Education for sustainable development (ESD)

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Kopnina ◽  
Frans Meijers
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Statistical Testing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This article aims to explore the challenges posed by the conceptual framework and diversity of practice of education for sustainable development (ESD). The implications of plurality of ESD perspectives and methodological approaches as well variations in ESD practice will be addressed. Critical framework for conceptualizing of ESD which takes environmental ethics into account will be proposed through the discussion of The Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes Toward the Sustainable Development (EAATSD) scale. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a general review approach, covering literature that provides an overview of the concepts and practices of ESD, as well as program evaluation studies. Additionally, qualitative evaluation of EAATSD scale with students of higher professional education was conducted, using in-depth interviews and dialogue with individual students as well as classroom discussions. Findings – It was found that there are wide and inconclusive debates about the aims of ESD based on the critique of sustainable development discourse in general and instrumentalism embedded in ESD in particular. According to the qualitative evaluation, EAATSD scale can be used for testing anthropocentric and Ecocentric Attitudes Towards Sustainable Development in students of higher education. Based on these results, this scale was found to be revealing of the critical view of paradoxes and challenges inherent in multiple goals of sustainable development as well as useful for testing anthropocentric and ecocentric attitudes in students of higher education. Research limitations/implications – Reliability of the scale needs further statistical testing, and as is the case in conventional EE/ESD evaluations, and consequent research is necessary to improve institutional, national, and international applicability to particular cases. Future research should draw from this critical review in order to devise alternative evaluation tools. Practical implications – In practice, this implies that currently administered evaluations of generic ESD, while useful in concrete cultural or institutional settings, might be premature. The article concludes with the reflection upon which conceptual, methodological, cultural, and ethical challenges of ESD which should be useful for ESD researchers and practitioners in different national settings. Originality/value – This article fulfills an identified need to address the paradoxes of sustainable development and to study how ESD can be more effective.

Education for sustainable development in Pakistani higher education institutions: an exploratory study of students’ and teachers’ perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1249-1267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zulkaif Ahmed Saqib ◽  
Qingyu Zhang ◽  
Jin Ou ◽  
Khubaib Ahmad Saqib ◽  
Salman Majeed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions

Purpose This study aims to determine the current state of implementation and effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) in Pakistani higher education institutions (HEIs) using students’ and teachers’ perceptions of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A survey on teachers and students was conducted in public and private universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Data from 1,915 students and 120 teachers were collected through semi-structured questionnaires implemented during face-to-face interviews. Students were asked to rank social, environmental and economic indicators of sustainability consciousness (SC) on a five-point Likert scale. Structural equation model and regression model are used to analyze the data. The perceptions of students and teachers were assessed from their knowledge of sustainability. Findings The occurrence of ESD in Pakistani HEIs is low and teachers have inadequate knowledge of sustainability. The holistic approach to ESD has a more pronounced effect on students’ SC as compared to the pluralistic approach to ESD. Also, there is a correlation between the students’ grades/class and the effectiveness of ESD. There is a need to pay more attention to implement ESD for undergraduate students in Pakistani HEIs. Originality/value The study stands out for using cross-sectional data from public and private universities of Pakistan. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Pakistan which attempts to investigate the effectiveness of ESD in terms of students’ SC.

Higher education for sustainable development: a systematic review

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 633-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen-Chun Jim Wu ◽  
Ju-Peng Shen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Complete Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to provide a complete understanding of academic research into higher education for sustainable development (HESD). Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes a systematic review of four scientific literature databases to outline topics of research during the UN’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). Findings This study compares research trends and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) strategic perspectives, worldwide topics and the number of studies. The results show that the research trends did not match UNESCO’s perspectives well and that researchers’ focus on popular events led to the variation between the numbers of articles each year. In summary, the findings indicate that most researchers base their topics on environmental issues, and research trends indicate the need for the integration of HESD. Practical implications This study provides a systematic review of higher education for academic research into sustainability, and it has implications for researchers and educators by identifying the gaps between the research conducted and the UN’s policies during the DESD. Originality/value This study attempts to offer an integrated view of HESD and to understand the bias of research trends during the DESD.

