Research Project

Transactional investigations of learning in view of sustainability transitions - LESTRA

Running from 2021 to 2026.
Funded by European Research Council (ERC).

LESTRA’s overall research question is: ‘How can learning fruitfully contribute to sustainability transitions (ST) and how can this be facilitated?’ Today, severe socio-ecological problems increasingly disturb our customary ways of behaving, challenging us to find new ways of inhabiting the world. Although learning is often seen as essential for transforming our society into a more sustainable direction, empirically grounded insight into connections between, on the one hand, learning processes in contemporary observable practices of change-in-the-making and, on the other hand, the emergence of long-term societal transitions is still scarce.

The project’s objectives are: (1) to develop a new analytical and conceptual framework for investigating the connections between learning processes, the transformation of habits and customs, and (potential) ST; (2) to identify the key conditions for learning to contribute to ST; and (3) to develop a roadmap for future research in diverse settings and contexts.

Pragmatist theory, in particular John Dewey's transactionalism, provides valuable inspiration to investigate learning that takes shape in response to sustainability problems that are increasingly disturbing our habitual ways of acting. It is used to create a novel analytical and conceptual framework by building on earlier work in environmental and sustainability education research, didactics, and ST studies.

The developed analytical toolbox is applied to empirical data collected in case studies on sustainable food systems, sustainable mobility, and a sustainable way of handling energy. Detailed in situ empirical investigations are conducted to identify key patterns of how learning through engagement with sustainability problems results in the consolidation, enrichment, or (trans)formation of habits and customs and, thus, potential ST in-the-making. Thereby, LESTRA strongly focuses on how learning and change processes are facilitated.

The UGent research team consists of Principal Investigator Katrien Van Poeck, post-doctoral researchers Frederik De Roeck (2022-24) and Maarten Deleye (2024-25), PhD students Alexander DeveuxAlexander Deveux (2022-26) and Juliane HöhleJuliane Höhle (2022-23), researcher Jonas Van Gaubergen (2023-25), and research assistants (2023-24) Joppe Frans, Margaux Callant, Ilian Steenhout, and Lucie Chevallier. Our scientific advisory board consists of professors Jim Garrisson (Virginia Tech, US), Chris Shilling (Kent University, UK), and Leif Östman (Uppsala Univesity, Sweden).

Some results achieved so far

Papers about opening-up the black box of learning-by-doing in STs and about the transition potential of learning processes were published prior to the start of LESTRA but strongly inspire our work.

The LESTRA project started with conceptual and methodological work to develop a suitable analytical toolbox (objective 1) for opening-up the black box of how and what people learn while collectively engaging with sustainability problems and how this may result in ST. We use a transactional learning theory (TLT) in combination with Practical Epistemology Analysis (PEA) to investigate learning as a transformation of habits and customs. Inspired by educational/didactic theory and literature on pragmatist philosophy and sociology, we use this approach to explore how ‘educable moments’ can emerge in ST processes and how these may be seized as unique opportunities to create ‘educative moments’ where novel pathways for a more sustainable future can emerge. We presented preliminary findings in this ECER conference contribution. Besides revealing WHAT is learned, we also want to gain detailed insight into HOW learning is enabled. To study this, we use and further develop a framework for transactional dramaturgical analysis (DA) of the facilitation of learning as described in this book chapter. This allows us to understand how organisers’/facilitators’ preparatory work of ‘scripting’ and ‘staging’ a setting in which learning processes take place as well as of their interventions in the ‘performance’ influence the outcomes of learning processes. In order to trace connections between micro-level processes of learning and change to macro-level ST, we developed an analytical approach focused on mechanisms that ST research has found to be drivers of past transitions. From existing literature that reports on empirical ex post analyses of how past ST took place we learn THAT certain mechanisms played a vital role. LESTRA aims to gain insight into HOW these mechanisms take shape in ongoing ST practices and what influences this. Therefore, we developed an approach that combines PEA and DA for empirically investigating ST that are still ‘in the making’. It is described in this conference paper and illustrated in this invited lecture. We complemented our analytical toolbox with more specific frameworks that operationalise the abovementioned approaches for investigations of particular aspects of learning and change processes, such as agency of actors involved in STs (see this article), the affective dimension of STs (see this ECER conference contribution), spatial aspects of STs (see this IST conference contribution and RSA conference contribution), and power dynamics in STs (see this IST conference contribution).

In order to identify key conditions for learning to contribute to STs (objective 2) we conduct empirical case studies on learning and the making of change in the agri-food, mobility, and energy system. We collect data through documents, audio/video-recorded and transcribed observations, interviews, and focus groups. The analysis of the data with the help of the abovementioned analytical toolbox is focused on the emergence and facilitation of educable and educative moments (see above), on how transition mechanisms (see above) such as reframing problems and projecting new futures take shape in practices, on action-oriented inquiry, creative transformation of habits and customs, the role of place-framing in enabling or hindering STs, agency expressions, the role of affect (e.g. desire, sacrifice) in learning and change processes, etc.

LESTRA aims to open up new horizons for research on learning in ST. Gaining complete insight in vital conditions for learning to promote ST is impossible within a 5 year’s project. Therefore, we also develop a roadmap for future research (objective 3). Our analyses do not only yield new knowledge and insights but also raise new research questions and reveal areas that require further exploration. We develop an agenda for future research and new project proposals for follow-up research.

Besides communicating the results of the LESTRA project through scientific channels, we also organise workshops with organisers and facilitators of investigated initiatives. We share and discuss preliminary findings and co-create tools for preparing and facilitating adequate learning processes in their activities.

Here you will find an overview of publications about our research in the LESTRA project.

Samenvatting in het Nederlands:

De centrale onderzoeksvraag van het LESTRA-project is hoe leerprocessen kunnen bijdragen aan duurzaamheidstransities en hoe dit kan worden gefaciliteerd. Ingrijpende sociaal-ecologische problemen zetten onze gewoonlijke manieren van doen steeds meer onder druk. Deze crisis stelt ons voor de uitdaging om nieuwe gewoonten, nieuwe structuren, culturen en praktijken te ontwikkelen. ‘Leren’ wordt in deze context vaak gezien als essentieel om onze samenleving in een duurzamere richting te veranderen.

De doelstellingen van dit project zijn 1) het ontwikkelen van een nieuw analytisch en conceptueel kader voor het onderzoeken van verbanden tussen leerprocessen, het veranderen van gewoonten en (potentiële) duurzaamheidstransities; 2) het identificeren van voorwaarden opdat leren zou bijdragen aan duurzaamheidstransities; en 3) het ontwikkelen van een roadmap voor toekomstig onderzoek in diverse contexten. De grootste uitdaging van het projectteam, is om inzicht in het proces en de resultaten van leerprocessen op microniveau hier en nu succesvol te verbinden met het al dan niet ontstaan van macro-maatschappelijke transities op lange termijn.

Pragmatisme – en meer bepaald Dewey’s transactionalisme – biedt waardevolle inspiratie voor het onderzoeken van leerprocessen die vorm krijgen als reactie op duurzaamheidsproblemen die onze gewoontes steeds meer verstoren. Het wordt gebruikt voor het ontwikkelen van een nieuw analytisch en conceptueel kader dat vervolgens wordt toegepast in drie empirische case studies over voedselsystemen, mobiliteit en energie.