dr. VC (Valentina) Tassone

“What might it mean to live attentively with one another within a more-than-human world? How do we navigate socio-ecological challenges while recognising the relationships that shape and sustain life? And in what ways can education cultivate more participatory, ethical, and relational ways of knowing and living together?”

These questions guide my work as a researcher, educator, and learner. With an interdisciplinary background bridging sustainability and educational sciences, I explore environmental and sustainability education that fosters transformative and respons-able ways of relating to one another and the world we are part of. Particular interest lies in embedding participatory, ethical, emotional, and relational dimensions into educational design, teaching, and learning.

My work draws primarily on qualitative inquiry grounded in relational humanist and constructivist perspectives, including dialogic, reflexive, and arts-based approaches, while also engaging posthumanist perspectives that challenge human-centred understandings of learning and sustainability. Integrating theory and practice is central to this work, which unfolds across (higher) education, communities, transdisciplinary settings, and in the context of European projects such as LOESS and More-than-Human

I warmly welcome connections with (PhD) researchers and educators who share related interests.

Current PhD and Postdoctoral Supervision

• “Integrating Ethics in Climate Change Education.” PhD candidate Thijs Loonstra.
• “Agency in Transdisciplinary Learning for Sustainability in Higher Education.” PhD candidate Liu Weiwei.
• “Transformative Living Labs as Powerful Learning Spaces.” PhD candidate Marlies van der Wee.
• “Life Affirming Higher Professional Education.” PhD candidate Saskia Weijzen.
• “Creating Healthy and Sustainable Food Cultures in Schools through the Whole School Approach.” PhD candidate Maria Neocleous Maliotou.
• “Embedding Sustainability in Higher Engineering Education through Teacher Professionalization.” PhD candidate Caroline Vonk.
• “Science Communication for Sustainability and Soil Education.” Postdoctoral researcher Cindy Quik.

Education, Teaching and Learning

Courses developed, coordinated, and taught include “Empowerment in Sustainability,” “Educational Design and Teaching for Sustainability,” and the transdisciplinary-oriented Academic Consultancy Training. Reflexive and experiential approaches are central to this work, inviting students to engage with matters of concern and care through, for example, artistic expressions and transdisciplinary projects. My educational approach has been recognised with three Wageningen University Excellent Education Awards. I also contributes to broader educational innovation,e.g. more-than-human teaching and learning through our inspirational video series.