Students’ attitudes towards sustainable development in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-755
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolic ◽  
Tamara Vukic ◽  
Tatjana Maletaski ◽  
Milica Andevski
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Education System ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Students Attitudes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine university students’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development and towards the need for the implementation of education for sustainable development into the higher education system. To that end, the paper explores in a process-oriented focus which drivers and barriers are experienced as being the most important ones and how they relate to one another. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on the questionnaire for the evaluation of attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development. This instrument consists of 9 batteries with 83 items presented in the form of the five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire evaluated different aspects of respondents’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development, but students’ attitudes in relation to the items from the following subscales will be presented for this paper: understanding the concept of sustainable development, position of sustainable development in the system of higher education, sources of information about sustainable development and entities responsible for sustainable development. The study sample consisted of students from the University of Novi Sad, specifically from the faculties with accredited programs in the field of humanities and technological sciences. Findings In general, students recognized the main determinants of sustainable development and they support an integral approach to sustainability, i.e. the need to include the knowledge, values and skills for sustainable development in the higher education programs. In addition, they identified a number of obstacles and the uncertainties of overcoming them. In this regard, the students did not recognize the responsibility of the higher education institutions as the key responsibility or their own responsibility in relation to sustainable development, which can be related to their feeling of marginalization and the doubt that their behaviour and decisions can influence the development of the local society, as well as the development of the society as a whole. On the other hand, the respondents acknowledged the role, the importance and the responsibility of the mass media in the process of developing the attitudes towards and opinions about the problems related to environmental protection and sustainable development. Practical implications The results of the study indicate the students’ attitudes towards sustainable development, thus making the directions for higher education reform clearer and in line with the present needs for sustainable development in Serbia. The obtained results can serve as a recommendation to the governing structures, i.e. to the relevant ministries of education and environmental protection, as well as to the universities in terms of which direction their process of planning and creating paths of sustainability should take. This is particularly important in the case of the Republic of Serbia, which is currently in the process of joining the European Union and responding to the requirements set by the process of negotiation for Chapter 27 in terms of improving the strategic framework and plans for the education for sustainable development and building the capacities in response to climate change. On the other hand, linking the results of this research with the results of similar studies around the world contributes to the further enrichment of the scientific knowledge base in this field and confirms the need for stronger and united efforts on the path to a sustainable future. It is a fact that, regardless of the national, economic, socio-political and cultural context, there is a global lack of success in shaping a humane and sustainable relationship between man and nature. Therefore, the results of this research should be considered as an invitation for new research initiatives regarding the ways to support the positive attitudes of students towards the concept of sustainable development and to facilitate their further development in the educational process, as well as in other academic domains. Originality/value This research is inspired by the fact that, in the Balkan countries, education for sustainable development has not been extensively discussed within the scientific discourse on higher education for sustainable development. This is one of the first papers to provide data about students’ attitudes towards the concept of sustainable development and the need for its implementation in the higher education system in Serbia. The value of the paper lies in its potential to help understand the role that different drivers and barriers play in higher education for sustainable development.

The impacts of higher education institutions on sustainable development

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Findler ◽  
Norma Schönherr ◽  
Rodrigo Lozano ◽  
Daniela Reider ◽  
André Martinuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holistic Perspective ◽  
Indirect Impacts

PurposeThis paper aims to conceptualize impacts of higher education institutions (HEIs) on sustainable development (SD), complementing previous literature reviews by broadening the perspective from what HEIs do in pursuit of SD to how these activities impact society, the environment and the economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2005 and 2017. Inductive content analysis was applied to identify major themes and impact areas addressed in the literature to develop a conceptual framework detailing the relationship between HEIs’ activities and their impacts on SD.FindingsThe paper identifies six impact areas where direct and indirect impacts of HEIs on SD may occur. The findings indicate a strong focus on case studies dealing with specific projects and a lack of studies analyzing impacts from a more holistic perspective.Practical implicationsThis systematic literature review enables decision-makers in HEIs, researchers and educators to better understand how their activities may affect society, the environment and the economy, and it provides a solid foundation to tackle these impacts.Social implicationsThe review highlights that HEIs have an inherent responsibility to make societies more sustainable. HEIs must embed SD into their systems while considering their impacts on society.Originality/valueThis paper provides a holistic conceptualization of HEIs’ impacts on SD. The conceptual framework can be useful for future research that attempts to analyze HEIs’ impacts on SD from a holistic perspective.

