Learning in Relation with a Changing World: Thinking Beyond ESD 1 and ESD 2 Towards ESD 3

This article discusses the widespread distinction between instrumental and emancipatory approaches within ESD, also known as ESD 1 and ESD 2, which was highly influential in our field. Against the backdrop of current discourses in environmental and sustainability education as well as critical sustainability studies and transformation studies we suggest four perspectives to be reconsidered: (a) the processual nature of transformations, (b) the incorporation of non-dualistic epistemologies, (c) the challenge to evaluate what has to be handled controversial and what not and (d) the need to address the emotional dimension within ESD. We argue that the discussion on ESD 1 and ESD 2 has to be conceptually updated in light of ethical requests of current social-ecological crises and argue for ESD 3. Such a transformative approach within ESD describes ‘learning in relation with a changing world’. The article concludes by formulating implications for educational praxis and future research.