Change Project-Based Learning in Teacher Education in Botswana

Abstract

Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) pedagogies are intricate, and to enhance learning, teacher education has to be  innovative in teaching approach. This article investigates how the change project approach enhances project-based learning in practice. The investigation is based on teacher education programmes in Botswana teacher education institutions (colleges of education) where a few teacher educators were introduced to Education for Strong  Sustainability and Agency (ESSA) change projects. Preliminary results of the change projects’ evaluation indicate that change project ideas were enthusiastically accepted by teacher-educators and students across the teacher education colleges in  Botswana. This research is a follow-up to change project implementation and its outcomes in two teacher education institutions in Botswana. It is framed within a project-based learning approach in teacher education. Data were generated through site visit observations and interviews with teacher-educators and studentteachers. The outcome indicated the viability of project-based learning (PBL) as an  appropriate approach to transformative pedagogies for ESD in teacher education. The PBL approach is recommended for teacher training education to facilitate strong sustainability and agency among student-teachers.

Key words: project-based learning, change project, ESD, environmental education, teacher education.