processes that are conducive to competence development.
The present conceptual article seeks to contribute to the literature on sustainability-related co... more The present conceptual article seeks to contribute to the literature on sustainability-related conflicts between organizations and their external stakeholder groups. We propose that (1) specific characteristics of sustainability issues can dramatically complicate conflict resolution between organizations and their stakeholders and (2) that social psychology has several leverage points to offer to master sustainability-related challenges and to alleviate intergroup conflicts. The conflict-exacerbating characteristics explored in this paper on basis of a real-world business case include: (1) value and identity differences, (2) proximal, distal, and divergent time horizons, and (3) bilateral allocation of resources. From these challenges, we derive leverage points for possible interventions in sustainability-related intergroup conflicts. On the theoretical level, we focus on the Common Ingroup Identity Model, on the Construal Level Theory, and on Framing approaches that are applied to sustainability-related conflicts. We discuss theory-based interventions that aim to mitigate sustainability-related conflicts, the applicability of these interventions for practitioners, as well as avenues of future research.
Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD) is a niche innovation in teacher education t... more Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD) is a niche innovation in teacher education that empowers teachers to prepare learners to address global socio-environmental challenges. To advance the diffusion of this niche innovation into general teacher education, this article offers a systematic literature review based on a qualitative analysis of 158 peer-reviewed publications on TESD research. Our results show that TESD research is a growing field characterized by five types of inquiry: designing learning environments, understanding learner attributes, measuring learning outcomes, promoting systems change, and advancing visions for the field. Major innovation potentials of TESD for more general teacher education are its emphasis on the grand socio-environmental challenges of our times, methodologies to engage with knowledge diversity (e.g., inter/ transdisciplinarity), and sustainability science learning approaches (e.g., backcasting). We suggest that future work builds from this review to strengthen links between teacher education and TESD in enhancing quality education.
Over the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has received increasing attention in academia a... more Over the past two decades, mindfulness meditation has received increasing attention in academia and various fields of practice. More recently, it has also been introduced into environmental and sustainability education (ESE) settings. This study offers a first exploratory investigation of learner experiences with consumptionspecific mindfulness training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 training participants. Data analysis was undertaken applying a pluralistic qualitative methods approach. Our results draw an ambivalent picture. On the one hand, we found that mindfulness training can connect individuals with inner states and processes that are also relevant to their consumer behavior, thus providing valuable impulses for ESE. On the other hand, however, these generic learning outcomes do not easily translate to consumptive acts. One explanation for this is that mindfulness practice can sometimes serve as a self-confirmation process that reinforces prevailing values, expectations, and intentions. This indicates important challenges mindfulness practice poses in ESE.
Communication plays an important role in promoting sustainable consumption. Yet how the academic ... more Communication plays an important role in promoting sustainable consumption. Yet how the academic literature conceptualizes and relates communication and sustainable consumption remains poorly understood , despite growing research on communication in the context of sustainable consumption. This article presents the first comprehensive review of sustainable consumption communication (SCC) research as a young and evolving field of scholarly work. Through a systematic review and narrative synthesis of N ¼ 67 peer-reviewed journal articles, we consolidated the research conducted in this field into four distinct types: communication as an approach to (1) behavior change, (2) self-empowerment, (3) systems change, and (4) reflection on current discourses and practices around sustainable consumption. Our findings reveal that most journal articles focus on incremental changes in individual consumer behavior ("weak" sustainable consumption) and employ communication as an intervention tool with little reference to communication science and theory. They also reveal integration challenges arising from the disciplinary diversity and fragmentation characteristic of the research field. Future research should develop shared frameworks and terminology, diversify its foci, synthesize relevant evidence , and innovate critical perspectives that go beyond one-way business-to-consumer communication. The results of our review can serve researchers engaged in sustainable consumption communication to better systematize their efforts and contribute more effectively to changing systems of consumption in the future.
