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Climate Change and Higher Education: Assessing Factors that Affect Curriculum Requirements
Abstract
Prepublication version available via this link https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1VrAK3QCo9NFxB. Pervasive misinformation about climate change might be reduced if colleges were to include the topic within general education curriculum. This paper analyzes the general education (or “core”) curriculum in the top 100 universities and liberal-arts colleges in the U.S. to assess the proportion of core courses that highlight climate change or climate science. The probability that a student takes at least one climate-change course via the core curriculum is estimated at .17 across all schools. The probability is higher at research universities than at liberal arts colleges, in core programs that have more science and social science courses, and at public universities in states with a Democrat-controlled legislature than in states with a Republican-controlled or split legislature. Drawing on cases of best practices in the U.S. identified from the data set, the authors discuss strategies that could ensure a higher likelihood that the core curriculum includes education on climate science and climate change. The study advances the broader research literature on sustainability in higher education programs by bringing it into conversation with research on the college core curriculum and by focusing both on the specific issue of climate-change education.
... There is a notable gap in comprehensive evaluations of the pedagogical approaches used in CCE. While several studies affirm the positive effects of experiential and project-based learning, few systematically compare different methods across diverse educational settings and student populations (Hess and Collins 2018). This lack of comparative research limits educators' ability to identify the most effective strategies for specific contexts. ...
... This results in occasional, rather than systematic, cross-disciplinary collaboration. Resource constraints, including limited access to advanced teaching tools and materials, further complicate efforts to implement comprehensive CCE, as observed in previous studies (Beck, Sinatra, and Lombardi 2013;Hess and Collins 2018). Rigid institutional structures also pose barriers, with many academic programs being compartmentalized into specific departments, thus restricting cross-departmental coordination and collaborative teaching efforts (Beck, Sinatra, and Lombardi 2013;Padhra and Tolouei 2023). ...
... Studies from these regions show that mandatory climate change courses enhance student engagement and understanding, which aligns with the students' call for mandatory CCE in the Mekong Delta. Additionally, similar challenges regarding resource constraints and the need for practical, experiential learning opportunities are documented in various international studies (Findler et al. 2019;Hess and Collins 2018;Leal Filho et al. 2023b). These parallels suggest that the issues faced in the Mekong Delta are not unique and that adopting successful strategies from other regions could be beneficial. ...
This article examines the integration of climate change education (CCE) within the curricula of agriculture, biology education, and environmental studies majors at a university in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews and focus groups with lecturers and students to explore their perceptions and experiences. The findings reveal diverse pedagogical strategies, such as hands-on experiences and interdisciplinary projects, but highlight significant challenges including rigid curricula, resource constraints, and limited interdisciplinary collaboration. Students expressed a need for more mandatory and practically oriented CCE, emphasizing the relevance to their local environment. The discussion contextualizes these findings within international perspectives, comparing them to global trends and highlighting the necessity for curriculum transformation to address the identified challenges. The article concludes by advocating for a more integrated and flexible curriculum that leverages digital platforms and community engagement to better prepare students for the multifaceted challenges of climate change.
... However, many managers and decision-makers received no formal climate education through their undergraduate or graduate programs. While climate education has ramped up for K-12 audiences over the last few decades, similar programming that uses the best practices of adult learning has generally remained inadequate for adult audiences, including at the collegiate level (Arndt & LaDue, 2008;Hess & Collins, 2018;Kuster & Fox, 2017;Nelson et al., 2022). According to Hess and Collins (2018), the number of required climate change courses for undergraduate students at universities and colleges in the United States was low, particularly in states with more conservative governments. ...
... While climate education has ramped up for K-12 audiences over the last few decades, similar programming that uses the best practices of adult learning has generally remained inadequate for adult audiences, including at the collegiate level (Arndt & LaDue, 2008;Hess & Collins, 2018;Kuster & Fox, 2017;Nelson et al., 2022). According to Hess and Collins (2018), the number of required climate change courses for undergraduate students at universities and colleges in the United States was low, particularly in states with more conservative governments. Similar results were seen with coursework at the graduate student level, where students expressed a desire for more climaterelated courses (Kuster & Fox, 2017). ...
Responding to climate impacts and expanding adaptation efforts necessitates getting the right knowledge and tools in the hands of land managers and decision‐makers. In 2022–2023, several regional US Geological Survey Climate Adaptation Science Centers partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Science Applications Program on the first targeted climate training series designed for the FWS Grassland Ecosystem Team. This training spanned multiple months and formats with self‐paced virtual lessons, webinars, and an in‐person workshop. As the FWS Grassland Ecosystem Team is tasked with conservation planning for grassland birds and other species, the focus of the workshop was an interactive collaborative activity incorporating species adaptive capacity assessments, future climate projections, and adaptation menus into the decision‐making process. Herein, we describe the methods used to design and deliver the training series, as well as lessons learned for future climate literacy programs aimed at natural resource managers.
... While previous studies have explored various dimensions of CCE, such as curriculum and pedagogy [8][9][10][11][12] , there remains a notable gap in understanding its integration within the broader policy framework. This integration is particularly crucial in formal education settings, given the substantial influence that policy wields on educational systems [13][14][15][16] . ...