scholarly journals Exploring the current position of ESD in UK higher education institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelien S. Fiselier ◽  
James W.S. Longhurst ◽  
Georgina K. Gough
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Critical Success Factors ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Curricular Integration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Uk Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the position of education for sustainable development in the UK Higher Education (HE) sector with respect to the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Higher Education Academy (HEA) Guidance for education for sustainable development (ESD). Design/methodology/approach By means of a mixed-method approach underpinned by a concurrent triangulation design strategy, this research presents evidence from an online questionnaire survey and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Findings Insights are presented from case studies of a group of UK Higher Education Institute (HEIs) which have made significant progress in embedding ESD in the curricula. Research limitations/implications Central to this study is an exploration of the ESD integration process of this group including a description of the approaches to integration, the challenges faced and overcome and the critical success factors. It examines the role of a guidance instrument in simplifying and accelerating the ESD curricular integration process. The results of the study show that there is a multitude of integration approaches applied varying in their emphasis. Practical implications The main challenge HEIs face is engaging staff that may question the relevance of the ESD concept, and that lack an understanding regarding its implications for their discipline. Critical success factors identified are institution-wide people support, high-level institutional support and funding. The QAA and HEA guidance has successfully supported HEIs in developing their ESD commitments. Originality/value The results of this research can support HEIs in developing their own approach to ESD, as they learn from similar UK HE providers, particularly with respect to overcoming barriers and enhancing critical success factors to ESD curricular integration.

Promoting language education for sustainable development: a program effects case study in Japanese higher education

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-798
Author(s):  
Joshua John Jodoin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Japanese Higher Education ◽  
Program Effects

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) approaches in English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japanese higher education. Design/methodology/approach A content and language integrated learning (CLIL) University-level course was run over two separate semesters: the first as a lecture-based course and the second was a similar course that integrated ESD best-practice. A program effects case study was used to see if any significant changes could be measured between the separate semesters. A mixed-methods approach to data collection was used and student marks, survey results using values, beliefs and norms (VBN) model and reflection tasks were collected across the two courses. Findings A meaningful change in the ascription of responsibility and personal norms was present in the ESD best-practice course. This shows that ESD best-practice integration into language teaching has a positive impact on student environmental VBN and more research is necessary for this area. Practical implications ESD integrated into language teaching correlates positively with environmental behavior change according to the VBN-model. A new field of study is proposed, language education for sustainable development, to better integrate the disciplines of EFL and ESD. Originality/value This study is looking at the integration of ESD in language teaching and CLIL based courses in Higher Education and, at present, there are no other studies of this kind.

Establishing transdisciplinary minor programme as a way to embed sustainable development into higher education system

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-169
Author(s):  
Qian Jia ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Li Fengting
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Education Reform ◽  
Education System ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Core Courses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of the establishment and development of a minor program in Sustainable Development in Tongji University, China, and how it contributes to embedding sustainable development into higher education system as an alternative platform for researchers and students to involve in a transdisciplinary teaching and learning process. Design/methodology/approach This case reviews the institutional setting and the different studying models and requirements for postgraduates and undergraduates. Postgraduate students have to take four core courses, select one module with four themed courses (4 + 4 fixed) and complete a transdisciplinary essay, and undergraduates can choose any three courses in all modules apart from the four core courses (4 + 3 open), with a transdisciplinary group project. Findings The development of the minor program reveals the popularity and decline of different modules, because of the popularity of the schools and institutes behind them, the university legacy and the media influence. The program design spurs transdisciplinary thinking on sustainable development but brings about challenges including time conflict with students’ major study. In conclusion, this program explores alternative education practices in embedding sustainable development in education system, contributing to and reflect on Education for Sustainable Development and the education reform in China. Originality/value The case presents a unique way of implementing Education for Sustainable Development in higher education system, in which minor education stands between formal and informal curriculum to tackle the barriers in undertaking sustainable development initiatives in curricula, through nurturing the culture and providing organizational support.

scholarly journals Greening of higher education in the Republic of Serbia

Envigogika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolić ◽  
Jelena Ranitović ◽  
Slobodan Milutinović
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Republic

