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Lifelong Learning in Sustainability-Led Initiatives: Exploring Their Learning Potential along the Reworked Four Pillars of Education

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Title: Lifelong Learning in Sustainability-Led Initiatives: Exploring Their Learning Potential along the Reworked Four Pillars of Education
Language: English
Authors: Lena Schmeiduch (ORCID 0000-0002-7796-0558), Elisa Thevenot (ORCID 0009-0005-3041-8250)
Source: International Review of Education. 2026 72(1):61-80.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 20
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Descriptors: Lifelong Learning, Sustainability, Educational Principles, Ecology, Collective Settlements, Life Style, Adult Education, Learning Processes, Cooperative Learning, Experiential Learning, Sustainable Development
DOI: 10.1007/s11159-024-10122-5
ISSN: 0020-8566
1573-0638
Abstract: Sustainability-led initiatives, such as ecovillages and community-supported agricultures, provide opportunities to experience alternative ways of living together and to learn about a wide range of sustainability-related issues. The growing popularity of discourses on sustainability in recent years has led to renewed interest in these experimental spaces and their potential impact on society. Nevertheless, their insular nature and limited accessibility have also attracted substantial criticism in the literature on sustainability transitions. While these spaces attempt to adapt to new societal expectations, such as facilitating greater openness and inclusivity, it is also pertinent that actors engaged in sustainability education consider and develop collaborative strategies with such initiatives to facilitate sustainability transitions that can benefit a wider population. The research presented here contributes to the field of lifelong learning by revisiting and outlining the potential of sustainability-led initiatives to address current and future challenges relevant to adult education. To gain insights into the articulation of sustainable practices and lifelong learning, the authors examined narratives of individuals engaged in sustainability-led initiatives through the theoretical lens of the four pillars of Noah Sobe's framework of lifelong education: (1) learning to study, inquire and co-construct together; (2) learning to collectively mobilise; (3) learning to attend and care; and (4) learning to live in a common world. The authors' analysis suggests that sustainability-led initiatives and lifelong learning agendas frequently converge in their framing of sustainability issues -- as shared challenges that individuals of all ages face and are encouraged to actively engage with. The discussion focuses on the potential of these initiatives to respond to lifelong learning aspirations.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505934
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Lifelong Learning in Sustainability-Led Initiatives: Exploring Their Learning Potential along the Reworked Four Pillars of Education
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lena+Schmeiduch%22">Lena Schmeiduch</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7796-0558">0000-0002-7796-0558</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elisa+Thevenot%22">Elisa Thevenot</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0009-0005-3041-8250">0009-0005-3041-8250</externalLink>)
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  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
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  Data: Sustainability-led initiatives, such as ecovillages and community-supported agricultures, provide opportunities to experience alternative ways of living together and to learn about a wide range of sustainability-related issues. The growing popularity of discourses on sustainability in recent years has led to renewed interest in these experimental spaces and their potential impact on society. Nevertheless, their insular nature and limited accessibility have also attracted substantial criticism in the literature on sustainability transitions. While these spaces attempt to adapt to new societal expectations, such as facilitating greater openness and inclusivity, it is also pertinent that actors engaged in sustainability education consider and develop collaborative strategies with such initiatives to facilitate sustainability transitions that can benefit a wider population. The research presented here contributes to the field of lifelong learning by revisiting and outlining the potential of sustainability-led initiatives to address current and future challenges relevant to adult education. To gain insights into the articulation of sustainable practices and lifelong learning, the authors examined narratives of individuals engaged in sustainability-led initiatives through the theoretical lens of the four pillars of Noah Sobe's framework of lifelong education: (1) learning to study, inquire and co-construct together; (2) learning to collectively mobilise; (3) learning to attend and care; and (4) learning to live in a common world. The authors' analysis suggests that sustainability-led initiatives and lifelong learning agendas frequently converge in their framing of sustainability issues -- as shared challenges that individuals of all ages face and are encouraged to actively engage with. The discussion focuses on the potential of these initiatives to respond to lifelong learning aspirations.
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