... Several studies have also looked at teachers' perspectives of climate change [47][48][49] and teachers' professional development 50,51 . Moreover, extensive studies on CCE curriculum and pedagogy have been conducted [8][9][10][11][12] . ...
This article conducts a comprehensive analysis of climate change education within the framework of climate change policy and education policy in Indonesia. Employing thematic analysis on twenty climate change policy texts, twelve K-12 education policy texts, and seventeen expert interview transcripts, our study explores the congruency of climate change education in both policy domains. Despite the critical need for coordinated policies to optimise the design and implementation of climate change education, the analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between Indonesia’s climate change policy and education policy regarding this crucial aspect. Four key themes emerged: the marginalisation of climate change education, the lack of synergies between relevant policies and stakeholders, the predominant economic values, and the optimistic future outlook. The study also assesses the alignment between Indonesia’s approach and global trends in climate change education. The findings shed light on critical areas for improvement and development in the integration of climate change education within the Indonesian policy landscape.
... With the second research question, we speak to the literature on the institutional dimensions of ESD and similar initiatives. Previous research has shown that institutional arrangement, especially the incentive structure and funding sources, is a critical determinant in pursuing sustainability in universities (Ferrer-Balas et al., 2008;Melles, 2019, Hess andCollins 2018). For example, Larr an and Andrades (2015) find that Spanish public universities offer more comprehensive and rigorous environmental courses than private ones, citing public funding as a major factor. ...
... Some exceptions exist in the general education category. Hess and Collins's (2018) research has shown that politics and institutions influence climate curriculum requirements. In the case of Taiwan, there is less influence from conservative politics, yet the tight bureaucratic control from Taiwan's Ministry of Education may hinder further curricular change. ...
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context. Methodologically, this study calls for more research to go beyond case studies and take a similar approach to examine university curricula and facilitate cross-country comparisons.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the status of climate and sustainability curricula in Taiwan’s higher education system. Using the course catalog for the 2020–2021 academic year, the authors constructed a unique data set that includes 1,827 courses at 29 major universities in Taiwan. In each institution, the authors search for course titles that include “climate,” “sustainable/sustainability” and “environment/environmental” as keywords and code the courses according to their disciplines.
Findings
The finding highlights the variations across institutional types and subject matters. Public universities have an average of 4.94 related courses per 1,000 students, whereas private universities have only 3.13. In general, the relevant courses are more concentrated in the STEM and bioscience fields. The curricula, however, are seriously constrained by the disciplinary structure and foster few transdisciplinary perspectives.
Originality/value
The authors seek to go beyond case studies and offer one of the most comprehensive curricula samples at the national level. Taiwan adds an important data point, as the current literature focuses heavily on the USA and Europe.
... Broadly speaking, CCE has been implemented in two specific ways. Firstly, CC topics are included in already existing disciplines (Mochizuki and Bryan, 2015;Yeh, 2015;Hess and Collins, 2018). For example, public health studies focusing on CC impacts on dietary habits of communities (Stevenson et al., 2017). ...
... For example, public health studies focusing on CC impacts on dietary habits of communities (Stevenson et al., 2017). Secondly, CCE is delivered as a separate multidisciplinary module that encompasses knowledge from various disciplines combined into a discrete course or programme (McCright et al., 2013;Mochizuki and Bryan, 2015;Yeh, 2015;Hess and Collins, 2018;Leal Filho et al., 2018). Here, the learners are encouraged to consider multiple aspects of CC, while developing feasible strategies to mitigate negative consequences (Smit and Pilifosova, 2003;Füssel, 2007;Mooney et al., 2013;Simon and Schiemer, 2015;Yeh, 2015;Leal Filho et al., 2018). ...
Climate change education (CCE) can be an important tool to increase local community resilience. In 2017, the Pacific Community ratified the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific (FRDP) aiming to equip local communities with skills needed to become more climate change resilient. In 2018, Fiji implemented the Climate Change Resilience Programme (CCRP) at the University of the South Pacific (USP), the first of its kind in the South Pacific. This paper evaluates (i) the orientation and aim of the programme and (ii) how different stakeholders influenced the curriculum development process. Tribe's concept of curriculum space is used to highlight the overall aim of the CCRP. Freeman's stakeholder theory allows to identify key stakeholders and their influence on the curriculum. Results indicate that the programme seems to foster climate resilience in the workplace rather than the local community. Unfortunately, current and future community leaders, the notional targets of this course, were almost completely unrepresented in the process to accredit the course, with the body responsible for accreditation being dominated by industry representatives. This study helps to inform the current review of the Regional Certificate Programme to realign it with its initially envisioned community focus.
... HEIs across the world are trying to complement the decarbonisation and climate change mitigation goals of national governments or private conglomerates, by integrating climate change as a part of their curriculum (Filho et al., 2021). Research (Hamin & Marcucci, 2013;Hess & Collins, 2018;Hurlimann, 2009;Leichenko & O'Brien, 2020;Majid et al., 2011;Preston-Jones, 2020;Roy et al., 2017;Siperstein et al., 2017) into existing HEI curriculums across different disciplines have investigated the mainstreaming of concepts and impacts of climate change, and other allied subjects. Among these, far more have explored the integration of climate change into urban planning than other disciplines such as engineering studies, management, business studies, and humanities. ...
