Monitor toolbox by theme

Indicator development in the area of learning for sustainability draws upon a 2024 study titled “Monitoring Learning for Sustainability: Developing a Cross-EU Approach”.

Sustainability competences: Main indicators

• Sustainability knowledge, measuring the country average score on the scale for education for sustainable development, broken down by sex, parental education, parental occupation, migrant background, language spoken at home, and number of books at home. IEA ICCS
• Students believing in the importance of making changes to their lives to be more environmentally friendly. IEA ICCS Download data
• Students reporting having done certain actions for sustainability often in the previous 12 months. IEA ICCS Download data

Sustainability competences: Supporting indicators

• Students thinking that climate related issues are a threat to the world’s future. IEA ICCS Download data
• Students reporting doing certain actions for sustainability in general. OECD PISA Download data
• Students reporting having acted or asked their parents to act for sustainability often in the previous 12 months. IEA ICCS Download data

Curricula and pedagogies: Main indicators

• Sustainability as a cross-curricular learning area in European education systems. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Students who can take part in activities related to sustainability. IEA ICCS Download data

Curricula and pedagogies: Supporting indicators

• Project-based integration of sustainability. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Sustainability competences in the top-level curriculum. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Students at schools encouraging environmentally friendly behaviour. IEA ICCS Download data
• Students at schools offering activities to promote students’ respect for the environment. IEA ICCS Download data
• Teachers who have taken part in activities related to environmental sustainability with their students. IEA ICCS Download data
• Teachers teaching their students about the environmental impact of excessive consumption of resources. IEA ICCS Download data

Building teacher capacity: Main indicators

• Teacher preparedness to teach about the environment and environmental sustainability. ICCS 2022 Download data
• Teacher participation in training courses addressing the environment and environmental sustainability. ICCS 2022 Download data

Building teacher capacity: Supporting indicators

• Inclusion of sustainability in teacher competence frameworks. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Sustainability learning objectives in regulations and guidelines for ITE programmes. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT

Context

• Guidance and support to schools in developing whole-school approaches to sustainability. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Guidance and support for specific areas related to whole-school approaches to sustainability. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Specific criteria related to learning for sustainability in external and/or internal school evaluations. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Principals reporting the adoption of environment-friendly activities at schools. IEA ICCS Download data
• Students participating in activities to make the school more environmentally friendly. IEA ICCS Download data
• Financial support for small-scale school infrastructure and school projects related to learning for sustainability. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Students having learned basic sustainability competences at school. OECD PISA Download data
• Transformative pedagogies being conducted by teachers of civic-related subjects often or very often. IEA ICCS Download data
• Transformative pedagogies being conducted to a large or moderate extent. IEA ICCS Download data
• Sustainability education in regulations and schemes for CPD. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Non-school actors with whom sustainability education school projects engage. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Type of support for sustainability school projects with a public engagement dimension. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Inclusion of sustainability leadership in regulations and schemes for CPD. EURYDICE 2024GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Measures to support teachers delivering sustainability education. EURYDICE 2024 GO TO 2024 EURYDICE REPORT
• Students reporting having learned a lot at school on how to protect the environment. IEA ICCS Download data

Further reading

• 2024 study titled “Monitoring Learning for Sustainability: Developing a Cross-EU Approach”.
• European Commission (EACEA/Eurydice) 2024 report titled “Learning for sustainability in Europe: Building competences and supporting teachers and schools”.
• IEA (2023), ICCS 2022 International Report: Education for Citizenship in Times of Global Change.
• IEA (2024), ICCS 2022 European Report: Young Citizens’ Views and Engagement in a Changing Europe.