Value-Centered Sustainability for Environmental Literacy: A Perspective from the Philippines

The strong relationship between science education and the concept of sustainability will lead to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of this chapter is to further reinforce the concept of sustainability in the school curriculum by emphasizing that sustainability is manifested by having the right values derived from knowledge and skills and to present emerging pedagogical teaching and learning using methods that are meaningful and relevant. This chapter proposes the head, hand, and heart approach in teaching science. The first section focuses on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as the head, referring to the competencies of the teachers from a global and local standpoint. The second section presents ESD as the hand, which addresses the need to incorporate a skills-oriented teaching model in the integration of the concepts of sustainability. In the third section, ESD is recognized as the heart of science and technology, emphasizing the significance of a value-driven approach to achieving holistic attitudes toward the environment. The fourth section presents the emerging teaching and learning pedagogies in this digital age. The fifth section considers the great potential of science education for transformation to improve the capabilities of the students in the context of participatory learning and exposure to real-life societal mechanisms, thereby paving the way to transformative learning experiences. Looking forward, the authors anticipate that science teaching and learning through collaboration, connection, and communication process effects will become more pronounced by integrating ESD.