The action competence approach and the ‘new’ discourses of education for sustainable development, competence and quality criteria

Action competence has been a key concept in educational circles in Denmark since the 1980s. This paper explores the relationship between the action competence approach and recent discourses of education for sustainable development (ESD), competence and quality criteria. First we argue that action competence is an educational ideal, referring to the German notion of ‘Bildung’ and that the very essence of action competence can be derived from the notion of ‘action’. Second we emphasise that a particular focus must be put on education, when ESD is seen through the lens of the action competence approach. Next we suggest that the interpretation of ‘competence’ differs substantially in this approach from those connected to individualistic‐oriented Human Resource Management theory, while some similarities and differences can be found in relation to subject‐oriented notions of competence and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development‐promoted DeSeCo (Definition and Selection of Competencies) perspective. Finally, we argue that quality criteria that are in concert with the action competence approach should: focus on enhancement of teaching and learning; reflect the democratic values that ESD seeks to promote; be co‐elaborated by the relevant stakeholders; and foment institutional as well as individual learning and, thereby, instantiate the Bildung perspective embedded throughout this approach.