Education, Environment and Sustainability research group

Education, Environment and Sustainability Research Group

Advancing Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability.

About us
Our members
Publications
Archives

About the group

The Education, Environment and Sustainability (EES) Research Group is committed to advancing research-based understandings and the scholarly development of Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability.

We invite scholars, students and stakeholders to participate in developing and exchanging knowledge about EES through research, networking and scholarship.

We aspire to create work known for its high quality, collaborative aspects, and reflexivity.

Key dimensions and themes in our research

The group's research activities are shaped by critical considerations of three interrelated dimensions:

Research and policy
Engagement and impact
Curriculum and pedagogy.

Key topics for our research, scholarship and supervision include:

investigating a range of educational/environmental/sustainability factors that promote, support or challenge various forms of EES, including the rationales for and effects of particular principles, processes, designs, policies and contexts,
reflecting on EES-related knowledge and discourse, including factors related to their scholarly underpinnings and justifications, conceptualisation and representation, production and governance, and engagement and critique.

National and international collaborations

Group members have extensive national and international experience in research, evaluation and consultancy. We have worked with a wide variety of environmental, sustainability and educational agencies and organisations, locally to globally. Please contact us for more information on examples and services members of the group can offer.

Internationally, we work regularly with active research networks and partners and academic centres in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa. Our members have convened and/or advised international EES-related research conferences, workshops and seminar series.

Monash Sustainable Development Institute

Global Environmental Education Partnership

North American Association for Environmental Education

UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education

Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, EERA

Environmental Education SIG 33

Environmental and Sustainability Education SIG, AARE

Environmental and Sustainability Education SIG, CIES

World Environmental Education Congress

Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub

Plants + Places + Pedagogies Research Group

Science Education in the Anthropocene (SEA) Impact Lab

Presentations

Institutionalization of Environmental Education in the Era of Climate Change: Reviewing Achievements and Redefining Future Directions

Prof. Alan Reid delivers the keynote address in the 2026 first semi-annual conference of Korean Society for Environmental Education (KOSEE) on the topic of 'Institutionalization of Environmental Education in the Era of Climate Change'

XXII Congreso Internacional de Investigación Educativa – AIDIPE

Prof. Alan Reid delivers the closing keynote on ‘Education for Sustainability’ at the XXII Congreso Internacional de Investigación Educativa (AIDIPE 2026), an international forum focused on educational research, innovation, and sustainability.

Empowering Tomorrow: International Symposium on Building Climate Resilience for Generations to Come - HKBU-SCE

Prof. Alan Reid contributes as a keynote speaker to the international symposium event hosted by the School of Continuing Education, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Sendai & Beyond: Education, Relationality & Disaster

The purpose of this panel event was to launch a Special Issue of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science called “The Sendai Framework Celebrates Its 10th Birthday” in partnership with UCL.

Symposium on Critical Dialogues on Environment, Health, and Sustainability

Global Virtual Exchange Summit 2025 - Symposium on Critical Dialogues on Environment, Health, and Sustainability

Video

Presentation to the Australian Association of Environmental Education (AAEE): Belinda Davis and Alan Reid

The presentation highlights Belinda's PhD research and was presented to the Australian Association of Environmental Education (AAEE) Biennial Conference on 13 August under the theme of "Collaborate."

Video

Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting Presentation February 2025 - Belinda Davis

'The "Butterfly Effect": Identifying Pathways for SustainabilityTransformation Through the Social Processes of Disaster Resilience' presentation at Society for Risk Analysis, Australia & New Zealand, 2025 Conference.

Video

CCCSE - Prof Justin Dillon in conversation with Prof Alan Reid

UCL Professor Justin Dillon discusses contemporary issues in climate change and sustainability awareness, research and education with visiting Professor Alan Reid, leader of the Education, Environment and Sustainability group at Monash University.

