An Exploratory Study on Applying Design Thinking to Sustainable Design Education : Focusing on the analysis of middle school art textbooks in the 2022 revised curriculum

This study focuses on the need to expand the role of education to foster practical capabilities for a sustainable future in modern society facing complex problems such as climate crisis, resource depletion, and social inequality. In particular, the possibility and effectiveness of sustainable design education combining sustainable development education(ESD) and design thinking in middle school art education were explored. To this end, 15 types of secondary art textbooks revised in 2022 were analyzed to examine the connection with the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and the current status of reflection in the design field. The results of the study showed that the current focus is on environmental sustainability, and the content on social, economic, and cultural sustainability is relatively lacking. In addition, design activities are often structured around results, so design education that focuses on the process of students directly recognizing and solving problems is necessary. Accordingly, this study presented a design thinking process for sustainable design education. This is significant as a sustainable design methodology that can foster students' creative problem-solving skills, social sensitivity, and practical capabilities.