Sustainability as a guiding idea for societal and economic development causes a growing need for ... more Sustainability as a guiding idea for societal and economic development causes a growing need for reliable sustainability assessments (SAs). In response, a plethora of increasingly sophisticated, standardizAed, and specialized approaches have emerged. However, little attention has been paid to how applications of SAs in different contexts navigate the challenges of selecting and customizing SA approaches for their research purposes. This paper provides an exploration of the context-specific conditions of SA through a case study of three research projects. Each case study explores the different approaches, methodologies, as well as difficulties and similarities that researchers face in "doing" SA based on the research question "What are common challenges that researchers are facing in using SA approaches?" Our case study comparison follows a most different approach for covering a wide range of SA applications and is structured along with three key challenges of doing SA: (i) Deliberation, learning and assessment; (ii) normative assessment principles; (iii) feasibility, especially regarding data quality/availability. Above all, the comparative case study underlines the role and importance of reflexivity and context: We argue that a more explicit and transparent discussion of these challenges could contribute to greater awareness, and thus, to improving the ability of researchers to transparently modify and customize generic SA methodologies to their research contexts. Our findings can help researchers to more critically appraise the differences between SA approaches, as well as their normative assumptions, and guide them to assemble their SA methodology in a reflexive and case-sensitive way.
Storytelling for Sustainability in Higher Education: An Educator's Handbook, 2020
The concept of storytelling has sparked renewed interest in different fields of research and prac... more The concept of storytelling has sparked renewed interest in different fields of research and practice. Stories are presumed to simultaneously convey information, explain problems and evoke emotions. Educators and communicators wishing to explore the potential benefits of storytelling in a sustainability context, however, have struggled with conceptual ambiguity about what distinguishes storytelling from other pedagogical approaches, and how it best relates to sustainability issues. This chapter proposes a definition of “storytelling for sustainability” we call “SusTelling”, gives examples that illustrate different features of SusTelling in practice, and critically appraises both opportunities and risks of using storytelling for sustainability in education and communication.
Storytelling for Sustainability in Higher Education: An Educator's Handbook, 2020
A challenge in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to develop learning fo... more A challenge in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to develop learning formats and settings that take into account the changing learning styles of young people and are able to effectively initiate learning processes. Filmmaking is one such pedagogical approach; the potential of active participation in film projects to stimulate learning has been researched and documented more intensively in recent years but has so far hardly diffused into the practice of ESD. This chapter reports on a workshop which began with a teaching experience wherein students in their first semester were trained to create short films conceived in the narrative format of storytelling on their own mobile devices. Since then, the method has been tested in various environments within schools, universities and technical colleges. By combining research-based learning and aesthetic practice, students use their mobile phones to investigate the climate crisis and its social consequences to develop and disseminate effective approaches to action in film. The experience of using filmmaking in this way has indicated the potential of the approach for ESD in terms of facilitating cognitive competencies and comprehensive personal development as well as the development of change agency and chairpersonship.
Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the... more Recent research suggests that mindfulness may foster sustainable consumption behavior through the reduction of the so-called attitude–behavior gap, or by weakening material values while increasing subjective well-being. The current controlled longitudinal study tested these propositions by employing a sustainability-adapted mindfulness-based intervention (sMBI) to two different samples (n = 60 university students; n = 71 employees). Although the intervention successfully enhanced mindful experiences in both samples, we found no evidence for neither direct effects on sustainable consumption behavior or related attitudes, nor for the reduction of the attitude–behavior gap. However, the intervention led to greater well-being in the student sample and suggested a decline of materialistic value orientations in both samples. The results blunt previous claims about potential causal effects of mindfulness practice on sustainable consumption behavior. Nevertheless, they indicate that the sMBI affects behavior-distal variables, such as material values and well-being, which in turn could influence consumption behavior in the long run.
Many detrimental effects on the environment, economy, and society are associated with the structu... more Many detrimental effects on the environment, economy, and society are associated with the structure and practices of food systems around the world. While there is increasing agreement on the need for substantive change in food systems towards sustainability, divergent perspectives exist on what should be the appropriate points of intervention and strategies to achieve such change. Change in diets and nutrition, the importance of social food movements, and sustainable farming practices are all disparately featured in the literature; yet, there is little effort at synthesis and integration. This review offers a comprehensive overview of perspectives on food systems change towards sustainability. We discern where there is convergence in approaches and assess how the literature reflects emergent theory on sustainability transformation. We analyzed more than 200 peer-reviewed articles employing a fertile approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis. First, we performed a semantic hierarchical cluster analysis of the full texts to identify thematic clusters representing different perspectives on sustainability transformations and transitions of food systems. Second, we conducted a qualitative text analysis for the most representative papers of each cluster to examine in detail how deep changes in the food system are conceptualized in these clusters. We identified five distinct approaches to food systems change that are currently discussed, i.e. Alternative food movements, Sustainable diets, Sustainable agriculture, Healthy and diverse societies, and Food as commons. Each approach provides a nuanced perspective on identified sustainability problems, envisioned sustainable food systems, and proposed actions to change food systems towards sustainability. The findings offer guidance for researchers and practitioners working on food systems change towards sustainability.
