Development and Validation of a Research-based Community-centered Sustainability Program for Philippine Senior High School Students

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a process that helps citizens build personal capacity that empowers them to analyze issues, make decisions, and act in ways that promote the well-being of communities and the environment both now and in the future. Science and technology education plays a critical role in ESD. The basic science curriculum of the Department of Education seeks to produce scientifically-literate graduates who can make sound decisions that contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Despite international, regional, and national efforts, low levels of literacy on sustainability on the part of educators and learners, insufficient space in the curriculum for topics related to sustainable development, and lack of appropriate and relevant materials have been identified as barriers to success. The establishment of the Senior High School program in 2016 provided new opportunities for achieving these goals through experiences like research, immersion, and entrepreneurship. This developmental study aimed to use these elements present in the SHS curriculum to develop a research-based community-centered sustainability program for senior high school (SHS) learners at the Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS). A mixed methods approach was utilized to collect information from administrators, faculty, staff, and students of the PSHSS through document analysis, stakeholder surveys and key informant interviews, and focus-group discussions, in order to design a customizable program for the different campuses in the PSHSS. Four models (subject-based, extracurricular activity-based, curriculum integration, and school-based) that develop sustainability competence through a research-based community-centered approach were developed based on literature reviews, effective local practices, and needs identified by the community. Stakeholder feedback was solicited on the program’s relevance, feasibility, and ease of adoption. Recommendations were incorporated into the final output: a collection of examples and resources needed for customization and implementation of the models. Insights from the process as well as recommendations for implementation in other contexts are discussed.