... As such, only those programmes within HEIs that had adequate details of the curriculum available on their online websites were included in the database. Hess and Collins (2018) and Preston-Jones (2020) highlight a limitation of using a 'concept-driven' keyword search approach, which is pertinent to this analysis as well, wherein some modules may cover the themes of urban resilience and disaster risk or employ a disaster risk lens without explicitly stating so in the module description and hence would not be captured in this database. The sample size has been kept small to do justice to the qualitative, in-depth nature of the review. ...
In the context of urbanisation in the Global South and increasing climate-induced disaster events, fostering resilience in infrastructure systems is critical to delivering on goals of economic development, poverty reduction, and climate action. Adaptive pathways, given its inherent consideration of uncertainty and an embedded feedback mechanism, becomes a necessary conceptual underpinning to deliver on the resilient infrastructure challenge. We argue that knowledge and iterative learning are key components that enable the flexibility of adaptive pathways. Higher education (HE) plays a critical role in influencing knowledge that is adaptive and dynamic to respond to this challenge. This study adopts a qualitative approach with a case study design to identify gaps in how urban resilient infrastructure is conceptualised and taught in HE institutions. . The study finds that interdisciplinarity, when reflected in the elements of content, pedagogy, and delivery would foster substantial critical thinking and reflexivity required to address the resilient infrastructure challenge.
... The VR-based approach provided an innovative medium for connecting ecological concepts to real-world phenomena, addressing gaps in traditional, predominantly lecture-based climate education methods (Muldrow et al., 2019). Nevertheless, scaling such innovative pedagogical models requires overcoming significant barriers, such as securing institutional support and ensuring faculty buy-in, both of which are critical for wider adoption (Hess & Collins, 2018). Our findings further support VR's effectiveness in enhancing student engagement and fostering complex systems-level thinking (Truchly et al., 2018). ...
The global challenge of climate change demands innovative, inclusive, and experiential education that fosters ecological literacy, behavioral change, and climate advocacy. This study explores a cross-cultural collaboration between two undergraduate ecology courses—one at the University of La Verne (ULV) in California and the other at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador—that employed 360° virtual reality (VR) photosphere photographs to investigate climate change impacts. Students documented local ecological phenomena, such as drought and habitat loss, and shared insights with international peers, facilitating a rich exchange of perspectives across biomes. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT were utilized to overcome language barriers, enabling equitable participation and enhancing cross-cultural communication. The findings highlight VR’s transformative role in helping students visualize and communicate complex ecological concepts while fostering empathy, emotional engagement, and agency as climate advocates. Institutional and curricular factors shaping the integration of VR-based approaches are discussed, along with their potential to drive behavioral shifts and promote global engagement. This study demonstrates that immersive technologies, combined with collaborative learning, provide a powerful framework for bridging geographic and cultural divides, equipping students with the tools and perspectives needed to address the critical global challenges posed by climate change.
... Hess and Collins [8] analyzes the general education curricula of top US universities and liberal arts colleges to assess the prevalence of climate change education. It finds that only 17% of students are likely to take at least one climate change course through their core curriculum. ...
... Estos enfoques, a su vez, eran heterogéneos e incluían el piggybacking (añadían la educación sobre el cambio climático a los cursos o programas existentes), el mainstreaming (integraban la educación sobre el cambio climático ampliamente en el currículo) y el specializing (creaban ofertas disciplinares específicas). Otro estudio encontró referencias muy limitadas al cambio climático en la mayoría de las disciplinas (Hess y Collins, 2018). ...
... • businessmen who identify a market opportunity on education system; • educational leaders who want to change the system; • leaders from non-profit sector with initiatives who are building organizations outside the system (alternatives to existing educational system). (Hess, D. J., & Collins, B. M. 2018). ...
... • businessmen who identify a market opportunity on education system; • educational leaders who want to change the system; • leaders from non-profit sector with initiatives who are building organizations outside the system (alternatives to existing educational system). (Hess, D. J., & Collins, B. M. 2018). ...
... SDG13 Climate Action is the most widely applied SDG in teaching and research at European universities, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. Although climate change issues are rarely included in the general education curriculum at universities 31,32 , global warming remains one of the most popular environmental topics and therefore, focus of SDG teaching and research. The next two most applied SDGs in teaching and research at European universities are SDG12 Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, which are often related to economics and management courses. ...
The process of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were approved by the UN General Assembly in 2015 has not been simple, being influenced by variety of social, economic, and logistical problems. It has also been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are to date no specific studies aimed at assessing the extent to which higher universities institutions in Europe are active in the SDGs implementation process. Departing from this research need, this paper reports on a study aimed at examining the current degree of engagement of European universities in the implementing the SDGs. By using a multi-methods approach, which entails a review of existing documents, a survey involving participants from 22 countries and case studies, the paper maps, documents and disseminates examples of what European universities are doing to implement the SDGs, the challenges they face, and the solutions being deployed to overcome them.
... As higher-level educational institutions and research centers, universities are providers of in-depth knowledge and innovation, critical in understanding and overcoming complex challenges, such as climate change (Booth et al., 2020;Daskolia, 2022;Hindley, 2022). Universities have a responsibility to prepare students and society to contribute actively in facing global problems, one of which is mitigation and adaptation to climate and environmental change (Hess & Collins, 2018;Leal-Filho et al., 2021). Learning about climate change can be the basis for the younger generation to recognize the global challenge and find ways to adapt to climate change (Ayanlade & Jegede, 2016). ...
