Resumen

ZABALA G, Ildebrando  y  GARCIA T, Margarita. XXI Century Education according to ecological paradigm: An Alternative for sustainability. Revista de Investigación [online]. 2009, vol.33, n.68, pp.233-249. ISSN 1010-2914.

To understand the ecology of sustainability, Fritjof Capra (2000) has proposed the ecological paradigm, which takes into account people experiences and social participation from a multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and systemic frame. This is a way to solve the paradigmatic crisis at all social levels. Capra (op. cit) considers ecological principles and its knowledge as basic for the understanding of sustainability by communities. His model is very important for an educational approach directed towards a new kind of development based on pedagogical constructivism in sociocultural contexts. In addition it also considers people expectances and their experiences, motivations, values and knowledge, besides the educational system and institutions bound to society and school. This paper is a contribution for the ecological paradigm promotion among educators as a way to improve the quality of life through education for sustainability. It is an invitation for teachers to adopt this paradigm in their pedagogical practice.

Palabras clave : Education; ecological paradigm; sustainability and postmodernity.