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Purpose This study aims to investigate how transformative learning has been conceptualised and operationalised in education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability learning and to collect evidence on how to support transformative learning in formal and non-formal environments. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a systematic literature review to provide a structured and replicable search and analysis of the relevant literature to produce a bibliometric overview that combines a quantitative description of the body of literature and qualitative analysis of the learning processes, outcomes and conditions. Findings The convergence between transformative learning and sustainability has become an emerging field of inquiry, despite the superficial use of transformative learning theory in many studies. By examining the learning process, outcomes and conditions in the core sample of studies, this study demonstrates that transformative learning theory – if carefully studied – can contribute to the design and implementation of educational interventions and assessments of learning towards sustainability. Furthermore, the sustainability context provides an empirical grounding that highlights the fact that social learning, the role of experience and the development of sustainability competencies are inherently part of transformative learning. Originality/value To date, few attempts have been made to better understand how transformative learning theory has been used in sustainability learning and ESD research. This systematic review allows for a better comprehension of how concepts and mechanisms elucidated in transformative learning theory are operationalised in sustainability learning and ESD research and serves as a source of inspiration for those researchers and practitioners who aims to make sustainability education, teaching and learning more transformative.

Self-directed learning is a fundamental competence for adults living in our modern world, where social contextual conditions are changing rapidly, especially in a digital age. The purpose of the present article is to review key issues concerning self-directed learning in terms of (1) what are the historical foundations of the selfdirected learning concept?; (2) who may benefit from self-directed learning?; (3) who is likely to carry it out?; and (4) what does research show regarding outcomes of the self-directed learning process? The author takes into consideration humanistic philosophy, pragmatic philosophy and constructivist epistemology, which together concern a process of learning that is individual, purposeful and developmental. Potentially everyone can benefit from self-directed learning competence, but both societal and individual factors may influence whether self-directed learning is likely to be carried out. The author discusses a number of empirical studies that examine outcomes of the self-directed learning process in informal/non-formal online contexts and in formal educational settings. Research findings highlight the importance of realising the opportunity to foster learners' self-directed learning competence in formal educational settings. L'auto-apprentissage, une compétence indispensable dans un monde en rapide mutation - L'apprentissage auto-dirigé est une compétence décisive pour les adultes de notre monde moderne, où les contextes sociaux évoluent constamment, en particulier à l'ère du numérique. Le présent article poursuit le but de recenser les grandes questions sur l'apprentissage auto-dirigé : 1) Quelles sont les bases historiques du concept d'auto-apprentissage ? 2) Qui peut tirer profit de auto-apprentissage ? 3) Qui est susceptible de l'accomplir ? 4) Que révèle la recherche sur les résultats de la démarche d'auto-apprentissage ? L'auteur prend en considération la philosophie humaniste, la philosophie pragmatique et l'épistémologie construedviste, qui ensemble affectent une démarche d'apprentissage individuelle, intentionnelle et évolutive. Toute personne peut potentiellement tirer profit de la compétence en auto-apprentissage, mais des facteurs individuels et sociétaux peuvent influencer la probabilité que l'auto-apprentissage soit accompli. L'auteur analyse plusieurs études empiriques qui examinent les résultats de la démarche d'auto-apprentissage, à la fois dans des contextes en ligne non formels et informels et dans des cadres éducatifs formels. Les résultats scientifiques signalent l'importance de créer des opportunités de stimuler la compétence en auto-apprentissage dans les cadres éducatifs formels.

Despite a surge of empirical work on student participation in online learning environments, the causal links between the learning-related factors and processes with the desired learning outcomes remain unexplored. This study presents a systematic literature review of approaches to model learning in Massive Open Online Courses offering an analysis of learning-related constructs used in the prediction and measurement of student engagement and learning outcome. Based on our literature review, we identify current gaps in the research, including a lack of solid frameworks to explain learning in open online setting. Finally, we put forward a novel framework suitable for open online contexts based on a well-established model of student engagement. Our model is intended to guide future work studying the association between contextual factors (i.e., demographic, classroom, and individual needs), student engagement (i.e., academic, behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement metrics), and learning outcomes (i.e., academic, social, and affective). The proposed model affords further interstudy comparisons as well as comparative studies with more traditional education models.

Most language learning research is carried out either in classrooms or among classroom learners. As Richards (2015) points out, however, there are two dimensions to successful learning: what happens inside classrooms and what happens outside them. Rapid development of online media, communications technologies and opportunities for travel has also expanded the world beyond the classroom for language learners. Language learning and teaching beyond the classroom (LBC) is, thus, emerging as a field ripe for the development of new research agendas (Benson & Reinders 2011; Nunan & Richards 2015). We propose potentially fruitful avenues for research here under the headings of settings for learning, learning processes and teaching.

