The representation of sustainability in national curricula: a comparative study of Australia, Finland and Brazil

Sustainability can be broadly understood as an effort to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make environmental, social and economic decisions that consider the needs of present and future generations. In Australia, sustainability has been incorporated into the official national curriculum by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as a cross-curriculum priority (CCP). This research seeks to explore the inclusion of sustainability within the national curricula of three distinct countries: Australia, Brazil and Finland. To date, no research was found that conducts a comparative case study across various institutional structures on a global scale and at a level of depth which considers a social realist theoretical framework. As a result, this study will take on a qualitative case study approach by exploring the rich content of national mandated curriculum documents in Australia, Brazil and Finland. A critical discourse analysis from Fairclough (2001), will also be applied as a second level of analysis in light of Schwab’s Four Commonplaces (1983) of mileu, teacher, student and content. Framed by a realist orientation, the findings of the study will reveal how a cross-curriculum priority manifests within the nexus of curriculum artefacts, language and epistemological orientations inherent in each curriculum. This study will seek to understand what the implications are for teachers and students in each of these social contexts as well as the possible effects on the intended implementation of education for sustainability.