Educators' intentions for learning in virtual school garden exchanges: A comparison with the aims of education for sustainable development

Virtual school garden exchange offers an approach to education for sustainable development that uses technology to support global partnershipsThe aim of this study was to identify the learning outcomes prioritized by Virtual School Garden Exchange (VSGE) educators worldwide, and to consider these aims within the context of the goals of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), as outlined in the literature. ESD is an approach that seeks to address the local and global social, ecological and economic aspects of sustainability issues. VSGEs are international school partnerships focused on school gardening and are considered to be a form of learning called Virtual Exchange which centers on interculturality. In VSGEs, students participate in exchanges with students from other countries about their school garden experiences through emails, photos, videos, or videoconferences. As VSGE is a relatively new practice and field of study, little is known about its intended learning outcomes.

Eighteen VSGE programs were identified worldwide by the researchers. Wide variation existed among programs in regard to student age, form of technology used in the exchange, duration of the program and language; however, all programs were located at a primary or secondary school. The majority of VSGEs involved one school from the Global North and one school from the Global South, and most were planned as one- or two-year projects. From these programs, 27 VSGE educators participated in the study. Fifteen VSGE educators were based in Europe (England, Germany and Greece), four were based in Africa (Kenya and Uganda), and five in the Americas (Argentina, Peru, Mexico and U.S.). Most of the study participants worked directly with learners, and some participants served as national or international VSGE coordinators. Educators participated in a total of 23 interviews.

Data analysis revealed findings across VSGEs with regard to learning outcomes, learning setting, differences and similarities, and risks to learning. Findings concerning learning outcomes identified by educators were focused in three areas: (1) knowledge, (2) competencies and (3) values. Educators highlighted the aim to foster knowledge regarding gardening, the global importance of gardening, gardening practices in other countries, global challenges (global agricultural systems and climate change), and geographical and cultural understanding. Educators attempted to foster learners’ competency through VSGEs. Competencies identified as important included understanding of collaborative interactions across cultures, others’ perspectives, global interconnectedness, as well as systems and critical thinking. Values that educators hoped VSGEs would foster focused on unity, solidarity, global citizenship and empathy among learners. Some indicated a hope that VSGEs would encourage activism. Regarding the learning setting, educators reported that school gardening provides an equitable learning environment that allowed for complexity (global perspectives) and authenticity in learning, while supporting relationships and friendships across sites. VSGEs were also adaptable to learners’ developmental stage. Additionally, all educators saw great potential for learning through exploring differences and similarities between learners from different countries. Finally, data also revealed potential risks to learning. Many educators, primarily those from the Global North, expressed concern about a potential power imbalance which may “reinforce stereotypes” rather “than creating the intended feeling of global citizenship.”

Results indicate that although the 18 VSGEs were designed independently of each other, educators espoused similar aims for their programs’ learning outcomes and settings. Comparison of intended learning outcomes to the goals of ESD reveals parallels, as both aimed to promote knowledge about sustainability. While VSGE appears to be generally aligned with ESD, researchers noted that VSGE educators in this study reported only half of the eight “key sustainability competencies” they identified in the ESD literature. The study also points to the potential “influence of (post-)colonialism, systemic inequities, or existing narratives and stereotypes” and the need to address these complexities within the field. Further research on actual student learning outcomes is needed to clarify if VSGEs achieve ESD goals and will strengthen understanding of VSGEs in general.