Bridging Silos, Building Futures: A Conceptual Model for Integrating SDGs and GCED through Interdisciplinary Performance Tasks

Abstract

In the 21st century, education must rise to the dual challenge of improving academic outcomes and preparing learners to address complex global issues such as climate change, inequality, and public health. While policies such as DepEd Orders 21, s. 2019 and 8, s. 2015 support authentic and interdisciplinary approaches (Department of Education [DepEd], 2015, 2019), teachers still lack structured, replicable models to integrate Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into classroom practice. This concept note proposes a conceptual model of Interdisciplinary Performance Tasks (IPTs) designed to operationalize Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and GCED in basic education. It is anchored in the published study titled "Interdisciplinary learning through integrated performance tasks: Enhancing academic achievement and advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in education" which provides empirical evidence of how interdisciplinary approaches enhance both academic outcomes and transformative civic competencies. Drawing on constructivist learning (Dewey, 1938), authentic assessment (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), and integrative pedagogy for ESD/GCED (Trilling & Fadel, 2009), this model argues that IPTs—structured, SDG-aligned culminating activities—enhance academic performance while fostering civic-mindedness, resilience, and collaboration. The proposed article will outline the conceptual framework, present evidence of impact, and discuss implications for scaling the model across different contexts. By transforming classrooms into spaces of active, ethical engagement with real-world problems, IPTs provide a tangible pathway to achieve quality education (SDG 4), sustainable communities (SDG 11), and global partnerships (SDG 17) (United Nations, 2015).