Climate change is a concern for all countries in the world. UNESCO is taking part in efforts to increase awareness regarding climate change, one of which is by creating the Greening Education Partnership program. Climate Change Education (CCE) is an effort in the education sector to increase students' awareness of climate change. This article attempts to analyze publication trends regarding CCE and explore other opportunities for further research on the topic of CCE. The method used is the systematic literature review (SLR) method and data analysis using bibliometrics. The data used in this research are documents published by journals on the Scopus database published in 2013-2022. In 2013-2022, 462 documents can be searched in the Scopus database with the keyword ‘climate change education’. The analysis results show that discussions about CCE related to curriculum, learning, and students have been widely studied and published. However, there is no visible academic interaction between the authors. These conditions can be the basis that CCE needs to be implemented thoughtfully to increase awareness of environmental change. Apart from that, its implementation also requires collaborative roles from each sector so that CCE implementation can be carried out optimally. There needs to be a policy to encourage implementation by integrating CCE and the curriculum. Schools and universities encourage teachers and lecturers to deliver CCE in learning by including specific topics that can be related.
... • Unclear goals. Without well-defined goals, universities may find it challenging to prioritize their efforts and determine which strategies and initiatives are most effective in addressing climate change [34]. ...
Climate change can have direct and indirect effects on human health. Direct effects can include an increase in extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, as well as an increase in the spread of vector-borne and infectious diseases, which may lead to a set of health problems and diseases. Indirect effects can include changes in air quality, water availability, and food production and distribution. These changes can lead to an increase in respiratory problems, malnutrition, and increased food insecurity. There is a perceived need to investigate the extent to which Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are engaged in efforts to foster a greater understanding of the connections between climate change and health. In this context, this preliminary investigation offers an overview of the relationships between climate change and health. By means of a survey among teaching staff and researchers at HEIs from 42 countries across all continents working on the connection between climate change and health. The study has investigated the extent to which current provisions for education and training on the connection between climate change and health are being considered and how current needs in terms of policy development, research, and training are being met. A series of case studies illustrate how universities worldwide are actively developing strategies and implementing measures to address climate change and health. The study concludes by providing specific recommendations aimed at facilitating the handling of issues related to climate change and health in a higher education context.
... Some scholars have suggested that the most effective way to promote climate change education and address skepticism is by incorporating topics of climate science and climate change into teacher education programs (Branch et al., 2016). Unfortunately, these topics are, for the most part, absent in the general education curriculum of colleges and universities in the United States (Hess & Collins, 2018). Researchers have found science PSTs to feel unprepared to teach climate change, consider the mathematics involved in climate to be too advanced, or be hesitant about teaching this controversial and politically charged issue (Boon, 2010;Namdar, 2018). ...
This article analyzes how three mathematics preservice teachers (PSTs) reasoned quantitatively and covariationally while making sense of the Earth's energy budget (EB)-a model of energy circulation within the Earth's climate system-and discusses how their quantitative and covaria-tional reasonings influenced their understanding of climate change. The PSTs completed the EB task during an individual, task-based interview; the task explored two concepts that are key to understanding climate change: The Earth's EB and the link between carbon dioxide (CO 2) pollution and global warming. The results showed that quantitative and covariational reasoning played an important role in shaping the PSTs' understanding of climate change, extending the usefulness of these theories from the mathematics education domain to the science education domain. More specifically, when these two types of reasoning supported the realizations of an EB with multiple equilibriums and an increase in global temperature as a response to increasing CO 2 levels, the PSTs could describe and model why CO 2 pollution causes global warming. Conversely, if their reasoning did not support those two realizations, then they develop misconceptions about the EB and global warming. The results suggest that strengthening quantitative and covariational reasoning in connection to climate change can prepare mathematics and science teachers to teach it.
... Several studies have also looked at teachers' perspectives of climate change [24][25][26] and teachers' professional development 27,28 . Moreover, extensive studies on CCE curriculum and pedagogy have been conducted [29][30][31][32][33] . ...
This article conducts a comprehensive analysis of climate change education within the framework of climate change policy and education policy in Indonesia. Employing thematic analysis on twenty climate change policy texts, twelve K-12 education policy texts, and seventeen expert interview transcripts, our study explores the congruency of climate change education in both policy realms. Despite the critical need for coordinated policies to optimise the design and implementation of climate change education, our analysis reveals a significant discrepancy between Indonesia’s climate change policy and education policy regarding this crucial aspect. Four key themes emerged: the marginalisation of climate change education, the lack of synergies between relevant policies and stakeholders, the predominant economic values, and the optimistic future outlook. The study also assesses the alignment between Indonesia's approach and global trends in climate change education. The findings shed light on critical areas for improvement and development in the integration of climate change education within the Indonesian policy landscape.
... Universities can provide knowledge, innovation, and solutions to support this goal, addressing challenges that require new ways of doing things (Fleacă et al., 2018). In addition, universities can also support the development of professional knowledge, capacity building, and motivation of future leaders, decision-makers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens, whose actions and decisions will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, including SDG 7. Times Higher Education Impact Rankings show the work of universities as key actors in the pursuit of SD (Hess & Collins, 2018;Žalėnienė & Pereira, 2021). Their actions contribute to the emergence of more sustainable businesses, communities, and whole societies, which, among other things, will be able to obtain the energy necessary for economic development and, at the same time, environmental degradation will be halted (Hansen et al., 2021). ...