Nowadays, Serbia is not at a satisfactory level of sustainability due to the well known events that occurred within the past two decades. According to the European Commission, environmental protection is an area in whichSerbiawill have to give its maximum effort to fully meet European standards and the requirements of sustainable development in the future. Poor water quality in some parts of the country, undeveloped systems for waste collection and recycling, illegal dumps, and industrial pollution are some  of the environmental problems affecting the Republic of Serbia. These findings encouraged the authors of the paper to focus on the environmental problems as a dimension of education for sustainable development in Serbian higher education.Regulatory frameworks of higher education and education for sustainable development in theRepublicofSerbiaare presented in the first part of the paper. The second part deals with observations on current staff development within professional education centres, where their abilities to work in the field of environmental protection are discussed. In the third part, an analysis of an autonomous and integrative approach to the environmental safety education is done, and the need and importance of greening higher education curriculum, as the new paradigm in the educational system, is emphasized.In this regard, an analysis of present ecological ideas and content in the syllabus of English language, which is one of the most common courses at Serbian faculties, and which is particularly important in response to the challenges of globalization, knowledge flow, international scientific research and mobility, is performed.Finally, as part of the authors’ concluding remarks, improvements related to the period before the reform of higher education and adoption of a national strategy for sustainable development, are presented. Also, their basic weaknesses and difficulties are described. New directions of the education for environmental protection in higher education, as well as the importance of training higher education lecturers in this area, are shown.

Detecting the historical roots of education for sustainable development (ESD): a bibliometric analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
YuYing Zhang ◽  
Peng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
Citation Index ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Language Games ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Bibliometric Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Citation Frequency

Purpose Although several researchers have statistically analyzed references associated with education for sustainable development based on the co-citation frequency, evolutionary analysis based on high-citation references omits literature with low citation frequency, which has a significant impact on the evolution of a discipline. The purpose of this study is to understand and explore the historical processes and roots of the field of education for sustainable development and to understand the theoretical grounding of the field. Design/methodology/approach Based on education for sustainable development publications in the science citation index expanded and social sciences citation index databases from 1992 to August 2020, a new bibliometric method, reference publication year spectroscopy, was adopted to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the 58,588 cited references in 1,778 publications. Findings The earliest reference in the field of education for sustainable development traces back to 1732. There were 21 peaks in this field between 1732 and August 2020. Dewey’s “new three-center theory”"; Bloom’s “taxonomy”; Freire’s “conscientization theory”; the “theory of planned behavior”; Kolb’s “experiential learning theory”; Wittgenstein’s theoretical concepts of “language-games,” “forms of life” and “rule-following” and Leopold’s “land ethics” laid an early theoretical grounding of educational philosophy and environmental ethics for research into education for sustainable development. The new environmental paradigm and the new ecological paradigm have become the most widely used methodological tools for understanding the values and attitudes of people toward the natural environment. Among the 50 most cited references, Lozano and Wals have published the most publications, contributing to promoting the development of research into education for sustainable development. The Journal of Cleaner Production, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education and Environmental Education Research have published the most publications related to the field of education for sustainable development. Originality/value The findings of this study are helpful for scholars and practitioners to understand the academic ideological roots, theoretical grounding and important influential literature in the field of education for sustainable development.

Higher education and sustainable development

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Godemann ◽  
Jan Bebbington ◽  
Christian Herzig ◽  
Jeremy Moon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Special Section ◽  
Social Accountability ◽  
Coupled Systems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Loosely Coupled Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loosely Coupled

Purpose – This paper seeks to create the context within which research into how higher education institutions (HEIs) might engage with the goal of sustainable development. In particular, the paper outlines the context in which papers in a special section on this topic might be understood as well as developing propositions for how a research focus might emerge in this area. The paper, therefore, seeks to contribute to discussions about whether, under which circumstances and how social accountability and engagement processes focusing on sustainable development might trigger, frame and/or promote change processes in HEIs. The papers that compose this special section are also introduced and future research avenues offered. Design/methodology/approach – Literature review Findings – Despite a dearth of literature in the area of HEI responsiveness to sustainable development (and leaving side education/learning and research for sustainable development), numerous points of intersection exist. Foremost among these is the role of HEIs as shapers of the values of society (and a place for debates about these values). In addition, HEIs are substantive organisations with sustainable development impacts. The paper suggests, however, that understanding HEIs and self-consciously seeking change in their activities has to seriously engage with the characterisation of these organisations as loosely coupled systems. Originality/value – The paper discusses the distinctive characteristics of HEIs and considers the higher education context as a challenging case to explore the capacity of social accountability and stakeholder engagement to foster change towards the goal of sustainable development.

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