Environmental and sustainability education through participatory redesign: Empirical insights from a secondary school case study

Περίληψη

As global educational priorities increasingly shift toward Sustainability Citizenship (SC), there is a growing need for pedagogical methodologies that move beyond theoretical climate literacy and enable meaningful student participation. This paper proposes a pedagogical framework for "Green Classroom Redesign", a project-based learning initiative that conceptualizes the classroom as a living laboratory for participatory ecological action. By transforming the learning environment into a site of applied intervention, the framework seeks to bridge the gap between environmental awareness and civic engagement. The methodology is grounded in a participatory model for secondary education and was tested through a primary diagnostic study involving 46 students at the Zanneio Model High School of Piraeus. The research investigated student perceptions of their physical learning environment and their perceived influence over institutional change. The findings reveal a stark "Agency Gap": while 74% of students express high environmental concern, a staggering 91.3% identify as "passive observers", and 0% strongly believe that school authorities value their opinions on infrastructure. These results highlight a profound disconnect between student awareness and institutional inclusion. The proposed framework addresses this gap by operationalizing student agency through a participatory pathway, positioning Green Classroom Redesign as a necessary intervention. By moving from textbooks to hands-on structural change, the initiative equips the next generation with the democratic tools to evolve into empowered Sustainability Citizens.