The Thought-Action Dialectic in Education for Sustainability

Education is commonly invoked as a vital vehicle for transforming individuals and societies for sustainable futures. Yet curricular manifestations often rely on unexamined assumptions concerning the relationship between changing people’s minds and changing their behaviour. It is often assumed that correct thought precedes correct behaviour in a linear relationship, but there are in fact a variety of possible points of intervention, sequences and theories of change. This article maps five common approaches to education for sustainability: awareness-raising – changing consciousness without a corresponding change of action; conditioning – influencing action without reflexivity; perspective transformation – understanding of sustainability leading to action; experiential learning – experiences of sustainability in practice leading to enhanced understanding; and finally dialectical conscientisation – involving a spiral movement between consciousness and action. Implications are drawn out for contemporary practices of education for sustainability, highlighting the transformative potential of understanding the dynamics of the interlocking spheres of thought and action.