One of the main objectives of higher education for sustainable development is to nurture holistic... more One of the main objectives of higher education for sustainable development is to nurture holistic conceptions of sustainability in students, so that they can use sustainability as an approach to analyze and solve complex problems in their future professional fields. Existing studies have shown that students differ substantially in how relevant they consider the concept of sustainable development to their future careers. Previous studies have identified socio-demographic characteristics, disciplinary background and past experiences with sustainability education as potential influencing factors. To date, the relationships between one's own "understanding" of sustainability (sustainability conception) and the importance students attach to sustainability has hardly been investigated. This case study offers a first systematic examination of how the perceived professional relevance of sustainability is influenced by different individual characteristics and sustainability conceptions. Based on data from a recent survey of n = 1,364 first year undergraduate students from 14 different major subjects, our findings indicate that in addition to the previously reported individual characteristics like sex and academic affiliation, sociocultural sustainability conceptions are an important influential factor for the perceived importance of sustainability for their professional contexts. However, the regression analysis shows that the model based on predictors found in the literature lacks incremental power. This paper unveils that further research is needed on the underlying factors that explain the strength of perceived relevance of sustainability in students and that these influences need to be taken more into account in curriculum development.
There is broad agreement that the regulative idea of sustainability needs to be specified in publ... more There is broad agreement that the regulative idea of sustainability needs to be specified in public deliberation so that it can contribute to sustainable development policies and practices. The media plays a critical role in this endeavor. However, journalists commonly criticize the terminology of ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ as blurred, fuzzy and ambiguous. The vibrant controversy over how journalists should engage with the sustainability terminology is however facing an apparent lack of research on how sustainability terminology actually has been embraced and used in the media.
This study aims to close the aforementioned research gaps in providing a twofold account of the field in Germany. First, in a trend analysis, it sketches the usage of sustainability terminology in six major German newspapers from 1995 to 2015. Second, in an in-depth analysis for the three years 2001, 2007 and 2013, more than 16 000 usages of sustainability terminology have been coded according to their underpinning meaning. The findings show that sustainability terminology in major German newspapers is used in about twice as many articles in 2015 compared with 1995. What changes is not only the frequency, but also the meanings, with which sustainability terminology is used. There is an apparent tendency towards a ‘semantic consolidation’ of sustainability terminology in the post-2000 years. The meaning thereby moves away from a non-specific and replaceable fashion word towards a more sophisticated and elaborated reflection of the concept of sustainable development. Data analysis finds that political alignment of the newspaper plays a critical role in this.
Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 2017
Despite advances made there is still an implementation gap with regard to Education for Sustainab... more Despite advances made there is still an implementation gap with regard to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal educational systems at the school level. The present paper focuses on sustainability reporting as a recently emerging practice in the school sector. It presents the approach and findings of an exploratory interview study at three pioneer schools in Germany that have started to establish sustainability reporting mechanisms. The study has examined how the reporting process is evaluated by project managers with regard to its benefits and challenges. Findings support the potential of sustainability reporting at schools to contribute to an increase in studentsí participation in sustainability-related activities at school, create accountability concerning the schoolís efforts, help structure the existing sustainability projects and demonstrate new possible courses of action. The high expenditure of time, the teachersí high workload and lack of support given to the teachers have been identified as major challenges of the reporting process. Further directions for future research into reporting practices at schools are given.
In the face of existing obstacles in the interdisciplinary research on sustainable consumption be... more In the face of existing obstacles in the interdisciplinary research on sustainable consumption behaviors, we argue for the need of an integrative framework from an interdisciplinary perspective. Such a framework is presented in the form of a three-dimensional cube model of sustainable consumption behavior (SCB-cube) extended by a fourth impact dimension. The model has two purposes for application: (I) to systematize existing research on different behaviors on a common taxonomy and (II) to facilitate the selection of relevant sustainable consumption behaviors in social sustainability research based on impact. We critically appraise existing intent- and impact-based research approaches on the four key dimensions of the SCBcube, focusing on the ecological and socio-economic impacts of consumption behaviors. Recommendations for the selection of relevant behaviors for empirical behavioral research are given, using the SCB-cube as a guiding heuristic. The main audience for this model is social science researchers measuring sustainable consumer behaviors on the individual level.
