European literature as a catalyst for sustainable awareness in primary school education: a design-based research approach

This study investigates how pedagogical use of European literary texts can foster sustainability awareness in primary education by engaging students emotionally, culturally, and dialogically. A 12-week Design-Based Research (DBR) teaching intervention was conducted with twenty primary students (aged 10 to 12) from diverse cultural backgrounds in a Greek public school. Drawing on ecocritical pedagogy, the intervention guided students to explore ecological themes through texts reflecting diverse and culturally resonant traditions. Using mixed methods, the study integrated classroom observation, a research diary, focus groups, and pre-post assessments. Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant gains in environmental knowledge and attitudes (Cronbach’s alpha = .81–.88, p < .0001), while qualitative findings underscored the pedagogical importance of emotional engagement and intercultural dialogue in fostering sustainability understanding. The study shows that dialogic teaching of European literature can cultivate interpretive plurality and sustainability consciousness. The DBR framework supported iterative refinement, offering a pedagogical model for literature-based sustainability education.