Sustainability education at Reykjavik Municipal Work School : student experiences and next steps in developing RMWS

Abstract

The aim of this research was to examine the experiences of students at the Reykjavik Municipal Work School (RMWS) while they participated in sustainability education. The purpose was to develop and structure the activity of RMWS, using the character of sustainability, a fundamental pillar as described in the Icelandic national curriculum. There were two types of data used. The first was ten semi-structured interviews with students, who had worked at RMWS during the summer of 2015. Secondly, the researcher was also an instructor at RMWS and used a field journal where he reflected on the educational sessions, which was also used as data for analysis. The findings suggest that the students had a positive experience of working at RMWS, as well as of the educational sessions, that introduced the concept of sustainable development. There were indications that the tasks, the students performed outside the educational sessions, were monotonous. The assignment that required problem solving was more memorable than the assignment that required imagination and putting themselves in other people’s shoes. There are suggestions about how the assignments could be expanded, so that they would better connect to other aspects of sustainability. Looking back, the students should have had a chance to assist in the daily planning of activities. Additionally, the findings indicate a difference between the experiences of the girls and the boys, where the girls thought that participation in group work was the most fun and educational and the boys thought that finding solutions to problems was the most fun. There are also suggestions as to how students could get the opportunity to plan and prioritize their activities. Finally, the findings suggest that there is room to develop the work further as well as the educational sessions about sustainability that students pursue at RMWS. It is important to address the interests of both girls and boys and assignments need to have qualities of problem solving, participation, and communication, as well as opportunities for lively debate and an exchange of ideas.

Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að skoða upplifun nemenda af Vinnuskóla Reykjavíkur og þátttöku þeirra í fræðslu um sjálfbærni. Markmiðið var að þróa og móta enn frekar starf Vinnuskólans í anda grunnþáttarins sjálfbærni sem kynntur er í aðalnámskrá grunnskóla. Byggt var á tvenns konar gögnum. Annars vegar tíu hálfopnum viðtölum við nemendur sem höfðu unnið í Vinnuskóla Reykjavíkur sumarið 2015. Einnig var rýnt í dagbók rannsakanda, sem var leiðbeinandi í Vinnuskólanum, sem ígrundaði daglega eigin reynslu og vinnu nemenda.Niðurstöður benda til þess að nemendur hafi almennt verið ánægðir með Vinnuskóla Reykjavíkur, bæði verklegu þjálfunina og þá fræðslu sem þeir fengu og snerist um sjálfbærnimenntun. Fram komu þó vísbendingar um að verklegu viðfangsefnin væru oft fábreytt og nemendur hefðu fá tækifæri til að skipuleggja framkvæmd þeirra. Nemendur mundu helst eftir fræðsluverkefninu sem fól í sér að leita lausna, en síður eftir verkefninu sem krafðist þess að nemendur væru hugmyndaríkir og að þau settu sig í spor annarra. Fram komu vísbendingar um hvernig mætti dýpka fræðsluverkefnin svo þau tengist betur fleiri sviðum sjálfbærninnar. Einnig kom í ljós munur á upplifun unglingana eftir kyni þar sem stúlkunum fannst sjálf þátttakan í hópvinnu vera skemmtileg og fræðandi, en drengjunum fannst viðfangsefnið að finna lausn á vandamáli vera skemmtilegasti hlutinn. Þá komu fram ábendingar um hvernig nemendur gætu í auknum mæli fengið tækifæri til að skipuleggja verkleg viðfangsefni.Niðurstöðurnar gefa tilefni til að móta enn frekar verklega þjálfun og fræðslu um sjálfbærni sem nemendur takast á við í Vinnuskólanum. Taka þarf mið af áhuga stúlkna og drengja, þ.e. að hafa bæði lausnamiðuð viðfangsefni og verkefni sem fela í sér virka hópvinnu þar sem svigrúm er fyrir lifandi skoðanaskipti.