Gaps in sustainability education

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to examine how both the amount and type of coursework impact students' conceptualizations of sustainability. Previous research demonstrates that academic coursework influences students' environmental attitudes, yet few studies have examined the impact of coursework on how students conceptualize "sustainability". Design/methodology/approach -Data are examined from the 2011 Sustainability Survey, which yielded a sample of 552 students at a medium-sized university in the southeastern USA. A series of four linear regression models estimate the impact of academic coursework on students' conceptualizations of sustainability (ecosystems/nature, eco-efficiency, community/well-being and systemic change/innovation). Findings -The results indicate that the type of course that students take significantly impacts the way in which students conceptualize this term; the number of courses taken has no statistically significant impact. This suggests that mere exposure to a particular theme in a class, rather than continued exposure to courses related to sustainability, is more important in shaping students' perceptions. Originality/value -This study expands on previous research by examining the influence of the number and type of academic coursework on students' conceptions of sustainability and provides a framework for understanding the varied ways in which sustainability is defined. This has important implications for how students approach ways to achieve a sustainable future. The results suggest that students may be exposed to particular messages within an academic division that encourage students to emphasize particular elements of sustainability. While not problematic on its face, the data demonstrate that students lack an integrated or holistic understanding of sustainability. They usually view sustainability through the same prism as the academic division where their coursework was located, and this has implications for students' continued perceptions of sustainability, academic programming of sustainability and the practice of it.

Learning about Sustainability—What Influences Students’ Self-Perceived Sustainability Actions after Undergraduate Education?

“…This is in line with Fisher and McAdams's conclusions that the number of sustainability courses in study programs has less impact on students' perceptions of sustainability than integrating sustainability themes in disciplinary classes [22]. However, Warburton highlighted that the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic issues in sustainability and deep learning (finding the underlying meaning to form a coherent whole of information) can be lost if the students have a strong disciplinary background and focus in their studies [36].…”

“…Hicks [14] indicated that learning about global issues such as sustainability and acting upon it can never be solely a cognitive matter, but must also involve an affective understanding. Nonetheless, increasing knowledge may not automatically result in changes in awareness and actions [15], so educational institutions aim at development of deeper circular learning patterns, where the knowledge is reflected upon and questioned in learning loops before application [12,[16][17][18] Several studies have focused on students' perceptions of sustainability [19][20][21], the impact of the amount and type of coursework on students' conceptualizations of sustainability [22], and the relationships of demographic factors on students' environmental awareness, knowledge and behavior [23,24]. However, limited studies exist on the results of sustainability implementation in education, as was highlighted by Tilbury [25], and on students' learning progress about sustainability during their university studies, according to McKeown [26].…”

Sustainability Education as a Pathway to Minority Participation in STEM

“…Institutions of higher education play a fundamental role in addressing environmental sustainability. As the term “sustainability” gains traction within a diversity of campus programs and operations, it is important to understand the broader aspects of sustainability—environmental; community; innovation; and design and systems (Fisher and McAdams 2015). Additionally, the integration of sustainability into course programming, which requires new approaches to teaching and learning, has to be emphasized (Everett and Rowe 2008).…”

“…Additionally, the integration of sustainability into course programming, which requires new approaches to teaching and learning, has to be emphasized (Everett and Rowe 2008). Research has shown that sustainability programs should incorporate learning that exposes students to various sustainability approaches early on and be presented in a way in which disciplinary focus is situated within a larger context (Fisher and McAdams 2015). However, this integration is slow and quite varied across institutions, and calls into question what is actually being learned and the quality of that learning (Remington-Doucette et al 2013).…”

Summit on Global Sustainability in Engineering: Rationale and Planning Phase

“…One study of a university in the southeastern USA (n = 552) found that students exposed to sustainability content in a course are aware of it but lack a well-rounded and holistic understanding of the topic [25]. The Higher Education Academy of the UK published a report in 2015 about students' attitudes and skills for sustainable development (n > 5000); when students were asked to describe sustainable development, "the environmental dimension also continues to be more prominent…" [26].…”