Video

Alan Reid, Monash University

An interview conducted by Environmental Education

Video

View the Archives tab to see a list of past presentations, and prior publications. For recent scholarly publications, please navigate to the Publications tab.

Editorial engagement

We have senior editorial responsibilities in various international journals and publications related to the research group, including the highly rated academic journal, Environmental Education Research (#eerjournal).

Group members

The group is currently led by Professor Alan Reid. Please forward any enquiries about visiting or collaborating with the group to alan.reid@monash.edu.

Group members include Monash staff, affiliate members, research students and visiting scholars.

Interested in being supervised on a research degree by members of this group?

Please visit the How to Apply website, and follow Steps 1 and 2 before making contact.

Monash profiles and the Faculty's Find a Supervisor tool can help inform your decision about who to approach too.

Several group members contribute to Monash’s Master of Environment and Sustainability. For those with experience in education who seek a graduate qualification on the intersection of environment and sustainability with education, completing this Master degree (or its equivalent) can provide a strong foundation for further study with us.

Monash staff

Affiliate members

Research students

Examplars of PhD and Masters students who have graduated from the group

Recent visiting scholars

Recent publications

The following is a small selection of our recent work and key publications. For a detailed list of outputs and associated projects, please see individual group members' profiles.

2026

The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Change Research in Transdisciplinary Education: Volume 1
Sezen-Barrie, A., & Tolbert, S. (2026).
The Palgrave Handbook of Climate Change Research in Transdisciplinary Education: Volume 1. Palgrave Macmillan Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-14426-3.

Creative, effective, transformative: creative learning and educator practice in education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research
Robertson, D., Bos, J. J., Fridman, I., & Grocott, L. (Accepted/In press).
Creative, effective, transformative: creative learning and educator practice in education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 1-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2543013, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2543013

Engaging people in educational processes that foster environmentally valuable outcomes: A synthesis of key findings across eight systematic reviews
Ardoin, N. M., Reid, A., Bowers, A. W., Ballard, H., & Monroe, M. C. (2026).
Engaging people in educational processes that foster environmentally valuable outcomes: A synthesis of key findings across eight systematic reviews. People and Nature, 00, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70265 | Open access

Essays on Nature and the Philosophy of Environmental Education
Bonnett, M., Dillon, J., & Reid, A. (Eds.) (2026).
Essays on Nature and the Philosophy of Environmental Education. (1st ed.) Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003616429

Gender Equality, Sustainability and Early Childhood Education
Casey, E., Reid, A., & Kim, E. (2026)
Gender Equality, Sustainability and Early Childhood Education: Gaps and Ways Forward. In: A. Keary, L. Walsh, J. Scull, S. Garvis (Eds.), Evidence and Insights to Inform Early Years Practice (pp. 133-154). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003563433-9

Exploring response levels to sustainability in engineering curricula: A cross-case analysis
Gutierrez-Bucheli, L., Reid, A., Kidman, G., & Lamborn, J. (2026). Exploring response levels to sustainability in engineering curricula: a cross-case analysis. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 27(1), 202-219. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2024-0070

2025

Connecting gender equality with sustainability in early childhood: educators understandings in Victoria, Australia
Casey, E., Kim, M., & Reid, A. (2025). Connecting gender equality with sustainability in early childhood: educators understandings in Victoria, Australia. Environmental Education Research, 31(2), 304-324. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2418310

Beyond the matter: collaborative call-and-response learning with bioplastic and Padlet
Okore, N., Burke, G., Miles, M., & Reid, A. (2025). Beyond the matter: collaborative call-and-response learning with bioplastic and Padlet. Environmental Education Research, 31(1), 212-229. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2405902

Defending the environmental status quo: an ecocritical analysis of the lived spaces of indigenous animals in contemporary Australian picturebooks
Bradfield, K. Z., Carabott, K., & Bhandari, K. (2025). Defending the environmental status quo: an ecocritical analysis of the lived spaces of indigenous animals in contemporary Australian picturebooks. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 48, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44020-025-00088-8