Objective
The aim of the article is to present the involvement of public Higher Education Institutions in Poland in popularizing the idea of sustainable development within the framework of their publishing activities.
Methodology
In this study, agglomerative clustering approach, which is a representative of the hierarchical method, was used. The distance between selected public Higher Education Institutions in Poland was determined based on the Squared Euclidean Distance. In turn, to estimate the distance between clusters, the Ward method was used. The study used three parameters, constructed from data taken from SciVal : (1) total number of publications, (2) citation count, and (3) field-weighted citation impact.
Findings
Three groups of Polish public HEIs were distinguished as a result of the cluster analysis that was performed (based on: the total number of publications, the citation count, and the field-weighted citation impact). The most publication-productive were seven technical universities, i.e., Warsaw University of Technology, Gdansk University of Technology, Silesian University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology, Lodz University of Technology, Poznan University of Technology, and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. The publications prepared by the employees of the universities of technology were also characterized by the highest number of citations.
Value Added
This article is one of the first to present (in quantitative terms) the involvement of universities in popularizing sustainable energy development concept. The methodology used in it can be applied to the other Sustainable Development Goals.
Recommendations
Given the increasing importance of the concept of sustainability in the functioning of universities, it seems necessary to create tools to measure the degree of their involvement in popularizing this idea. Among other things, universities are obliged to share their knowledge in this area. Bibliometric data provided by the SciVal system may be helpful in this regard. It is necessary to conduct research taking into account both domestic and foreign universities.
... 23 Climate change education is under attack by climate change deniers. 84 Governments from the national and state level down to local school districts, must ensure that schools teach students about the causes and consequences of climate change. This must include the impacts of animal agriculture. ...
Science can provide accurate information to society to inform decision-making and behavior. One contemporary topic in which the science is very clear, yet behavioral change has lagged, is climate change mitigation. Climate change scientists use evidence-based research to advocate to the public to adopt emission-reducing behaviors in various sectors such as transportation and food. However, scientists themselves often do not change their own behaviors according to the scientific consensus. We present a case study of a group of natural sciences PhD students, who, when presented with evidence and an opportunity for a behavioral change with implications for climate change mitigation, demonstrated defensive reactions that would undoubtedly frustrate these same scientists if they were doing public outreach about their own work. Our goal is to raise awareness that we scientists do not always practice what we preach but could perhaps overcome this by understanding the defense mechanisms that impede meaningful change.
... Every tenth of a degree will significantly worsen the risk of drought, floods, extreme heat, and poverty for millions of people. Recognizing climate change as the greatest challenge of the twenty first century (Shields 2019), higher education has a critical role to play in responding (Hess and Collins 2018) and in preparing graduates for their professional contexts (Billett 2009;Teichler 2015). With Article 12 of the Paris Agreement (United Nations 2015) calling for increased climate change education, faculties of education have a strong role to play. ...
... Research on climate change education and strategies for integrating climate-related topics into curricula have influenced the focus of the project(McCright et al., 2013;Amanchukwu et al., 2015;Hess & Collins, 2018;Neal-Boylan et al., 2019;Chopra et al., 2019; Fuertes Prieto et al., 2020;Leal Filho et al., 2021;Mavuso et al., 2022;Molthan-Hill et al., 2022). ...
The need to address sustainability and climate change within the educational context has been ongoing for a significant period. Governments and local authorities have declared climate emergencies, and the urgency of these issues has been growing over the years.
In response to the urgent need for comprehensive sustainability education, we embarked on a transformative curriculum investigation project aimed at empowering students and staff as the co-creators of a sustainability-focused curriculum through engaging them in student-centred and impactful educational experiences. Focused on climate change, social justice and sustainability, the project sought to involve students and staff in curriculum co-creation to foster informed choices and impactful behaviours within the community. The project took place at The Bedford College Group, a reputable educational institution situated in the south-east Midlands (Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire) and a well-known leader in the further education sector in the UK. The main objectives of this project were to engage students and staff as active partners in curriculum development; foster a deep understanding of sustainability, climate change and social justice; and promote informed decision-making and sustainable behaviours.
Findings show that collaborative efforts between staff and students synergistically produced an interdisciplinary curriculum encompassing sustainability, climate change and social justice. Involving students from diverse backgrounds enriched the inclusivity of the curriculum, reflecting real-world challenges. The developed module’s anticipated influence on behavioural change is expected to heighten environmental awareness and encourage sustainable practices. Early indicators point to a lasting impact, as participants continue their pursuit of sustainability knowledge and behaviours post-project.
A varied workshop format accommodated preferences, although vigilance against technical issues in the virtual sessions is crucial. Participants’ reflections yielded valuable recommendations which will enhance future curriculum development endeavours. Collaboration emerged as pivotal, cultivating an inclusive, empowering and sustainability aligned educational experience. The project, characterised by continuous learning, adapted to overcome challenges, delivering meaningful impact for participants and the institution. By engaging students and staff, it has produced an introductory module on climate change, social justice and sustainability, engaging students as the co-creators of the sustainability curriculum.
