Learning for sustainability in Scotland: when best practice is not enough

Research commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2022 investigated Learning for Sustainability (LfS) as it is experienced through the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) by young people (14+ years), practitioners in secondary schools (teachers), and in community learning and development (CLD) settings. The research sought to identify best practice in LfS, its challenges, and successes since the implementation of the Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability Action Plan. The research included a questionnaire for practitioners, exploring their awareness of and engagement with LfS; along with a series of World Café events/Three Horizons focus groups with young people and practitioners. This paper situates the findings and analyses them in an international context and through the lens of critical and transformational theories of education for sustainability to provide further insight into LfS in Scotland in light of the policy and legislative backdrop for teaching and learning in this field. It contends that despite Scotland being a world leader in policy and curriculum integration regarding learning for sustainability, there are considerable gaps in what is promoted in policy and what occurs in schools and communities, in effect, denying young people the transformational educational opportunities needed to become effective agents of change.