Critical pedagogies to engage heart, hand and head in education for sustainable development

The personal and professional lives of our graduates can have a significant impact on the sustainability challenges the world is facing. The ways in which teaching and learning occur will influence the competencies developed and the potential for transformative learning. Critical pedagogical approaches that empower students to analyse and confront social, economic and political injustices lend themselves to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). However, pragmatic concerns around class size, educator confidence and other issues may constrain possible approaches. The competencies – the knowledge, skills, attributes and values – that graduates develop through their studies can help them contribute to a more sustainable future, supporting their ways of thinking, ways of practising and ways of being. In this chapter, we examine and exemplify pedagogical approaches designed to support students from any discipline to develop the key sustainability competencies. We examine the learning and teaching approaches that can be effective at engaging heart, hands and head. Relational, compassionate and eco-pedagogies can support educators to deepen ESD in inclusive, exciting and transformative ways.