... The aim was to explore what is needed to advance education for sustainable development given the urgency at large and the need to enable students to realize their agency. This is against the startling observation by Hess and Collins (2018) that fewer than one in six students across the top 100 universities and colleges of liberal arts in the United States take a climate change or climate science course as part of their core general education curriculum. While Table 1 identifies some of the drivers and barriers to adopting sustainability in higher education curricula, along with other drivers and barriers already known (Weiss et al., 2021), there is a lot more to explore. ...
This paper summarizes key learning insights from the 2023 U.S. Summit on Transformative Education organized by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network USA. Over 400 members from higher education institutions, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, students, and teachers, joined the online event held February 23-25. The Summit created a bridge between social justice issues with an historical lens and sustainable development. Learning insights include those shared by session speakers, dialogue among participants during thematic conversations and regional networking forums, comments made by attendees on session Jamboards and the Zoom Chat function, and post-Summit feedback. A high-level thematic review was undertaken to cluster emergent themes and develop a rubric that might help education facilitators create curriculum, lesson plans, and activities together with signposting resources to support the global movement towards a more just and sustainable world. It is clear that higher education is embracing transformation, undertaking intentional self-disruption with a focus on action, ethics, and mindfulness. The Summit shows the sector is becoming more connected to the society it serves, engaging in radical collaboration with stakeholders, with sustainable development activities fueled by the convening power of universities and colleges and the agency of students.
(PDF) Re-thinking Education for Sustainable Development: Key Learning Insights from the SDSN USA Transformative Education Summit 2023. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376658824_Re-thinking_Education_for_Sustainable_Development_Key_Learning_Insights_from_the_SDSN_USA_Transformative_Education_Summit_2023 [accessed Dec 22 2023].
... Today, climate crisis has become biggest issue in the world. Therefore, higher education must take lead in climate adaptation by preparing for impact made by climate change (Hess D J and Collins B M, 2018). ...
Climate change has become an issue that affect every aspect of our lives, including in food security and economic matters. Climate change mitigation plays a key role to prevent the worst impact of climate change. Higher education can take a role on university-based mitigation action in reducing local emission by promoting service-learning approaches that include climate change mitigation. This paper aims to explore the role of higher education to support climate change mitigation to achieve tangible local benefits in facing climate change. This research uses a systematic literature review method related to climate change mitigation in higher education. This paper illustrating the role of higher education to support climate change mitigation by using service-learning approach and creating climate change governance networks. Higher Education Institution as an organization with significant impact toward local community can act as catalyst for sustainable development system. Higher education institution needs to regulate and renew energy systems and reorganize transportation system in order to reduce CO2 emissions and communicate message to higher education community to support climate change mitigation actions in personal level.
... Regarding governments, Zumeta (2001) reports they can shape university behavior through calling for more accountability of universities, monitoring university outputs and aligning funding to specified outcomes. Building on that point, Hess and Collins (2018) examine how universities can be impacted by the configuration of power in state legislatures. They examined factors that mediate whether or not students would take a climate change course, and found that public university students in states with Republicancontrolled state legislatures were significantly less likely to take at least one climate-change related course. ...
Purpose
This study aims to assess the spread of environmental literacy graduation requirements at public universities in the USA, and to highlight factors that mediate the adoption of this curriculum innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The author analyzed the undergraduate general education curriculum requirements at all 549 public BA-granting higher education institutions in the USA between 2020 and 2022.
Findings
The study found that only 27 US public universities out of 540 have an environmental literacy graduation requirement, which represents 5% of universities and is substantially lower than previous estimates.
Originality/value
First, this study provides a more complete, more reliable and more current assessment of the graduation requirement’s presence at US tertiary institutions, and shows the number of universities that have implemented this innovation is lower than was estimated a decade ago. Second, it draws from the scholarship on the infusion of sustainability into the university curriculum to provide a comprehensive discussion of factors that mediate the pursuit and implementation of the graduation requirement. As well, it identifies factors that played a key role in one pertinent case.
... The fact that SDG 8's aim of "green and affordable energy" and SDG 13's goal of "climate action" continue to be out of sync with one another (OECD, 2019) is evidence that not all nations utilize renewable energy sources to their full potential. Poor schooling is a contributing factor to low involvement in research and development efforts, which may have an adverse influence on the sustainability of the environment in two distinct manners: by limiting the avenues for exploring renewable energy ideas and by restricting the dissemination of environmental consciousness among the populace (Hess and Collins, 2018). ...
Pro-environmental behavior has a significant role to play in environmental sustainability. There has been little research done on environmental higher education-renewable energy consumption nexus. This study examines the impact of environmental higher education on renewable energy consumption in China from 1997 to 2021. The ARDL results show that higher environmental education enhances renewable energy consumption in long run. Findings also show that internet usage and economic development encourage renewable energy consumption in the long run. However, financial development and internet usage have a short-term impact on renewable energy consumption in China. The QARDL estimates are robust, and the finding shows that environmental higher education has a positive impact on renewable energy consumption in short and long run at higher quantiles. The empirical findings have environmental implications for China in terms of achieving long-term environmental sustainability by embracing patterns of pro-environmental behavior.
