Envisioning Sustainable Futures With Global Competencies: A Comparison of Place-Based and Contextualised Pedagogies in Aotearoa New Zealand and Urban Singapore

Abstract

This chapter explores the transformative potential of reimagining educational futures through the lens of sustainability. It contends that global competencies – the ability to investigate the world, recognise diverse perspectives, communicate across cultures and take responsible, ethical action – develop most meaningfully when grounded in pedagogies that connect learners to place. Approaching global competencies from a sustainability lens emphasises the need to understand social-ecological systems, appreciate cultural diversity and participate actively in shaping just and sustainable futures. Central to this vision are place-based and contextualised pedagogies, which foster strong connections between learners, their local environments and global sustainability challenges. In an era marked by biodiversity loss, widening social inequities and increasing pressures on natural resources; traditional education models often fall short in cultivating the knowledge, skills and values needed for sustainable action. Place-based education (PBE) provides a powerful alternative by situating learning within the specific histories, ecologies and cultural narratives of local communities. This approach not only strengthens critical thinking and inquiry but also nurtures students’ sense of agency as contributors to environmental and social well-being. Contextualised pedagogies complement this by aligning teaching with the cultural, linguistic and social realities of diverse learners, enhancing both identity and intercultural understanding. Drawing on examples from Aotearoa New Zealand, Singapore and wider international traditions such as North American place-based education and UNESCO’s frameworks, the chapter argues that critical thinking, intercultural competence and ethical action emerge most strongly when pedagogies are simultaneously rooted in local contexts and oriented towards global engagement.