Abstract:
Sustainability achievement standards are new to the NCEA qualifications framework, being first introduced in 2009. As the numbers of students choosing to learn about sustainability is increasing, there is a need to understand its effects on secondary students’ learning and behaviours, and upon the teachers’ effectiveness in communicating this new subject matter. This research aimed to examine how Year 12 students (16-17 year olds) take action on a sustainability issue as a requirement of their NCEA Education for Sustainability Achievement Standard and whether these actions continue beyond the students’ compulsory course requirements. Paired interviews were conducted on two occasions with 20 students to explore the effects of studying this standard on their personal lives both in and out of school. Their teachers were also interviewed to investigate their perceptions of their EfS teaching. The findings of these interviews will be presented and discussed.