Meyer, B.E.; Gaertner, E.; Elting, C. Closing the Gap: The Tripartite Structure of Sustainability as a Tool for Sustainable Education—A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability2024, 16, 3622.
Meyer, B.E.; Gaertner, E.; Elting, C. Closing the Gap: The Tripartite Structure of Sustainability as a Tool for Sustainable Education—A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2024, 16, 3622.
Meyer, B.E.; Gaertner, E.; Elting, C. Closing the Gap: The Tripartite Structure of Sustainability as a Tool for Sustainable Education—A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability2024, 16, 3622.
Meyer, B.E.; Gaertner, E.; Elting, C. Closing the Gap: The Tripartite Structure of Sustainability as a Tool for Sustainable Education—A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2024, 16, 3622.
Abstract
(1) In an era where sustainable behavior is increasingly crucial, understanding the discrepancy between individuals' sustainability-oriented values and their actual behaviors, known as the inner-outer gap, is vital. This study explores the potential of the Tripartite Structure of Sustainability (TSS) framework to address this gap within the context of sustainable education. By reviewing literature from the databases APA, ERIC, and Web of Science, we systematically examined factors influencing sustainable actions. (2) Employing a qualitative content analysis approach, we analyzed 56 articles over a 15-year period, identifying 83 factors that either bridge or reinforce the inner-outer gap. These factors were categorized within the TSS framework, which segments sustainability-oriented actions into individual, social, and self-transcendent domains, alongside their activation points: stable, situational, or automated. (3) Our analysis revealed that self-focused factors often reinforce the gap, suggesting a hindrance to sustainable behavior. Conversely, self-transcendent factors consistently bridged the gap, promoting sustainability. Social factors showed variable impacts based on the ethical and sustainable context they were placed in, suggesting that the social environment's orientation significantly influences sustainable behavior. (4) The study concludes that the TSS framework offers a promising approach to advancing sustainability in education by facilitating a paradigm shift towards holistic and interconnected perspectives. This shift is critical for fostering sustainable behaviors, thereby contributing to the field of educational psychology and offering practical implications for educators aiming to nurture a sustainable future.
Keywords
education for sustainable development; systematic literature review; inner‐outer gap; ego‐development theory; educational psychology; judgment‐action gap; intention‐action gap; value‐action gap; knowledge‐action gap
Subject
Social Sciences, Education
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
