Schools and their Culture of Consumption: A Context for Consumer Learning

Abstract

From a perspective of educational research, the growing wealth of materials and initiatives in the field of sustainable consumer education is entirely welcome. However, this is contrasted by a lack of empirical evidence regarding the extent and quality of consumer education in schools and how these materials and initiatives feed through into individual attitudes and values. The results presented in this article can be seen as a contribution to a more solid empirical basis for developing appropriate educational materials that will foster a generation of more sustainably-minded citizens.

Keywords: school culture, education for sustainable development, sustainable consumption, secondary school