Viewing 'scaling' as a learning process enables a better understanding of scaling Education for Sustainable Development activities

Scaling is the expansion of activities, growing them from a smaller to a larger impact; it incorporates similar ideas, such as “scaling up”, “developing”, “growing”, etc., all under one term. The UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development Global Action Programme has called for scaling Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to accelerate education toward sustainable development goals. This call brings forward the need to consider scaling ESD activities in Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) research. Activities need to be transformed to address complex sustainability challenges to create lasting change. This study introduces 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. The researchers investigated the scaling of three ESD-activities to understand how scaling-as-learning is realized into practice. They also addressed the implication of scaling-as-learning for ESD policy and environmental education research.

This study utilized a research process called Re-Solve, which involves active participation with scaling an ESD-activity. Re-solve started with a “generic” phase, in which each case followed the same four steps. The first step in Re-Solve was to selecting ESD activities that had been established for at least three years. The second step was to have dialogue with participants to inform the design of the rest of the process. The third step was to establish end goals of the process. Last, the process drew on relevant policy and research for designing the activities. After the generic phase, the Re-Solve process focused on creating unique workshops specific to each case, which was based off results of the generic process.

This study looked at three cases of scaling ESD activities, in Sweden, South Africa, and Educator, using the Re-Solve framework. Participants included informal and formal educators from primary to university education. Data resulted from the active participation process. It consisted of two empirical data sets: multidisciplinary literature focused on scaling and education and drawings, interviews, and presentations from the Re-Solve process. The data was analyzed for common themes.

From the results, the researchers developed a conceptual framework of scaling-as-learning for ESD activities. Six characteristics of scaling ESD were identified:
Scaling object: The specific elements of the ESD-activity that are put to scale; for example, educational approaches and educational methods.
Scaling pathways: The specific route in which the scaling object travels; for example, collaborations between schools and communities, fluctuations in funding and resources, etc.
Scaling resources: Resources that people, organizations, and/or institutions draw upon to put the scaling object to scale.
Scaling driver: A function, event, agent or action that drives or augments scaling-as-learning.
Scaling subjects: Those involved in the process which included researchers, teachers, and NGO employees in this study.
Scaling sites: Places where the scaling takes place and where encounters occur between those a part of the scaling process. In this study, scaling sites included schools, local communities, NGOs,family homes, etc.

Overall, the researchers found that there is no one definition of what should make up scaling ESD activities as a learning process. Scaling was a transformative process in which the characteristics transform and transform each other:
Scaling object: As the scaling processes evolved, the ESD-activity shifted and the scaling object transformed. For example, an educational approach changed throughout the scaling process.
Scaling pathway: The scaling pathway was a multidimensional characteristic. It spanned spatial, temporal, institutional, jurisdictional, etc., boundaries and transformed together with the scaling object.
Scaling resources: Specific scaling resources in the three ESD-activities included policy support, political mandates, education materials, and practitioner collaboration. The researchers concluded that each ESD-activity's scaling resources should be determined independently to appropriately navigate distinct scaling pathways.
Scaling drivers: The scaling drivers were story sharing, context-sensitivity, or understanding of an ESD-activity within local situations, timing and relevance, and scientific accuracy. The scientific accurateness of the scaling object was a particularly important driver.
Scaling subjects: The researchers found that scaling subjects included subjects from a diverse range of expertise, including research, practice, and policy.
Scaling sites: Scaling sites also were found to be diverse, including formal educational institutions, local communities, small scale farmers, and families.

This study had limitations. The researchers only analyzed three instances of ESD-activities being scaled, which could limit the generalizability of the results. The researchers analyzed ESD activities in only three different countries, the results may not apply in other countries or globally.

Since scaling ESD is dynamic, the researchers recommend approaching scaling ESD activities as a learning process; this will allow for taking into consideration the nuances in each case. What defines each of the six characteristics (ex. determining that researchers are scaling subjects), therefore, must be determined by context rather than being pre-determined. Essentially, scaling activities should be a learning process, as adjusting activities to have a larger impact is a learning process for people involved.