Learning experiences help contextualize scaling for ESD activities

Scaling is the expansion of a field in which activities grow from a smaller to a larger impact; it embodies similar ideas, such as “scaling up”, “developing”, “growing”, etc., all under one term. In a previous, related study the researchers introduced a view of scaling as a learning process (scaling-as-learning), in which those involved in scaling activities learn and grow throughout the scaling process. This study focused on scaling of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) activities, which is essential to expand ESD to have a greater impact, and presented scaling ESD activities as a learning process. The researchers investigated how participants of scaling ESD workshops draw on past experiences and current understanding of scaling to collaboratively conceptualize scaling ESD-activities.

This study focused on a five-day workshop, called ReSolve, developed by the researchers to foster discussions of scaling ESD activities. ReSolve serves dual purposes; it generates empirical data on scaling processes for research efforts and facilitates conversation and capacity building about scaling ESD-activities among participants. This study took place in three workshop sessions within a 2016 ReSolve workshop in South Africa to discuss the scaling of two ESD activities. One activity was related to institutional capacity building for sustainability and the other on teacher education. The participants of the workshops included the researchers themselves and practitioners with experience in activities related to ESD in the area. The researchers collected audio recordings from the workshops, which were analyzed for common themes.

The researchers identified four steps in the process of participants conceptualizing scaling. The first step was to determine gaps, or instances when a participant expressed uncertainty with how to proceed with scaling their ESD-activity. This was followed by relations, which occurred when participants recalled past experiences to inform these gaps. Next, encounters were looked at; encounters were instances when participants drew on relations to connect with another participants' past experiences. Last, the researchers identified ends-in-view and purpose; ends-in-view signified when participants tied everything together with the purpose of conceptualizing the scaling of their ESD activity.

Participants discussed what scaling meant in the context of their distinct ESD-activities. For example, participants asked the question “what is to be scaled?”. They found scaling to be multidimensional in the sense that many concepts can be scaled; an organization's model, a teacher educator program, or even an organization's principles can be scaled. The researchers also found participants engaged with future scaling efforts when discussing the scaling of ESD activities. Participants discussed how to adapt conceptualizations of scaling to ESD-activities. This included what should be scaled and who should be involved in the scaling.

The participants drew on prior experience when they addressed how to scale their current ESD-activities. In the same discussion about “what is to be scaled” the researcher found that participants created relations, or recalling their past experiences, to fill gaps in understanding how to approach scaling their current ESD-activity. The researchers concluded that drawing on past experiences enabled participants to fulfill the purpose of the workshop, which was to conceptualize the scaling of their current ESD activity.

This study had limitations. The researchers only analyzed one scaling workshop in South Africa, which could limit the generalizability of the results. Other instances of scaling ESD-activities may have varying results. Also, the ESD-activity took place in only one country; the results may not apply on a global scale.

The researchers recommend using workshops to engage participants in reflective learning about scaling. Creating learning opportunities between participants enables them to contextualize what constitutes scaling within their ESD-activity. The author suggests that incorporating learning as part of conceptualizing scaling and recognizing the past experiences of those involved can uncover relevant concepts of scaling. In other words, it helps facilitate concepts of scaling unique to situations, experiences, and locations, as opposed to universalized, generic concepts of scaling.