The Belgrade Charter: towards a critical appreciation 50 years on (Version 20)
Reid, A., Monroe, M., Gough, A., Wals, A. E. J., Sauvé, L., Braus, J., Stevenson, B., & Finnegan, W. (2025).
The Belgrade Charter: towards a critical appreciation 50 years on (Version 20). Monash University. https://doi.org/10.26180/30047455.v20

Storytelling and good relations: Indigenous youth capabilities in climate futures
McMeeking, S., Tetini-Timoteo, M., Hayward, B., Prendergast, K., Ratuva, S., Crichton-Hill, Y., Mayall-Nahi, M., Wood, B., Tolbert, S., Harré, N., & Macfarlane, A. (2025).
Storytelling and good relations: Indigenous youth capabilities in climate futures. Geographical Research, 63(1), 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12670

Unforgetting ‘old’ materialisms: ecofeminist education for the Trumpocene
Tolbert, S. (2025).
Unforgetting ‘old’ materialisms: ecofeminist education for the Trumpocene. Environmental Education Research, 31(10), 2063-2071. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2461659

Global Environment Outlook 7: A future we choose
United Nations Environment Programme (2025).
Global Environment Outlook 7: A future we choose – Why investing in Earth now can lead to a trillion-dollar benefit for all. UNEP. https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/49014

Young People’s Perceptions of Biodiversity in Australia
Shaw, M., & Boulet, M. (2025).
Young People’s Perceptions of Biodiversity in Australia. BehaviourWorks Australia.

Conceptions and dimensions of quality in environmental and sustainability education
Brückner, M., Lysgaard, J. A., Elf, N., & Reid, A. (2025).
Conceptions and dimensions of quality in environmental and sustainability education. Environmental Education Research, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2604767

Non-secular ideas and environmental education
Sadan, N., & Reid, A. (Accepted/In press).
Non-secular ideas and environmental education. Environmental Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2600600

Systems literacy: towards a conspectus and model for environmental and sustainability education
Demirci, S., Reid, A., Teksöz, G., & Sahin, E. (2025).
Systems literacy: towards a conspectus and model for environmental and sustainability education. Environmental Education Research, 31(4), 856-891. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2024.2409959

How nature experience and nature connectedness matter to school students' attitudes towards biodiversity
Lau, S. S. S., Choi, R. P. W., & Reid, A. (2025).
How nature experience and nature connectedness matter to school students' attitudes towards biodiversity. Biological Conservation, 312, Article 111493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111493

Inspired to build understanding: learning about sustainability and environmental education from within a virtual world
Gesthuizen, R., Tan, H., & Kidman, G. (2025).
Inspired to build understanding: learning about sustainability and environmental education from within a virtual world. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 34(1), 25-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2024.2348265

Educational responses to sustainability in engineering programs: practices and prospects
Gutierrez-Bucheli, L., Reid, A., Kidman, G., & Lamborn, J. (Accepted/In press).
Educational responses to sustainability in engineering programs: practices and prospects. European Journal of Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2025.2519594

Climate change education for the youngest children: encounters with weather
Quinones, G., & Duhn, I. (Accepted/In press).
Climate change education for the youngest children: encounters with weather. Environmental Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2025.2528972

Developing sustainable caring explorations of more than human matters in ECEC
Chimirri, N. A., Quiñones, G., & Winther-Lindqvist, D. (2025).
Developing sustainable caring explorations of more than human matters in ECEC. In L. Bøttcher, D. Winther-Lindqvist, M. Hedegaard, & M. Fleer (Eds.), Sustainability, Care, Play and the Zone of Proximal Development: A Developmental Perspective on Childhood (1st ed., pp. 141-166). (Perspectives in Cultural-Historical Research; Vol. 15). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-92131-5_7

