Action Research and ESD in the BINE Professional Development Course

Overview of the Study

The selected article is primarily qualitative and action-research oriented. The purpose of the study was to investigate the professional development course BINE, taking place at a university, in order to address Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and to examine the learning that participants gained through action research regarding the implementation of ESD in their educational institutions (Rauch, Steiner & Kurz, 2021).

Participants, Sample, and Setting

Four BINE courses have been conducted in Austria to date. The participants examined in the study were drawn from the most recent course, held between 2016 and 2018. A sample of 11 people was interviewed, comprising approximately 50% of the total BINE course participants. Nine of the participants were women and two were men. Contact with the selected participants was established through regional group leaders.

All participants provided their consent for the interviews, each of which lasted between 35 and 70 minutes. Structured interviews were formulated based on three features: questions regarding the content of the course, questions about learning outcomes in BINE, and questions related to future recommendations for the course.

Research Design and Methodology

The research design is applied research with descriptive evaluation. The study qualifies as true applied research because it seeks to solve a practical problem — specifically, teaching participants (in-service educators) about action research and the implementation of ESD within their working institutions for professional development purposes.

The evaluation is descriptive and is drawn from interview data, as the set of participant statements describes the nature of the situation. Words and text can sometimes yield richer insight than numerical data, since opinions and attitudes toward a phenomenon cannot always be captured statistically.

The research design also employs a phenomenological approach within this qualitative framework. It aims to scrutinize the path of practice — as observed in the BINE course — and the learning gained by participants, in order to explore their understanding of an existing phenomenon (Elkatawneh, 2016, p. 4). Participants were therefore selected exclusively from among those with BINE course experience, so that interviews could capture their reflections on course content, its complexity, and overall learning outcomes.

Data was collected through structured interviews conducted among the sample of 11 participants. Regional group leaders assisted in contacting participants, and recordings were made of all conducted interviews. Qualitative analysis was applied via descriptive evaluation. The article uses content narrative for analysis, as verbal materials from interviews — presented within quotation marks — represent participants' personal experiences in relation to their background knowledge.

Results of the BINE Course Study

Furthermore, the analysis reveals the use of second-order theoretical analysis for studying the phenomenon within its particular context — namely, BINE course participants' perspectives on ESD and its implementation in their educational institutions (Shkedi, 2007). A form of low-level theory is constructed using verbal materials from the interviews within this specific educational context, and only this setting is explored.

The results showed that BINE course participants were heterogeneous in terms of their backgrounds. Many had little prior knowledge of the course and were taken aback by its complexity. This complexity created confusion for those who had enrolled hoping to find clear solutions, as reflected in their interview responses and the verbal materials presented within the article. Participants believed that background knowledge played a significant role in developing a productive attitude toward the course and its learning outcomes.

Regarding ESD specifically, participants referenced it frequently. They expressed the view that a final solution to the sustainability problem can never truly be achieved. Social, economic, and societal conditions influence ESD outcomes, and these must be examined for a deeper understanding and interpretation of ESD's dynamics.

Participants became more aware of the course's complexity after it commenced, particularly those who had no prior background information. Tools supporting intellectual and emotional development in ESD implementation were seen as highly valuable for educators, providing direction for sustainable development. Both the emotional and intellectual levels were understood to balance each other and to form a framework enabling learners to adopt a holistic approach to professional development.

Overall, the research findings indicated that participants appreciated the course, as they gained firsthand experience of how research is actually conducted. However, limited awareness of scientific inquiry was observed. Despite being a challenge for many, scientific inquiry represents an additional competence in high demand within the educational profession, particularly for teachers and educators.

Participants accepted that failures are a natural part of the research process, acknowledging that goal-setting and hypothesis formulation are time-consuming. Nevertheless, they found the process engaging and valued their involvement. They recognized growth in their own strengths in this area, which contributed to increased self-confidence. The primary aim of the BINE course — action research encompassing the dual goals of understanding and development — was therefore considered achieved.