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A Process for Transition to Sustainability: Implementation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2012

Sandra Wooltorton ,
Marilyn Palmer  and
Fran Steele
Sandra Wooltorton*
Affiliation:
Edith Cowan University
Marilyn Palmer
Affiliation:
Edith Cowan University
Fran Steele
Affiliation:
Edith Cowan University
*
†Address for correspondence: A/Professor Sandra Wooltorton, Edith Cowan University, PO Box 1712, Bunbury, WA 6231, Australia. Email: s.wooltorton@ecu.edu.au
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Abstract

This paper reports the outcomes of the second action cycle of an ongoing project at Edith Cowan University (ECU) called Transition to Sustainability: ECU South West which is located in a small, single faculty regional university campus. The overall project has comprised three action research cycles, the frst of which was the planning cycle which established the importance of building a community of practice with a learning stance for sustainability transition. It also highlighted the issue of a common defnition of the term sustainability; of including cross-disciplinary perspectives; and of working with the local community. The second action cycle which was the frst implementation phase, is the subject of this report. In this phase, we found that by not foreclosing on the meaning of sustainability, important aspects of sustainability were included. Although research participants initially expressed some concern about using an open understanding of sustainability, the problem of the meaning functioned to foster involvement in dialogue. In fact, these ongoing discussions around sustainability and the notion of a sustainable future formed the heart of this action cycle. However there were constraints associated with the subject of dialogue. These included problems of site communication, the maintenance of effective networks and issues around power and authorisation. We observed that each of these elements could work together in ways that enrich and/or obstruct a transition to sustainability. Finally, we found that lack of time hinders participation in sustainability transition projects because of its effect on authentic dialogue, thereby impacting upon the development of collaborative ways of working within the university. Our project is distinctively Australian in that it reflects an emerging movement in Australia to create social frameworks for embedding sustainability education activities. In our project, the transition process by which learning and change has been facilitated comprises the action research itself.

Keywords

transitionsustainabilityinterdisciplinaryprocesslearning
Type
Research/Practice Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 27 , Issue 1: Special Issue: The “ness” of Environmental Education , 2011 , pp. 160 - 174
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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