Purpose: Promoting sustainable consumption among young consumers has become a key priority on the... more Purpose: Promoting sustainable consumption among young consumers has become a key priority on the research agenda in such different fields as education for sustainable development, environmental psychology, and consumer policy. Progress in this field has been hampered by a lack of sophisticated research instruments capable of measuring consumption behaviors that are relevant both in terms of their sustainability impacts and their suitability for teenagers. This study addresses this research gap and presents a scale for young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors (YCSCB) in the areas of food and clothing.
Design/methodology/approach: The scale was developed in a two-step, mixed-methods approach. In an initial qualitative interview study, the actual behaviors of theoretically selected young consumers (n=8) were identified with regard to acquiring, using, and disposing of consumer goods in the areas of food and clothing. The YCSCB scale was constructed using the findings of this qualitative study and then validated in a subsequent quantitative study (n=155).
Findings: The YCSCB scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure young consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior in the areas of food (n=14 items) and clothing (n=13 items).
Originality/value: The findings of this research provide a twofold contribution to advancing research on young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors. Firstly, it presents a consolidated scale that is explicitly constructed for teenagers and their consumption contexts. Secondly, it proposes a heuristic for developing more sophisticated measurements of SCB among young consumers that would allow comparison between studies, is focused on behaviors (instead of confounding behaviors with intentions, attitudes or values), and is impact-oriented in terms of sustainability relevance.
Values guide people in their lives as overarching principles of judgements and decision-making. F... more Values guide people in their lives as overarching principles of judgements and decision-making. Focusing on Schwartz’s circumplex value model, the present work is the first systematic literature review to comparatively synthesize the empirical evidence of the stability and change of values in adulthood. Besides understanding the extent of value change, the aim of this review is to reveal the conditions under which values change. The search procedure and screening revealed 19 publications reporting empirical studies on 25 adult samples containing at least two measurements of Schwartz’s values in respondents. Results suggest moderate to high rank-order stabilities of values, even through potentially life-changing transitions. There is evidence of small changes, rarely consistent with theoretical predictions or cross-sectional findings. Preliminary experimental evidence shows that values can be changed with interventions. We identify considerable gaps in knowledge about value change and propose promising avenues for further research.
Current food consumption and production cannot be considered sustainable due to extensive ecologi... more Current food consumption and production cannot be considered sustainable due to extensive ecological, social and economic issues along the supply chain. Reducing food waste is a major instrument in increasing food security and alleviating environmental pressure and thus increasing sustainable food consumption. In Germany, the main generators of food waste are private households. The typical approach to mitigate this is to better inform consumers by means of awareness campaigns. However, research shows that additional solutions are required to tackle the problem of household food waste. Nudging is a relatively new approach to guide consumer behavior gently into a certain direction but there is little experience with its application in the field of consumption politics, let alone food waste reduction. The study addresses this research gap and conducts a first exploratory analysis of the possibilities to reduce household food waste via nudging. The study focuses on the use of food purchase plans as a means to reduce household food waste. It analyses 101 personal questionnaires which were carried out to extract consumers' preferences in this respect. The evidence shows that respondents are open to a change of behavior and also to the use of purchase plans. Furthermore they are interested in feedback on individual food wasting behavior, specific advice on meal planning and social interaction on this topic with their communities. The results also show that young respondents and those living in large households with families are more open to changing their behavior in this respect. These results may be used to gain first experiences in using nudging to reduce household food waste; however, future research is needed to validate and build on these results.
