Research Summary: Developing a school-based evaluation framework for education for sustainable development in primary school comprehensive practical activities: integrating CIPP, GreenComp, and action research

A research study published in Frontiers in Education details the development of a school-based evaluation framework for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within primary school practical activities. The framework integrates Daniel Stufflebeam's Context-Input-Process-Product (CIPP) evaluation model with the European sustainability competence framework (GreenComp) through mixed-methods action research conducted across two semesters at an urban primary school in eastern China.

Why it matters

This initiative matters because standard educational assessments often fail to capture the operational conditions necessary to foster practical sustainability skills. By coupling the CIPP evaluation model with the GreenComp framework, educational institutions can establish structured mechanisms to measure both institutional delivery and student competency development. This enables data-driven, evidence-based iteration of practical sustainability education programs.

Key insights

• Practical evaluation frameworks connecting competence-oriented metrics to evidence-informed school improvement have historically been limited.
• Education for Sustainable Development requires evaluating not only student competencies and knowledge but also the organizational conditions and processes facilitating learning.
• The research integrates the CIPP model with GreenComp to evaluate ESD-oriented Comprehensive Practical Activities.
• The framework was refined via mixed-methods action research spanning two consecutive semesters involving 86 pupils.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1969607