This pioneering book reveals how the music classroom can draw upon the world of popular musicians' informal learning practices, so as to recognize and foster a range of musical skills and knowledge that have long been overlooked within music education. It investigates how far informal learning practices are possible and desirable in a classroom context; how they can affect young teenagers' musical skill and knowledge acquisition; and how they can change the ways students listen to, understand and appreciate music as critical listeners, not only in relation to what they already know, but beyond. It examines students' motivations towards music education, their autonomy as learners, and their capacity to work co-operatively in groups without instructional guidance from teachers. It suggests how we can awaken students' awareness of their own musicality, particularly those who might not otherwise be reached by music education, putting the potential for musical development and participation into their own hands. Bringing informal learning practices into a school environment is challenging for teachers. It can appear to conflict with their views of professionalism, and may at times seem to run against official educational discourses, pedagogic methods and curricular requirements. But any conflict is more apparent than real, for this book shows how informal learning practices can introduce fresh, constructive ways for music teachers to understand and approach their work. It offers a critical pedagogy for music, not as mere theory, but as an analytical account of practices which have fundamentally influenced the perspectives of the teachers involved. Through its grounded examples and discussions of alternative approaches to classroom work and classroom relations, the book reaches out beyond music to other curriculum subjects, and wider debates about pedagogy and curriculum. Contents: Introduction; The project's pedagogy and curriculum content; Making music; Listening and appreciation; Enjoyment: making music and having autonomy; Group cooperation, ability and inclusion; Informal learning with classical music; Afterword; Appendices; Bibliography; Index. Lucy Green is Professor of Music Education in The Institute of Education, University of London, UK.

The purpose of this study was to identify students' changes of (i) interest toward STEM subjects and (ii) interest to pursuing STEM career after participating in non-formal integrated STEM education programme. The programme exposed students with integrated STEM education through project based learning involving the application of five phases engineering design process. Two cohorts of middle secondary students participated in 2014 (n=129) and 2015 (n=113) were involved in this study. The study utilized one group quasi-experimental design. The analysis revealed that, overall there is a significant increase in mean scores for interest towards STEM subjects and career after participating in the programme. The findings also indicated that the program was effective at modifying students' interest level as the result revealed positive changes (from moderate to high level) for both 2014 and 2015 groups for interest toward STEM career (42.6% and 69.9% respectively) and interest towards STEM subjects (45% and 82% respectively).

Experimental evidence on strategies to support refugee children's integration into host-country public schools is needed. We employ a three-arm, site-randomized controlled trial to test the impact of short-term access to two versions of nonformal remedial programming infused with social-emotional learning (SEL) among Syrian refugee children in Lebanese public schools. Remedial programming with classroom climate-targeted SEL practices improved children's perceptions of public schools (effect sizes [ES] = 0.48-0.66) only. The remedial program with both classroom climate-targeted SEL and skill-targeted activities had positive impacts on children's perceptions of public schools (ES = 0.43-0.50) and on certain basic academic skills (ES = 0.08-0.14), and marginally significant positive and negative impacts on some SEL outcomes (ES = 0.16-0.31). We found no impacts of either version on children's global literacy or numeracy competence.

Volunteering plays a significant role in many countries. In an effort to strengthen volunteering, courses and training are given great importance. In this paper, the significance of educational programmes and courses for volunteers is analysed. The analysis is based on data from a comprehensive survey of volunteers in Denmark. One in three of the volunteers have participated in courses or training programmes in conjunction with their voluntary work. The analysis shows that there is a slightly greater probability that volunteers will continue to do voluntary work if—within the past year—they have taken part in a course or training programme related to their voluntary work. The most widespread form of qualification for voluntary tasks is, however, informal learning, that takes place where the volunteer works. The analysis shows that the volunteers attribute less importance to qualifications from courses and programmes than to experiences from “voluntary life” and qualifications from “professional life.” The analysis also shows that non-formal learning is more important for volunteers involved in “activity work” than for those involved in “organization work.” The study gives rise to a discussion of how best to develop and train the voluntary workforce. It may be necessary to focus to a greater extent on informal learning, in other words on developing a culture for learning in the specific context in which the volunteer is involved.

In accordance with Witzum and Kotler (2000), since its birth as a state in 1948, Israel has faced military conflicts, years of terrorism, and daily threats. These events have led to the consideration of this reality as a special context for identifying, analyzing, and proposing clinical and educational actions aimed at dealing with trauma caused by wars and terrorism. Some researchers (Bar Tal, 2004; Salomon, 2003) consider the Israeli reality a context within which the characteristics of intractable conflict have developed. A type of conflict that has significant repercussions in the area of perception of reality, construction of society and vision of the future. In addition to examining these aspects, in the last part, the paper analyzes some models of education in emergencies developed over the years in formal and nonformal education contexts.   Emergenze educative e resilienza negli intractable conflicts: alcune riflessioni sulla realtà israeliana. In accordo con Witzum e Kotler (2000), sin dalla sua nascita come stato nel 1948, Israele ha dovuto affrontare conflitti militari, anni di terrorismo, minacce quotidiane. Questi eventi hanno portato a considerare questa realtà un contesto particolare per individuare, analizzare e proporre intervertenti clinici e educativi finalizzati ad affrontare traumi causati dalle guerre e dal terrorismo. Alcuni ricercatori (Bar Tal, 2004; Salomon, 2003) considerano la realtà israeliana un contesto all’interno del quale si sono sviluppate le caratteristiche dell’intractable conflict. Una tipologia di conflitto che ha delle ricadute significative nell’ambito della percezione della realtà, la costruzione della società e la visione del futuro. Oltre a prendere in esame questi aspetti, nell’ultima parte, il contributo analizza alcuni modelli di educazione in situazione di emergenze sviluppati negli anni nei contesti di educazione formale e non formale.