ETBI Journal of Education - Vol 2:1 - June 2020 (Sustainable Development Goals 2015 -2030)

ETBI Journal of Education June 2020
PRACTICAL ACTION
Thus, if we reflect on the evidence from the
history of development education in Ireland as
well as TY’s own history, it is perhaps unrealistic
to expect one teacher, even in a single module, to
engage with all 17 SDGs. For a TY co-ordinator
keen to embed the SDGs in the programme, the
following strategy might be considered:
a. Identify a team of teachers to volunteer to
undertake the task;
b. Recognise the strengths within the emerging
team;
c. Encourage them to inform each other about
dimensions of the SDGs with which they are
familiar; include ecological, socio-cultural,
scientific and technological, and economic aspects
of the SDGs;
d. Facilitate them to decide how best to
incorporate the SDGs into the school’s specific TY
programme;
e. Following the guidelines, see this as an
opportunity for ‘the use of a wide range of
teaching/learning methodologies and situations’
(DE, 1993, p.8). ‘Project work and research’ by
individual and small groups on particular SDGs
may be especially appropriate.
f. Devise an innovative form of assessment and
public demonstration of the students’ learning.
Finally, TY offers space and opportunity to
develop ‘student voice’ (Lundy, 2007; 2018)
beyond tokenism. If we pay heed to the emerging
youthful leaders of our time such as Malala
Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, the urgency and
relevance of the SDGs as a teaching framework in
TY becomes even clearer.
PAGE 18