... The THE Impact Rankings showcase the work of universities as essential actors in the quest for sustainable development (Hess and Collins, 2018;Žalėnienėa and Pereira, 2021), as they help to discover new technologies that make societies, communities, and businesses around the world more sustainable and resilient (Hansen and Stilling, 2021;THE, 2021b). To implement SDGs, the Ministry of Education in Taiwan (2018) has promoted the "University Social Responsibility Practice Project" focusing on "local care," "the industrial chain," "sustainable environment," "food safety and long-term care," and "international connections." ...
Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are vital contributors to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is essential in meeting sustainable development challenges, including educating excellent teachers, producing groundbreaking research, and connecting services to communities. This research aims to explore the effects of forming a strategic alliance between two universities on facilitating the academic publication of SDG-related topics and determine the benefits of strategic alliances between HEIs. Data were collected from SciVal® for the period 2004 to 2020 to determine the numbers and percentages of joint authorship papers between the two universities related to the 16 SDGs and explore the growth trends in joint authorship publications on topics related to SDGs between the two case universities after their strategic alliance in 2012. Results showed that scholars from the two universities focused more on SDGs 2, 5, 7, 13 than the other goals. Regression analysis was also used to examine if the defined variables significantly affected the increase of joint authorship publications. The results showed that universities might benefit from the strategic alliance, bringing collaboration on SDG-related research. This research sheds light on strategic alliances between two institutions in Taiwan with different orientations, which can be used as a reference in higher education to promote sustainable development goals.
... Climate change is introduced more and several papers have focussed on this topic (Hess and Maki, 2019;Milovanovic et al., 2022;Tolppanen et al., 2022). They illustrated that knowledges and practical aspects must be taught together and included within general education curriculum to correct misconceptions and biases related to climate change (Hess and Collins, 2018;Tang, 2022). Understanding the science of climate change appears as a first step towards taking action to address it. ...
... Low R&D in ASEAN nations might be related to low educational attainment, which can impact environmental quality in two ways: by inhibiting innovative renewable energy solutions and by diminishing public knowledge of environmental issues. 8 As a result, educational attainment has the potential to impact renewable energy generation, which in turn has the potential to influence environmental quality. ...
Developing an inclusive policy agenda for ensuring sustainable development is a challenge for both developed and developing countries. The developing countries face challenges in designing policy that achieves sustainable development goals based on environmental awareness, and that is one of the main contributions of this research. By taking into account the SDG 13 (climate action) and 7 (clean and affordable energy) this study examines the influence of education, natural resource availability, financial development, urbanization, and economic growth for ASEAN nations from 1991 to 2018. For an empirical estimate, second-generation approaches are used. The findings demonstrate the energizing influence of renewable energy usage in altering the environmental quality. According to the empirical findings, renewable energy and education lower CO 2 emissions by 0.46% and 0.22%, respectively. Financial development, urbanization, and natural resource depletion all have a 0.14%, 0.03%, and 0.08% impact on the environment, respectively. The heterogeneous causality analysis reveals the feedback effect, i.e., bidirectional causal links between education, carbon emissions, and the use of renewable energy. This empirical data implies that nations should enhance investment in renewable energy and education sectors, as well as prepare for renewable energy research and development, to ensure environmental sustainability. This research has policy implications for ASEAN countries in terms of renewable energy and education investments. Through this agenda, the objectives of SDG 13 and SDG 7 will be achieved, while SDG 4 will be targeted.
... Five articles assessed ESD and/or SD for reporting the use of evaluation tools to assess ESD and/or SD in HEIs. The study of [92] analysed the core course in the top 100 HEIs in the U.S. to assess the number of main programs that highlighted climate transformation or climate science. The study of [107] also highlighted the issues affecting the SD syllabus in the courses of two HEIs. ...
It is vital to enforce the distinguished assimilation of sustainability entities in higher education (HE) and establish an academia-wide collective curriculum on sustainability in an efficient manner, in order to disseminate and stimulate thoughts with forthcoming generations. The remit of this paper is to document the available literature and map the research landscape into a coherent taxonomy. This research adds to the available literature; moreover, it could also aid in the community comprehension of education in sustainable development (ESD) implementation and/or integration into higher education institutions (HEIs). We perform an attentive search in relation to education sustainable development (ESD) in three relevant electronic databases, namely, Web of Science (WoS), ScienceDirect and IEEE Xplore. The result of the review is a taxonomy that includes 148 articles published between early 2014 and mid-2019 that were then categorized into six classes, namely, the accomplishment of SD, awareness and commitment, evaluation and commentary, structural transformation, course coordination and university management. Additionally, we acknowledge varied involvement from different levels of communities supporting and promoting education to achieve sustainable development (SD).
... However, despite prepared climate literacy education programmes [26], their implementation is often challenging due to external pressures [27,28]. As a result, the likelihood of a university student taking at least one course on climate change as part of the core curriculum is extremely low [29]. ...