Beyond diplomats: why Model UNs should be for everyone - to advance education for sustainable development and build capacity for intergovernmental engagement
Ho, S. SY., Cowen, N., Bache, S., & Nagtzaam, G. (2025).
Beyond diplomats: why Model UNs should be for everyone - to advance education for sustainable development and build capacity for intergovernmental engagement. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 8, Article 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-025-00111-3

Status, Trends and Issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Australia
Gough, A., Reid, A., & Stevenson, R. B. (2025).
Status, Trends and Issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Australia. In Y.-F. Lee, & L.-S. Lee (Eds.), Status, Trends and Issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Highly Competitive Countries: Country Reports and International Comparison (1st ed., pp. 1). National Taiwan Normal University. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED674937.pdf

“Resilient individuals; resilient societies”: the role of geographical education in their development
Kriewaldt, J., Hay, I., Rady, D., Schoeman, T., Ai, X., Sun, H., Hunter, N., Bednarz, R., Déry, C., & Kallo, A.
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education. (2025)

Relational Symmetries of Disaster Resilience Explored Through the Sendai Framework’s Guiding Principles
Davis, B. J., & Reid, A. (2025).
Relational symmetries of disaster resilience explored through the Sendai Framework’s guiding principles. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 16(1), 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-024-00611-4

Geography as a learning area
Reid, A., & Cross, P.
L. Tudball, P. Brett, & R. Gilbert (Eds.), Teaching Humanities & Social Sciences: Teaching & Learning Across Australia (8th ed., pp. 309-343). Cengage Learning. (2025)

2024

Networking and collaborating: the role of partnerships across sectors to achieve educational goals in sustainability
Bowser, G., Ho, S., Ziebell, A. L., & Lazendic-Galloway, J. (2024).
Networking and collaborating: the role of partnerships across sectors to achieve educational goals in sustainability. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 7, Article 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42055-024-00080-z

The 'Butterﬂy Effect': Identifying Pathways for Sustainability Transformation Through Social Processes of Disaster Resilience (Video abstract)
Davis, B. J., Reid, A., & Rogers, B. (2024). The 'butterfly effect': identifying pathways for sustainability transformation through social processes of disaster resilience. Global Sustainability, 7, Article e49. https://doi.org/10.1017/sus.2024.44

Sustainability education in early childhood education contexts
Almeida, S. C., Mitsuhashi, M., Li, M., Kaveri, G., & Inoue, M.
J. Davis, & S. Elliott (Eds.), Young Children and the Environment: Early Education for Sustainability (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. (2024)

Elevating psychology education to embed climate education
Marangio, K.
Education Into the 2030s: The Big Education Challenges of Our Times; Vol. 2, No. 3). Monash University. dd (2024)

Environmental and sustainability education in Australia
Gough, A., Reid, A., & Stevenson, R. B. In M. Rieckmann, & R. Thomas Muñoz (Eds.)
World Review: Environmental and Sustainability Education in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals (1st ed.). CRC Press. (2024)

Addressing the climate emergency with educational approaches: a bibliometric analysis of climate change education scholarship
Wang, C.-Y., Tseng, Y.-C., Lin, S.-S., Liu, S.-C., Reid, A., & Monroe, M. C. (Accepted/In press)
Environmental Education Research (2024)

Women’s leadership matters in education for planetary health
Abbonizio, J., Ho, S., Reid, A., Simmons, M.
Sustain Earth Reviews 7 (2024)

Environmental education
Reid, A., & Ardoin, N. M.
Oxford University Press. (2024)

Reimagining Science Education in the Anthropocene, Volume 2
Tolbert, S., Wallace, M. F. G., Higgins, M., & Bazzul, J. (Eds.) (2024).
Reimagining Science Education in the Anthropocene, Volume 2. (1st ed.) (Palgrave Studies in Education and the Environment). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35430-4

View the archives page to see a list of past publications.

Education, Environment and Sustainability research group