Biochar and the circular economy:  A survey for educators
Our survey as part of the B4C project is about a new, innovative area in the context of education for sustainability.

Your opinion and assessments on the practical use of biochar as a raw material for a carbon-based circular economy in your subject areas and learning fields.

The questionnaire is divided into six sections. At the beginning, you have the opportunity to watch an introductory video. Completing the questionnaire, including the time to watch the video, should take about 10 minutes.

Your feedback is important to advance innovative and sustainable educational practices. Thank you for your support!

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Information about biochar

The concept of the circular economy aims to minimise waste and optimise the use of resources. This model contrasts with the traditional linear economy, which produces according to the "take, make, dispose" pattern. In a circular economy, resources are utilised for as long as possible by extracting the maximum value from them while they are in use and then recycling and regenerating products and materials at the end of their useful life.

Carbon plays an important role in the carbon-based circular economy, which also aims to sequester CO2. It exemplifies the principles of this economy by turning biomass waste that would otherwise rot and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or take up landfill space into a valuable product with multiple uses.

Find out more in the following video:

1. General information
Please provide us with some basic information about yourself. This will help us to better understand the background of our survey participants and adapt our analyses and initiatives accordingly.


Age
Gender
Clear selection
Country
Institution 
Current position/description:
Which area of vocational education and training do you work in?
In which subjects or areas do you mainly teach or work?
2. Sustainable development and circular economy (SD & CE)
This section deals with the topics of Sustainable Development (SD) and Circular Economy (CE) in your educational practice. Your experiences will help us to understand the current situation and potential growth areas in VET.
How important do you consider education for sustainable development* to be in your teaching practice or subject?


*Education for sustainable development provides learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interlinked global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, unsustainable resource use and inequality.

Clear selection
Do you consider carbon-based circular economy* approaches to be part of education for sustainable development?

*In a circular economy, resources are utilised for as long as possible and reused and reused in a circular way.  In the carbon-based circular economy, biogenic waste (wood, plants, etc.) is used to produce bioproducts and to use them many times over, thus creating CO2 sinks.
Clear selection
Are there specific learning programmes that teach about the carbon-based circular economy at your school?
Clear selection
Could you incorporate content from the  carbon-based circular economy into your courses/learning programmes?
Clear selection
Are  learning and teaching opportunities on the topic  carbon-based circular economy  available in your organisation?
Clear selection
How would you rate the learners' interest in the topic of "carbon-based circular economy"? ("1" not interested to "5" very interested)
Clear selection
3. Opportunities for integrating the  carbon-based circular economyt into your learning programmes
This section looks at the potential opportunities that Circular Economy (CE) topics could bring to your curriculum and your students.
To what extent do you agree that the carbon-based circular economy could bring new innovative topics to your curriculum? ("1" strongly disagree to "5" strongly agree)
Clear selection
Do you agree that the  carbon-based circular economy could could create new areas of application for learning?
("1" strongly disagree  to "5" strongly agree)
Clear selection
Do you agree that the learning opportunities offered by the  carbon-based circular economy? can foster students' creativity?
("1" strongly disagree  to "5" strongly agree)
Clear selection
4. Barriers to the introduction of carbon-based circular economy topics in the classroom
Please tell us about any obstacles you face when introducing carbon-based circular economy topics into your teaching.
Incompatible obligations in the curriculum
("1" not relevant to  to "5" very relevant (as an obstacle))


Clear selection
Lack of time for planning and implementation in lessons
("1" not relevant to "5" very relevant (as an obstacle)
Clear selection
Lack of suitable learning formats
("1" not relevant to "5" very relevant (as an obstacle)
Clear selection
Missing teaching material
("1" not relevant to  to "5" very relevant
(as an obstacle)
Clear selection
Lack of practical examples
("1" not relevant to "5" very relevant (as an obstacle)
Clear selection
Do you have anything to add?
5. The potential of biochar for decarbonisation
Decarbonisation is about reducing carbon emissions through the introduction of clean energy technologies, efficiency improvements and other strategies to mitigate climate change. Biochar, as a product and process, plays a central role in decarbonisation as it captures carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. This overlap with the circular economy is crucial as it embodies the principles of resource efficiency and waste minimisation.

In the carbon-based circular economy, the goal is not only to use resources more effectively, but also to create systems that are self-regenerating.
Biochar is a key element in that it transforms agricultural, forestry and horticultural economic waste - biomass that is abundant but underutilised - into a stable form of carbon that can be returned to the soil.
This not only sequesters carbon for hundreds to thousands of years and reduces the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but also improves soil fertility and structure.
Is the carbon cycle a topic in your training programme?
How would you rate the existing knowledge about the potential of waste biomass in your educational and professional sector?
("1" no knowledge to  to "5" very much knowledge)
Clear selection
How would you rate your knowledge of the recovery, conversion, product development and utilsation of biomass in your sector?
("1" no knowledge to "5" very much knowledge)
Clear selection
Do you see your own sector as a potential place to learn about biochar?
Clear selection
Do you have anything to add?
6. Possible support
Let us know how we can help you learn more about sustainable development, circular economy and biochar.

Which of the following supports would you be interested in? (Select all that apply)
If you are interested in participating in such activities, please enter your email address below:
Would you be willing and interested in an interview on the topic of the carbon-based circular economy? If so, please also leave us your e-mail address. Thank you very much!
Thank you for your participation!
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your input is very valuable to us and will play an important role in our efforts to improve VET with sustainable and innovative practices.

If you have expressed an interest in participating in future training or would like to stay informed of upcoming opportunities, we will be in touch with you using the contact details provided.

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