Principles and Barriers of Education for Sustainability Identified in the Activities of the Sustainable School Project

Abstract

Education for sustainability (EfS) provides the opportunity to learn attitudes, perspectives, and social values that lead to healthier conscious choices. In this context, formal education spaces have a high potential to promote the EfS in an integral and permanent form, but they face barriers. This work aimed to identify the potentialities and weaknesses of the activities of the Sustainable School Project and verify its adherence to the principles and barriers to the EfS. The action research was performed in stages of systematic review; presentation of the case study in public schools in São José dos Campos (SP); Survey to identify the perception of the different participating social actors; and critical analysis using statistical methods. The main results we highlight are the project’s involvement and organization as potentialities. And main barriers are the integration of sustainability into institutional planning, the limited instructional time, and the fragmentation of the school curriculum.