Excess use of disposable to-go-cups constitutes a severe sustainability threat. Behavioral econom... more Excess use of disposable to-go-cups constitutes a severe sustainability threat. Behavioral economics and economic psychology suggest various antidotes. In the present paper, we report two studies – a large-scale intervention field study and an experiment – that constitute independent, pre-registered, and open replication attempts of a recently-introduced intervention procedure: dynamic social norms. We tested whether a dynamic norm, along the lines of “more and more customers are switching from to-go-cups to a sustainable alternative. Be part of this movement and choose a reusable mug” – can help café customers to avoid disposable to-go-cups. Data from a fourteen-week intervention experiment with a total of 23,946 hot beverages sold – 18,019 in disposable cups and 5,927 in reusable mugs – suggest that a dynamic-norm intervention for sustainable consumption helps customers avoid disposable cups and increases their use of reusable alternatives by 17.3% (or 4.1 percentage points). A follow-up online experiment corroborates this pattern and shows advantageous effects of a dynamic norm relative to a no-norm control condition, a static norm, an injunctive norm, and a combination of static-and-injunctive norm. In light of inconsistent and, at times, failed or even reversed replication results for seminal social norms studies, the present pre-registered studies indicate that dynamic norms are an effective means to facilitate sustainable behavior. We discuss scientific and applied implications and avenues for future research.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2017
Purpose - There is broad consensus that the implementation of education for sustainable developme... more Purpose - There is broad consensus that the implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) requires the consideration of geographical and cultural contexts. Despite such an agreement at a theoretical level, there is so far an apparent lack of practical experiences and solid research on approaches that effectively manage to engage professional educators in higher education with ESD in the context of a developing country from the Global South. This paper aims to address this gap and present a case study from a pilot professional development program (PDP) that sought to implement and mainstream ESD among Ethiopian colleges of teacher education (CTEs) and theological seminaries (TSs).
Design/methodology/approach - The research presented is based on the methodology of evaluative case study research in ESD. It analyzes the PDP’s specific objectives with regard to capacity and structure building, describes major activities implemented and how these relate to the objectives and explores major outcomes of the PDP.
Findings - The paper presents a comprehensive training curriculum aimed at addressing ESD in Ethiopian CTEs and TSs in a whole-institution approach. Results suggest that the PDP’s approach to combine human capacity and institutional structure building was effective in supporting the implementation and mainstreaming of ESD in CTEs and TSs in Ethiopia.
Originality/value - This case study presents original research on a pilot Ethiopian PDP that was implemented in collaboration with two academic institutions from Ethiopia and Germany.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 2019
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationship between introspection and key competencies f... more Purpose: This paper aims to explore the relationship between introspection and key competencies for sustainable consumption (KCSCs). It investigates whether mindfulness training can cultivate the ability to introspect and stimulate the development of KCSCs.
Design/methodology/approach: Two independent studies were analyzed. Data were retrieved from interviews with participants of a consumer-focused mindfulness training (Study 1, 11 participants), as well as from diaries of students attending a university seminar with mindfulness training (Study 2, 13 students), and made subject to qualitative content analysis.
Findings: Both studies show a clear intersection between both constructs and suggest that mindfulness training can contribute to the development of KCSCs and learners’ ability to introspect. The studies also demonstrated that introspection is not equally related to all competencies and that KCSCs must not be reduced to introspection.
Research limitations/implications: Both KCSCs and introspection are complex and latent constructs and hence challenging to observe. The research understands itself as a first exploratory approach for empirically investigating this complex relation.
Originality/value: While increasing (self-)reflectivity is at the core of competence-based education, a systematic engagement with the practice of introspection as a means to enhancing reflectivity is surprisingly lacking. Mindfulness training could be a promising way to cultivate introspective abilities and thus facilitate learning processes that are conducive to competence development.
The present conceptual article seeks to contribute to the literature on sustainability-related co... more The present conceptual article seeks to contribute to the literature on sustainability-related conflicts between organizations and their external stakeholder groups. We propose that (1) specific characteristics of sustainability issues can dramatically complicate conflict resolution between organizations and their stakeholders and (2) that social psychology has several leverage points to offer to master sustainability-related challenges and to alleviate intergroup conflicts. The conflict-exacerbating characteristics explored in this paper on basis of a real-world business case include: (1) value and identity differences, (2) proximal, distal, and divergent time horizons, and (3) bilateral allocation of resources. From these challenges, we derive leverage points for possible interventions in sustainability-related intergroup conflicts. On the theoretical level, we focus on the Common Ingroup Identity Model, on the Construal Level Theory, and on Framing approaches that are applied to sustainability-related conflicts. We discuss theory-based interventions that aim to mitigate sustainability-related conflicts, the applicability of these interventions for practitioners, as well as avenues of future research.
This toolkit derives from the three-year research project BiNKA (www.mindfulness-and-consumption.... more This toolkit derives from the three-year research project BiNKA (www.mindfulness-and-consumption.de) that investigated to what extent practices and philosophy of mindfulness may contribute to education for sustainable consumption. The toolkit offers a variety of ideas and suggestions for teachers, trainers and other pedagogical professionals who, together with those they teach or train, want to experience and try out mindfulness exercises related to sustainable consumption.
