Geography Textbooks as a Political Tool to Promote Energy Transitions?

Abstract

Textbooks are an important instrument for the transmission of educational content, but also political goals. Globally, energy systems are ‘in transition’ and firmly on the agenda of governments and organizations, as well as being the focus of climate strikes by the youth-led Fridays for Future movement and other activist groups. The SDG goal no. 7 (affordable and clean energy) expresses international political will. This chapter asks if geography textbooks are effective at presenting the politics of energy transitions and sustainable futures, with cases from Austria and francophone Switzerland. Based on a mixed methodology including quantitative and qualitative content analysis, the results show that (energy) resources are mainly discussed related to their economic potential and the request to improve individual consumption. Textbooks mostly deal with the problems of fossil fuels, with broader presentation of energy remaining implicit. The daily life of students is rarely addressed, and the action-orientated tasks in textbooks are relatively simple in reference to Bloom’s taxonomy. Future-thinking is lacking, although the concept of sustainability includes intergenerational justice. We recommend that (geography) textbooks and schooling in general should give students the opportunity to develop and discuss alternative approaches, ideas and solutions to energy transitions and sustainability. They should also provide more emotional and sensorial learning experiences and include extracurricular learning places.