Education Challenges for Circular Economy

About this Research Topic

Background

The concept of Circular Economy (CE) challenges the current linear model of production and consumption, exploiting the planet’s raw resources, manufacturing and using the product, and disposing of waste. This linear model has created an economy that largely depends on energy use and other resources, resulting in climate change, pollution and depletion of natural resources. Moving towards a CE requires changes in attitudes and behaviors, adopting a new way of thinking and developing new competencies and skills. Given the still ambiguous definitions and meanings of the concept, education for a CE plays a key role, and how we can teach and learn remains a challenge. New theories on how the CE concept can be applied to promote sustainability should be developed. That is a conceptual change in education from the traditional linear to the circular model of production and consumption. In other words, we should revisit the education practices based on the linear consumption paradigm towards the circular one starting from early childhood. That involves educational fine curriculum improvements about resource reuse, recycling, sources prioritization, and their efficient use. Therefore, raising effective education at all school levels and beyond that off-school adults through continuing education interventions is necessary. Green jobs and green entrepreneurship have a future. The latter is a modern form of economic activity that responds to business needs for profitability and growth, but at the same time takes into account the environmental limitations, treating it as an opportunity and not as an obstacle. More and more companies are seeking to help environmental protection and limit climate change by investing in the research and development of green technologies and practices. Therefore, to serve the new vision for society and the economy by respecting the principles and values of CE and sustainable development, the need for research in education and the essential contribution of the educational system, of the formal, informal, and non-formal education, emerges.

Our ultimate objective for this Research Topic is to effectively contribute to the current state-of-the-art on educational policies regarding the role of circular economy in sustainable development, to share a good and innovative practice of CE and sustainability teaching and learning in different countries, to open and encourage a critical discussion on the topic.

We welcome submissions to the research, systematic reviews, educational policy & practice, lessons from the classroom, good practices in teaching and learning, innovative educational methods, and education case studies about CE. All manuscripts must specifically indicate what they add to the existing literature, a detailed description of the methodology approach, a good illustration of the results, a critical discussion of them in the light of the previous research, clear presentation of conclusions and suggestions according to the results and discussion.

The topic is very broad from bottom up and top down approach and processing. It can cover surveys at all educational levels; issues regarding the integration CE concepts in curricula; development of theory; involvement of experiential learning and thinking holistically; results of applying suitable educational materials and innovative methods and practices; case studies of good practice of CE and sustainability teaching and learning in different countries.

This Research Topic will be a perfect outlet for educational research related to circular economy and sustainability, including, but not limited to, the below-listed topics:
▪ Campus sustainability
▪ Case studies of teaching–learning of CE and sustainability concepts
▪ CE for higher school education
▪ CE for primary school education
▪ CE for secondary school education
▪ CE for university education
▪ CE for students with special needs and handicaps
▪ Continuing learning curriculum for the CE
▪ Education for Sustainable Energy Consumption
▪ Environmental education
▪ Interdisciplinary educational approach to a CE
▪ Insights in STE(A)M disciplines for CE
▪ Insights into virtual school enterprises for CE
▪ Pedagogic innovation for CE
▪ Public Awareness and Stakeholder Involvement in education for CE
▪ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ‘R’ strategies for CE
▪ Teaching biomimetic models, design, and technology
▪ Teaching how to integrate CE strategies to combat climate change
▪ Teaching Industrial Symbiosis and Industrial Ecology
▪ Teaching innovative business circular models

The authors should select the suitable article type following the general guidelines of the Frontiers editions and addressing the aforementioned subtopics, which may involve primary research, case studies and a review of existing literature.

Keywords: education, educational systems, circular economy, CE, circular economy challenges, educational models, climate change, sustainability, conceptual change, circular production models, educational practices, linear consumption paradigm

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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