Consumption is one of the greatest challenges for sustainable development. However, many of our daily consumer activities are routines and habits. Questioning these and establishing alternatives requires that we interrupt our automatic patterns and habits and explore what we want, what is good for us and how we want to deal with others and the surrounding environment. Opening up opportunities to develop new attitudes and behaviours in this regard is a major challenge for educators working to promote sustainable consumption and responsible lifestyles. The practice of mindfulness can be a helpful approach to partially meet this challenge. This toolkit derives from the three-year research project BiNKA (www.mindfulness-and-consumption.de) that investigated to what extent practices and philosophy of mindfulness may contribute to education for sustainable consumption. The toolkit offers a variety of ideas and suggestions for teachers, trainers and other pedagogical professionals who, together with those they teach or train, want to experience and try out mindfulness exercises related to sustainable consumption.
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Papers by Daniel Fischer
This study aims to close the aforementioned research gaps in providing a twofold account of the field in Germany. First, in a trend analysis, it sketches the usage of sustainability terminology in six major German newspapers from 1995 to 2015. Second, in an in-depth analysis for the three years 2001, 2007 and 2013, more than 16 000 usages of sustainability terminology have been coded according to their underpinning meaning. The findings show that sustainability terminology in major German newspapers is used in about twice as many articles in 2015 compared with 1995. What changes is not only the frequency, but also the meanings, with which sustainability terminology is used. There is an apparent tendency towards a ‘semantic consolidation’ of sustainability terminology in the post-2000 years. The meaning thereby moves away from a non-specific and replaceable fashion word towards a more sophisticated and elaborated reflection of the concept of sustainable development. Data analysis finds that political alignment of the newspaper plays a critical role in this.
Design/methodology/approach: The scale was developed in a two-step, mixed-methods approach. In an initial qualitative interview study, the actual behaviors of theoretically selected young consumers (n=8) were identified with regard to acquiring, using, and disposing of consumer goods in the areas of food and clothing. The YCSCB scale was constructed using the findings of this qualitative study and then validated in a subsequent quantitative study (n=155).
Findings: The YCSCB scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure young consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior in the areas of food (n=14 items) and clothing (n=13 items).
Originality/value: The findings of this research provide a twofold contribution to advancing research on young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors. Firstly, it presents a consolidated scale that is explicitly constructed for teenagers and their consumption contexts. Secondly, it proposes a heuristic for developing more sophisticated measurements of SCB among young consumers that would allow comparison between studies, is focused on behaviors (instead of confounding behaviors with intentions, attitudes or values), and is impact-oriented in terms of sustainability relevance.
Design/methodology/approach - The research presented is based on the methodology of evaluative case study research in ESD. It analyzes the PDP’s specific objectives with regard to capacity and structure building, describes major activities implemented and how these relate to the objectives and explores major outcomes of the PDP.
Findings - The paper presents a comprehensive training curriculum aimed at addressing ESD in Ethiopian CTEs and TSs in a whole-institution approach. Results suggest that the PDP’s approach to combine human capacity and institutional structure building was effective in supporting the implementation and mainstreaming of ESD in CTEs and TSs in Ethiopia.
Originality/value - This case study presents original research on a pilot Ethiopian PDP that was implemented in collaboration with two academic institutions from Ethiopia and Germany.
Design/methodology/approach: Two independent studies were analyzed. Data were retrieved from interviews with participants of a consumer-focused mindfulness training (Study 1, 11 participants), as well as from diaries of students attending a university seminar with mindfulness training (Study 2, 13 students), and made subject to qualitative content analysis.
Findings: Both studies show a clear intersection between both constructs and suggest that mindfulness training can contribute to the development of KCSCs and learners’ ability to introspect. The studies also demonstrated that introspection is not equally related to all competencies and that KCSCs must not be reduced to introspection.
Research limitations/implications: Both KCSCs and introspection are complex and latent constructs and hence challenging to observe. The research understands itself as a first exploratory approach for empirically investigating this complex relation.
Originality/value: While increasing (self-)reflectivity is at the core of competence-based education, a systematic engagement with the practice of introspection as a means to enhancing reflectivity is surprisingly lacking. Mindfulness training could be a promising way to cultivate introspective abilities and thus facilitate learning processes that are conducive to competence development.
