Methods

Research into the establishment of municipal education landscapes for sustainable development in the cooperating municipalities first requires a comprehensive assessment of the objectives, the strategies, the actors that currently are involved and those that need to be involved, and the structures already in place.

On this basis, the research unit of the ESD Competence Centre develops quantitative questionnaires that take into view the ways in which actors cooperate when introducing or establishing ESD as well as the developments and progress achieved in the process.

In this context, relevant local actors (e.g. in the field of local politics and administration, civil society and educational institutions) as well as ESD addressees (e.g. young people and other educational target groups) will be interviewed. In order to be able to analyse in detail the diversity of processes, the successes and obstacles shaping the introduction or integration of ESD, qualitative expert interviews will also be conducted in 15 municipalities. The results of this quantitative and qualitative research will feed into further in-depth studies exploring the introduction and development of ESD in municipal education management structures (municipal case studies).