Background information

Objectives

At the core of the IMP>ACT assessment framework are the concepts of action competence (key observable learning outcome of SCCE) and action-orientation (key qualities of teaching, driving learning in SCCE). IMP>ACT will design and validate the framework in a user-centred, iterative approach through small-scale interventions, followed by six large-scale case studies,selected to cover the lifelong learning scope of SCCE. IMP>ACT brings together an interdisciplinary consortium with partners from SCCE research, policy and practice.

Action Competence

• "Commitment, willingness and ability to take action"

• "All actions are behaviors, but not all behaviors are actions"

Action:

• Decided upon by those who act
• Comes from a commitment to/ connection with a controversial issue
• Deliberated and intended as a contribution to solving that issue

(Sinakou et al., 2019​, Van Poeck et al., 2023)

More readings on action competence

• Sinakou, Donche, Boeve-de Pauw, & Van Petegem. (2019). Designing Powerful Learning Environments in Education for Sustainable Development: A Conceptual Framework. Sustainability, 11(21), 5994. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11215994
• Sass, W., De Maeyer, S., Boeve-de Pauw, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2024). Effectiveness of education for sustainability: The importance of an action-oriented approach. Environmental Education Research, 30(4), 479–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2023.2229543
• Sass, W., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Olsson, D., Gericke, N., De Maeyer, S., & Van Petegem, P. (2020). Redefining action competence: The case of sustainable development. The Journal of Environmental Education, 51(4), 292–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2020.1765132
• Schönstein, R. F., & Budke, A. (2024). Teaching action competence in education for sustainable development – a qualitative study on teachers’ ideas, opinions, attitudes and self-conceptions. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1256849. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1256849
• European Commission. Joint Research Centre. (2020). Sustainability competences: A systematic literature review. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/200956

Methodology

IMP>ACT applies a participatory design approach to its research and development activities, including relevant knowledge actors and users by means of co-design, co-creation and co-assessment. Through participatory design research, we aim to engage these stakeholders in the design process of the IMP>ACT assessment framework, to ensure that the framework is effective, relevant, and inclusive of their contexts and needs. Our approach to participatory design research involves identifying and recruiting stakeholders, co-designing research questions, collecting, analysing, and interpreting data, knowledge dissemination, and enacting change.