Cultural changes are essential for building sustainable futures. These changes refer to transformations at various levels, such as worldviews, lifestyles, and societal structures. Understanding the scale of the necessary changes can sometimes feel overwhelming: belief in the ability of individuals and groups to change is a critical foundation for maintaining hope. In this project, belief in the possibility of transformation and orientation toward promoting it is referred to as a mindset for transformation.
Education plays a key role in advancing cultural change. Researchers and policymakers often consider teachers as central agents in the sustainability transition. However, teachers’ own experiences of their profession and its goals may differ significantly from these ideals. More detailed knowledge is needed about how teachers’ agency for change develops.
We study the core elements of teachers’ mindset for change and how these can be influenced. The project collects both quantitative and qualitative research data, focusing particularly on teachers’ beliefs about the ability of individuals and cultures to change. We will develop an intervention to support teachers in promoting cultural sustainability transitions. TeacherMind will produce freely available tools to support teachers’ professional development.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland for 2024-2028.