This study aims to close the aforementioned research gaps in providing a twofold account of the field in Germany. First, in a trend analysis, it sketches the usage of sustainability terminology in six major German newspapers from 1995 to 2015. Second, in an in-depth analysis for the three years 2001, 2007 and 2013, more than 16 000 usages of sustainability terminology have been coded according to their underpinning meaning. The findings show that sustainability terminology in major German newspapers is used in about twice as many articles in 2015 compared with 1995. What changes is not only the frequency, but also the meanings, with which sustainability terminology is used. There is an apparent tendency towards a ‘semantic consolidation’ of sustainability terminology in the post-2000 years. The meaning thereby moves away from a non-specific and replaceable fashion word towards a more sophisticated and elaborated reflection of the concept of sustainable development. Data analysis finds that political alignment of the newspaper plays a critical role in this.
Design/methodology/approach: The scale was developed in a two-step, mixed-methods approach. In an initial qualitative interview study, the actual behaviors of theoretically selected young consumers (n=8) were identified with regard to acquiring, using, and disposing of consumer goods in the areas of food and clothing. The YCSCB scale was constructed using the findings of this qualitative study and then validated in a subsequent quantitative study (n=155).
Findings: The YCSCB scale is a valid and reliable scale to measure young consumers’ sustainable consumption behavior in the areas of food (n=14 items) and clothing (n=13 items).
Originality/value: The findings of this research provide a twofold contribution to advancing research on young consumers’ sustainable consumption behaviors. Firstly, it presents a consolidated scale that is explicitly constructed for teenagers and their consumption contexts. Secondly, it proposes a heuristic for developing more sophisticated measurements of SCB among young consumers that would allow comparison between studies, is focused on behaviors (instead of confounding behaviors with intentions, attitudes or values), and is impact-oriented in terms of sustainability relevance.
Design/methodology/approach - The research presented is based on the methodology of evaluative case study research in ESD. It analyzes the PDP’s specific objectives with regard to capacity and structure building, describes major activities implemented and how these relate to the objectives and explores major outcomes of the PDP.
Findings - The paper presents a comprehensive training curriculum aimed at addressing ESD in Ethiopian CTEs and TSs in a whole-institution approach. Results suggest that the PDP’s approach to combine human capacity and institutional structure building was effective in supporting the implementation and mainstreaming of ESD in CTEs and TSs in Ethiopia.
Originality/value - This case study presents original research on a pilot Ethiopian PDP that was implemented in collaboration with two academic institutions from Ethiopia and Germany.
Design/methodology/approach: Two independent studies were analyzed. Data were retrieved from interviews with participants of a consumer-focused mindfulness training (Study 1, 11 participants), as well as from diaries of students attending a university seminar with mindfulness training (Study 2, 13 students), and made subject to qualitative content analysis.
Findings: Both studies show a clear intersection between both constructs and suggest that mindfulness training can contribute to the development of KCSCs and learners’ ability to introspect. The studies also demonstrated that introspection is not equally related to all competencies and that KCSCs must not be reduced to introspection.
Research limitations/implications: Both KCSCs and introspection are complex and latent constructs and hence challenging to observe. The research understands itself as a first exploratory approach for empirically investigating this complex relation.
Originality/value: While increasing (self-)reflectivity is at the core of competence-based education, a systematic engagement with the practice of introspection as a means to enhancing reflectivity is surprisingly lacking. Mindfulness training could be a promising way to cultivate introspective abilities and thus facilitate learning processes that are conducive to competence development.
Consumption is one of the greatest challenges for sustainable development. However, many of our daily consumer activities are routines and habits. Questioning these and establishing alternatives requires that we interrupt our automatic patterns and habits and explore what we want, what is good for us and how we want to deal with others and the surrounding environment. Opening up opportunities to develop new attitudes and behaviours in this regard is a major challenge for educators working to promote sustainable consumption and responsible lifestyles. The practice of mindfulness can be a helpful approach to partially meet this challenge. This toolkit derives from the three-year research project BiNKA (www.mindfulness-and-consumption.de) that investigated to what extent practices and philosophy of mindfulness may contribute to education for sustainable consumption. The toolkit offers a variety of ideas and suggestions for teachers, trainers and other pedagogical professionals who, together with those they teach or train, want to experience and try out mindfulness exercises related to sustainable consumption.