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3.5 Schools for a Sustainable Environment Initiative
3.5.2 Approach
Two main approaches guided the development of the SSE initiative namely Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and the Handprint Series, underpinned by the active learning framework.
Integrated Water Resources Management
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) has been defined as a philosophy, process and implementation approach promoting the coordinated, efficient and integrated management of water, land and related resources for equitable economic and social benefits without compromising the sustainability of important ecosystems (Rogers & Luton 2011). It is participatory, decentralised and trans-disciplinary management that values multi-stakeholder collaboration and decision-making and appreciates the systemic nature of water management issues that are impacted by multiple practices (Rogers & Luton 2011). All stakeholders are thus regarded as having a responsibility in maintaining the integrity of the water resources (Pollard & du Toit 2005; Haigh, Fox & Davies-Coleman 2010).
IWRM is supported in South Africa’s National Water Act (NWA) and Catchment Management Agencies (CMA) are seen as the implementing bodies at the catchment level (Pollard & du Toit 2005; Rogers & Luton 2011). In spite of its positive ideals and principles, the implementation of IWRM in South Africa has had limited success. This is partly due to the lack of progress in developing CMAs, the lack of institutional capacity and the dramatic escalation of service delivery needs that place a large financial and capacity burden on local municipalities (Siddle & Koelble 2012).
IWRM principles of stakeholder collaboration, participation and responsibility for water resource health as well as the systemic nature of water resources informed the design of the SSE initiative, which was developed through a community/ municipal driven partnership and aimed to foster a local culture of responsible water stewardship practices. A resource pack on urban water catchments, specifically tailored to the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system (appendix A), provided the initial structure to the SSE initiative. Its purpose was to represent the Boksburg Lake’s social-ecological
system and degradation, alert users to linking action to consequence (increase a sense of responsibility) and facilitate agency for meaningful sustainable action.
The content of the resource pack reflected the integrated and systemic nature of water resources with the intention that learners gain a better grasp of the system as a whole and the connections within it. The initial contextual profile provided an understanding of aspects of the system dynamics influencing Boksburg Lake. This formed the basis of the draft content of the resource pack on urban water catchments, focusing on Boksburg Lake.
Stakeholder collaboration underpinned the development and continual refinement of the initiative and content of the resource pack. On 5 February 2009, a workshop was held with teachers and representatives from the Boksburg Historical Association and Rand Water. The aim was to establish networks, receive input into the general initiative and content of the resource pack, encourage a sense of local responsibility to see Boksburg Lake reclaimed, and facilitate community understanding and ownership of the initiative. Useful local and expert input was given and it was an important step in stakeholders beginning to own the initiative. Another stakeholder meeting was held on 9 February to present the initiative to local stakeholders, provide a platform for a municipal representative to share Ekurhuleni’s intentions and discuss the way forward.
A wider range of role players was invited and there was good attendance, including eight teachers, three Ekurhuleni representatives, two environmental representatives, two WESSA representatives, a representative from GDACE, a local activist, a columnist for the Advertiser and a businessman.
In addition, an evaluation and reporting process was conducted from 2009 and 2012, with learners, teachers and role players who participated in the Boksburg Lake Day (particularly Unilever, EMM, WESSA and Rand Water), to continually improve the initiative and provide feedback to these role players.
The Handprint series
The design of the resource pack was adapted from the Handprint: Action Towards Sustainability Series developed by O’ Donoghue and Fox (2009). The Handprint series consisted of a suite of resource books designed to inspire sustainability practices. The series was informed by three core concepts: the active learning framework, the ecological handprint and the power of stories to provide “authentic cases of environmental learning and change” (O’ Donoghue and Fox 2009: 1). These three core concepts will be discussed in turn.
Active learning has been described as:
learning by doing, discovery learning, hands-on experiential learning … the learner becomes socially, culturally, and cognitively involved in a reflexive learning process [and] … is encouraged to investigate the world, find out about it with others, and engage in collaborative reflections and change-oriented actions. (United Nations Environment Programme 2006: 28)
O’Donoghue (2001) developed the active learning framework to deepen active learning theory. It synthesised approaches in environmental education that had developed from having a purely information-sharing and experience emphasis to include more participatory, hands-on, enquiry-based and practice-centered learning opportunities around local environmental concerns (O’ Donoghue & Lotz-Sisitka 2006; O’Donoghue 2007). The active learning framework is flexible so that environmental learning can be structured around a local environmental issue (Schudel 2012). It includes informative, investigative, action and reflection aspects and promotes situated and action-orientated environmental education.
Environmental education’s primary focus has been on human beings’ negative environmental impact, which can be measured by the ecological footprint.
Consequently there has been a need to provide learners with opportunities to engage in positive action rather than confront them only with negativity (O’Donoghue pers.com 2008). The ecological handprint logo, depicted in figure 3.19, is a symbol for positive action (O’Donoghue & Fox 2009) and emphasises that humans can adopt practices with positive effects on social-ecological systems.
Authentic stories are a meaningful way to share locally relevant knowledge that learners can identity with. This was the rationale for developing inspirational stories of sustainability practices that the reader could identify with. Connelly and Clandinin (1990: 2) have expressed the value of this approach: “Humans are storytelling organisms, who individually and socially, lead storied lives”.
Figure 3.20 represents a revised version of the active learning framework underpinning the Handprint series. This framework structured the design of the resource pack on Urban Water Catchments, which included:
1. A start-up authentic story on a sustainability practice with linked, locally relevant knowledge support materials to facilitate deepened understanding of the Figure 3.19: Handprint series logo
topic. These knowledge resources were developed to be used within the different learning areas in the RNCS curriculum.
2. Questions to guide discussion on local concerns and possibilities.
3. Investigative activities to find out about local issues and practices.
4. Ideas to try out sustainability practices.
5. Deliberation activities to reflect on the chosen sustainability practice in relation to risk-infused social-ecological systems.
Figure 3.20: Revised active learning framework underpinning the Handprint series (developed by O’ Donoghue 2009) that indicates the value of reading, talking about, finding out, trying out and deliberating change for effective learning