Field trips for sustainable transport education

Abstract

Purpose Field trips can change students’ attitudes and improve their learning performance, but they have rarely been investigated in logistics education research. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from field trips that were designed to increase students’ knowledge of sustainable transport as well as to change their attitudes and behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach A total of 104 logistics students participated in this longitudinal panel study. Non-parametric statistical tests were used to test for significant effects. Findings Field trips build students’ knowledge, improve their attitudes and increase their behavioral intentions to use sustainable transport modes in the short and in the long term. Gains in knowledge exceed the results expected from traditional learning theories. Gender and school type are important moderating variables. Gender did not play an important role for knowledge gains, but for attitude and behavioral intentions. Research limitations/implications More research is needed to generalize the findings to other populations and longitudinal panel studies are necessary to investigate a long-term effect of field trips. Practical implications Field trips are an effective means for successful knowledge transfer and are suitable to trigger attitudinal and behavioral changes. The involvement of practitioners and the hands-on experience ensure that students combine theoretical with practical knowledge. Originality/value This is the first longitudinal panel study that investigates the effects of logistics field trips, which were developed collaboratively by industry, educational and research institutions.

Evaluation of Student-Perceived Service Quality in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: A Fuzzy TODIM-ERA Method

“…In terms of the reliability dimension, the multi-disciplinary curriculums and programs need to focus on the involvement of industry professionals to prepare students for the workforce [51]. Maritime transportation courses need to incorporate innovative pedagogical approaches in the responsiveness dimension, such as guest lectures, game-based learning, and problem-solving education [21,40], to encourage a shift in thinking and attitudes toward environmentally friendly behavior. In the assurance dimension, the HEIs should ensure that teachers and other staff possess sufficient relevant expertise in maritime transportation to guide their students in their career planning [42].…”

“…In addition, integrating sustainability into transportation education is a pivotal subtopic to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, which has gained growing attention from academia [21,40,41]. Maritime transportation is widely recognized as one of the significant pillars anchored to economic growth, social stability, and environmental issues.…”

Soft Skills, Attitudes, and Personality Traits: How Does the Human Factor Matter? A Systematic Review and Taxonomy Proposal through ProKnow-C Methodology

“…Operations Management [34] The paper shows how integrating field trips into students' training programmes in logistics can increase their capabilities in terms of attitudes and learning skills.…”

Experiential Learning for Sustainability in Supply Chain Management Education

“…Regarding SCM education, sustainability is an integral and transdisciplinary concept, and it requires developing skills that consider the TBL and the SDG [32]. Furthermore, future professionals should be conscious of inequalities, decent work conditions, and the need for economic growth, environmental conservation, industrial innovation and infrastructure, responsible production and consumption, and partnerships and alliances to achieve the SDGs and build sustainable supply chains [32,[46][47][48][49]. Thus, it becomes essential that future supply chain professionals embody and embrace sustainability by participating in convenient learning experiences that equip them with the skills to generate long-lasting solutions in supply chains.…”