Activating the Petals in the ‘WSA Flower Model’: Critical Factors for Sustaining Schools’ Pathways Towards a Whole-School Approach

In this chapter, we describe four Norwegian upper secondary schools’ paths towards a whole school approach (WSA) to sustainability. Since 2017, these schools have been part of a longitudinal university–school partnership, together with a school owner and a teacher education. The aim of the partnership was to develop the learning institutions’ sustainability education. The data have been analysed through the lens of the ‘WSA flower model’ (Wals & Mathie, 2022). As a result, we found that the four schools took different paths towards a WSA (e.g. they were initiated by enthusiastic teachers or the leader group). Nonetheless, what the schools had in common was that more petals in the WSA flower model were activated as the partnership evolved. Furthermore, the activation of more petals was related to more focus on robust sustainability in the schools. Thus, we conclude that schools may follow different paths towards sustainability, yet the crucial factor seems to be that more than one petal in the WSA flower model needs to be activated to sustain a school’s journey towards a WSA. We also acknowledge the important role the overarching partnership played as a catalyst for both activating the petals and keeping them active.