📙論文名稱：
Bridging Curriculum and Regional Development with Learning Societies: The SSD Perspective on Food and Agricultural Education
📙刊登處：2026 IFKAD國際學術研討會
📙作者姓名： Min-Ren Yan, Pin-Jou Sung
論文摘要：
The food and agricultural education is not a novel concept, and like other educational issues, discussions surrounding it are not confined to Taiwan. Japan raised the Basic Law of Shokuiku in 2005, while the United States introduced the concept of Agricultural Literacy even earlier, in 1981. Regardless of the different perspectives, they all showed that education extends beyond the acquisition of knowledge within the standardized education system; it also includes concepts of economic, society, environment, policy, culture, daily life, and sustainable development. However, despite such comprehensive conceptual frameworks, inherent challenges arise during implementation unavoidable, such as talent cultivation and practical promotion. Therefore, to enhance educational significance and quality, and to achieve the goal of lifelong learning, there is an urgent need to explore how to bridge curriculum and regional development with learning societies with the Sustainable System Development perspective on Food and Agricultural Education.
To foster a connection between students and their local communities, educators often employ strategies such as community exploration and local participation, allowing students to learn through practical experiences. Teachers might invite community leaders or local residents as experts to guide students, or choose to take students into various learning fields like local institutions and enterprises. Connect to Taiwan’s educational policies, it includes Environmental Education, Food and Agricultural Education, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). First, Environmental Education aims to help individuals understand the ethical relationship between humans and nature, encouraging them to value the environment and take action (Ministry of Environment, 2017). In terms of curriculum, this often involves exploring local flagship species and learning how to restore or conserve local ecosystems. Second, Food and Agricultural Education seeks to strengthen the connection between diet, the environment, and agriculture, promoting the sustainability of rural communities and farming (Ministry of Agriculture, 2022). For instance, an organic tea farm can serve as a learning field where students study the local ecology and experience tea picking. As the world develops rapidly, the concept of sustainable development has gained significant attention, leading to the integration of ESD into modern teaching. Taiwan has also established relevant policies for many years. In practice, these educational topics often follow a specific path: they spark initial public discussion, move into classroom promotion, and are followed by the release of teaching manuals. Furthermore, outstanding field-based case studies are regularly showcased through the annual Teaching Excellence Award. However, over time, the momentum of these educational issues has gradually waned. Although topics related to these issues still dominate the winners of the Teaching Excellence Award, the teaching cases and methods have become increasingly similar. While students are indeed participating in local learning under these policies, several questions warrant deeper reflection: Is the learning effectiveness truly sustainable? Can what is learned in the classroom be applied to the future? And have the local environment, society, and economy truly improved?
Education should be diverse and developmental. While learning outcomes are important, the quality of education must be the primary consideration. A central concern in contemporary education is how to transition teaching and learning from a passive mode to an active one, shifting the focus from knowledge acquisition to competency. The policies and current situation of food and agricultural education mentioned above primarily reflect a top-down perspective, illustrating how policy influences education. However, research by Rikkerink et al. (2015) states that inappropriate top-down approaches can lead to a fragmentation of the learning cycle and teacher alienation. From a bottom-up perspective, teachers emerge as a critical factor in the learning cycle. Furthermore, Fix et al. (2021) point out that teachers require the autonomy to make pedagogical decisions, alongside adequate resources and professional guidance. Understanding what students need is more important than simply deciding what they should learn. Similarly, we must recognize that providing teachers with the right tools and approaches is much more necessary than merely following the requirements of policies.
Therefore, this research examine education in local communities through the lens of Sustainable System Development (SSD), conducting a phased analysis to propose a Solutions Landscape by systematically applying tools such as Causal Loop Diagrams, the Iceberg Model, and Stakeholder Mapping. Ultimately, this study proposes a Solutions Landscape that interconnects the environment, economy, and society. By integrating local resources from enterprises, educational institutions, government agencies, and civil society, the research identifies viable pathways to foster a more sustainable, holistic, and resilient Food and Agricultural Education system. Furthermore, through a grounded analysis in the context of Taiwan's iconic tea-producing region (Pinglin), this research contributes a valuable empirical case study demonstrating how localized agricultural education can thrive within a resilient socioeconomic framework.
