Teachers’ Experience and Perceptions of Sustainable Digitalization in School Education: An Existential Phenomenological Study of Teachers in Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Iceland, and The Netherlands

The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers’ awareness, experiences, and perceptions regarding the environmental impact of digitalization in school education across five European countries. Using an existential phenomenological approach, the study uncovers the lived experiences of 29 teachers, who participated in group semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight that teachers share a strong awareness of contemporary environmental challenges, such as climate change and pollution, and that environmental education is integrated into most school curricula, especially topics like recycl... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Dimitrios Vlachopoulos
Rannveig Björk Thorkelsdóttir
Despoina Schina
Jóna Guðrún Jónsdóttir
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2023
Reihe/Periodikum: Sustainability, Vol 15, Iss 13353, p 13353 (2023)
Verlag/Hrsg.: MDPI AG
Schlagwörter: sustainable digital transformation / digital competencies / school education / phenomenological study / Europe / teachers’ experiences / Environmental effects of industries and plants / TD194-195 / Renewable energy sources / TJ807-830 / Environmental sciences / GE1-350
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27192365
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813353

The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers’ awareness, experiences, and perceptions regarding the environmental impact of digitalization in school education across five European countries. Using an existential phenomenological approach, the study uncovers the lived experiences of 29 teachers, who participated in group semi-structured interviews. The findings highlight that teachers share a strong awareness of contemporary environmental challenges, such as climate change and pollution, and that environmental education is integrated into most school curricula, especially topics like recycling, composting, and pollution. Teachers express a genuine concern for educating students about global warming and its consequences, recognizing that today’s students will shape the future. Despite acknowledging the benefits of technology in education, teachers are not fully informed about the environmental impact of digitalization. The paper reveals teachers’ concerns about the energy consumption, carbon emissions, and electronic waste associated with digital technologies. Teachers propose strategies to address the environmental impact of digitalization, including prolonging device lifespans, responsible e-waste recycling, and promoting energy-efficient practices. They emphasize the need for proper teacher training in incorporating digitalization’s environmental impact into the curriculum. The study underscores the importance of engaging students through research activities, discussions, multimedia resources, and hands-on experiences to raise awareness about digitalization’s ecological footprint. Implications of a more informed and proactive approach to addressing the ecological footprint of digital technologies in school education are discussed.