Sustainable Development and Higher Education: Acting with a Purpose

Finnveden, Göran; Newman, Julie; Verhoef, L.A.

doi:10.3390/su11143831

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Other institutions have faced challenges of seeking to embed ESD across a diverse curriculum (e.g. Finnveden et al, 2017;Finnveden et al, 2019;Finnveden et al, 2020;Jones et al, 2008) Wellbeing). For the academic year 2020/21, there were a total of 21 VIP4SD projects involving a total of around 150 students of varying degree disciplines from across all four Faculties at Strathclyde, many of whom worked collaboratively.…”

Section: Rationale For Embedding Esd Across Facultiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on developing a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to embedding education for sustainable development into higher education curricula

et al. 2021

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As higher education institutions (HEIs) have increasingly turned to consider sustainability over the last decade, education for sustainable development (ESD) has emerged as a way of imbuing students with the skills, values, knowledge, and attributes to live, work, and create change in societies facing complex and cross-cutting sustainability challenges. However, the question of how HEIs can actively embed ESD more broadly in and across curricula is one that continues to challenge institutions and the HE sector as a whole. While traditional teaching practices and methods associated with subject-based learning may be suitable for educating students about sustainable development, a re-orientation towards more transformational, experiential and action-oriented methods is required to educate for sustainable development. The need for educators to share their practices and learn lessons from each other is essential in this transformation. This paper presents a selection of practical examples of how to embed a range of interactive, exploratory, action-oriented, problem-based, experiential and transformative ESD offerings into HE teaching practice and curricula. Presented by a group of academics and professional services staff at the University of Strathclyde who lead key modules and programmes in the institution’s ESD provision, this paper reflects on five approaches taken across the four faculties at Strathclyde (Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering and the Strathclyde Business School) and examines the challenges, practicalities and opportunities involved in establishing a collaborative programme of ESD.

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Section: Rationale For Embedding Esd Across Facultiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on developing a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to embedding education for sustainable development into higher education curricula

et al. 2021

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“…In the education of the future, specialists at schools of higher education can help to develop the competencies and abilities that could help fulfill the SDGs [5,6]. Cooperation and collaboration, teamwork with the view towards the implementation of the SDGs has been analyzed and substantiated in various contexts by researchers [7][8][9][10][11]. Their findings prove that the communication and cooperation competencies and the components thereof determine a more successful process of the individual's adaptation to change, problem-solving, and more promising career opportunities in the future.…”

Section: Social Interaction and Cooperation As The Preconditions For Construction Of Social Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Students’ Social Construction of Knowledge through Cooperative Learning

2020

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The objective of this manuscript is twofold: to critically analyze the principles of epistemic diversity and democracy and perform an analysis of the social construction of knowledge by university students through cooperative learning. The semi-structured interview methodology employed in the research revealed that the students provided a positive assessment of the possibilities of cooperation in heterogeneous teams: the array of experiences that were emerging in the process helped the students in the tertiary systems transcend the boundaries of their knowledge, share experiences, and construct new knowledge together. The research also highlighted students’ critical attitudes towards previous teamwork experiences, which relied more on an individualist than social approaches to knowledge. It also reflected on the causes and consequences of those experiences. Student interviews revealed a variety of difficulties the students were facing during team cooperation. The unconventional study process, centred on active and independent performance, social construction of knowledge, triggered confusion of the students’ roles, dissatisfaction with the unequal contributions by the team members to the common work, and the lack of teachers’ intervention. The findings established the basis for the design of the educational approaches for university students to socially construct knowledge through cooperation.

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“…Furthermore, engagement with diverse stakeholders is required to make progress in learning about the social problems that impede sustainable development [30]. However, transforming educational institutions for ESD is not easy [31]. Providing ESD using only school resources is difficult because teachers have limited knowledge and time [32].…”

Section: Education For Sustainable Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Driving Network Externalities in Education for Sustainable Development

Inoue

2020

Sustainability

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Solving important social problems and promoting sustainable development requires solutions involving multiple stakeholders. Nevertheless, previous social marketing studies were limited to individual behavioral changes and lacked a perspective to involve surrounding stakeholders. This study focused on education for sustainable development (ESD) on a field trip and clarified the factors that promote students’ knowledge diffusion from the viewpoint of network externalities. A questionnaire was distributed, and responses from 1950 high school students were collected. This study used factor analysis to unveil the factors related to students’ features and field trip experiences and clarified how these factors promote driving network externalities and expanding the network through regression analysis. The findings indicated that the experiential value obtained from visiting a site with actual social problems has a large positive effect on driving network externalities and expanding the network. Therefore, encouraging driving network externalities and expanding networks by providing ESD on a field trip can contribute to solve social problems and achieve sustainable development.

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Sustainable Development and Higher Education: Acting with a Purpose

Abstract: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a unique role and responsibility for the future and for driving the development of a sustainable society [...]

Cited by 20 publications

References 19 publications

Reflections on developing a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to embedding education for sustainable development into higher education curricula

Reflections on developing a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to embedding education for sustainable development into higher education curricula

Students’ Social Construction of Knowledge through Cooperative Learning

Driving Network Externalities in Education for Sustainable Development

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