In order to approach a system change towards a circular economy model (CE) in Europe, the entrepreneurial activities of young people need to be encouraged to achieve the Green Deal (GD) goals. This article presents the evaluation results of young people’s awareness and attitudes towards the CE and the GD. The data used in this study was collected by surveying 286 young people from five European countries. The questionnaire covered four areas: (1) belief, (2) knowledge, (3) competence, and (4) young people’s ability to deal with the CE. Descriptive and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to analyse the questionnaire on the basic factors that motivate young people to the CE and GD. A literature review was conducted to identify the main research concepts and connections. A review included two phases, the first encompassing a search through the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection for research papers meaningful for further research, followed by Leximancer analysis. The analysis showed that young people believe in the principles and priorities of CE but do not receive enough support to participate and implement the priorities actively. Formal education does not provide enough knowledge to work in this field actively. They are primarily undecided about their understanding of the principles of CE. Responses to whether they can implement the project, business, or entrepreneurial ideas are also uninspiring. Young people do not see themselves as creators of change towards the CE. However, it is encouraging that they approach the CE from different angles and show responsible behaviour in everyday life. Young people’s ability to reason, think, evaluate, connect, and create new solutions for the CE is not enviable. Most respondents did not comment on their competence in concepts of the GD and CE. It is encouraging to know that they have already heard about the CE’s goals and action plan. Young people do not show significant skills in the practical implementation of CE principles. The analysis has shown that young people are particularly unable to reason, think, and evaluate in an entrepreneurial way when linking the CE to business opportunities. Relating them to business models and entrepreneurship also seems to be problematic. As a result, the majority of them are unable to design, develop, and create new business solutions.
... As such, climate change education remains a key component in formal calls for undergraduate biology education reform. However, research on systemic approaches to formal climate change education in biology is lacking (Mochizuki and Bryan 2015;Rousell and Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles 2020) and it is unclear what topics should be included in climate change curricula in US undergraduate biology classrooms (Brownlee, Powell, and Hallo 2013;Hess and Collins 2018;Molthan-Hill et al. 2019). Student conceptions of the impacts of climate change on biotic systems are rarely the prime focus in climate change education research, and this information contributes to the development of evidence-based climate curricula. ...
The ability of living organisms to respond and adapt to a changing climate is an urgent concern. However, current educational efforts aimed at increasing US undergraduate student climate literacy primarily focus on the causes of, and abiotic responses to, climate change, mostly neglecting the biotic impacts. Here, we present a new framework, the Biotic Impacts of Climate Change Core Concepts (BIC⁴), which provides context for addressing student understanding of how climate change will impact the living environment. The BIC⁴ consists of 7 Core Concepts arranged into 3 overarching themes: Species Outcomes, Systems Outcomes, and Scale of Outcomes. This framework was developed through literature review, expert and novice surveys and interviews, and expert review. We show how the BIC⁴ is well suited to support educational efforts developed with other frameworks (most notably the 4DEE), and we discuss future use of the BIC⁴ as an education research tool.
This article proposes to evaluate one of the fundamental pillars of sustainable development, namely environmental preservation, based on the quality of education. Thus, from PISA and WDI data, it aims to analyze the relationship between the quality of education and environmental preservation. Regressions by Ordinary Least Squares and Double Least Squares methods show that the quality of education deteriorates the environment and the effect is more perverse when the emphasis is put on scientific production, especially mathematics and science. On the other hand, reading does not have a perverse effect on the environment. These results show that the threshold of acceptance would be the secondary level, which favors the preservation of the environment. Beyond high school, the effect of education becomes perverse on the preservation of the environment.
O artigo aborda a importância das universidades e instituições de ensino superior na disseminação do conhecimento sobre sustentabilidade e mudanças climáticas, tanto dentro quanto fora do ambiente acadêmico. O objetivo central é analisar a literatura relacionada à educação para a sustentabilidade e mudanças climáticas nessas instituições por meio de uma Revisão Sistemática de Literatura (RSL), enfatizando o papel fundamental delas na promoção da transformação social, econômica e ambiental. Destaca-se o papel primordial das universidades na sensibilização global sobre essas questões e na mobilização da sociedade para a busca de soluções. Além disso, o texto discorre sobre como a pesquisa acadêmica contribui significativamente para avanços científicos e tecnológicos que podem revolucionar a abordagem dos desafios ambientais. Também é enfatizada a função das universidades como espaços de debate e diálogo, importantes para a formulação de políticas eficazes relacionadas às mudanças climáticas. Ao integrar os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e promover a educação para a sustentabilidade, as universidades desempenham um papel essencial na conscientização e compreensão das mudanças climáticas entre os alunos e a sociedade em geral. Por fim, o texto ressalta a importância de incluir a educação sobre mudanças climáticas nos currículos educacionais como forma de aumentar a consciência ambiental e combater a desinformação sobre o tema. Palavras-Chave: Universidades. Mudanças climáticas. Sustentabilidade. Abstract: The article addresses the importance of universities and higher education institutions in disseminating knowledge about sustainability and climate change, both inside and outside the academic environment. The central objective is to analyze the literature related to education for sustainability and climate change in these institutions through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), emphasizing their fundamental role in promoting social, economic and environmental transformation. The primary role of universities in raising global awareness about these issues and in mobilizing society to search for solutions stands out. Furthermore, the text discusses how academic research contributes significantly to scientific and technological advances that can revolutionize the approach to environmental challenges. The role of universities as spaces for debate and dialogue, important for formulating effective policies related to climate change, is also emphasized. By integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promoting education for sustainability, universities play an essential role in raising awareness and understanding of climate change among students and society at large. Finally, the text highlights the importance of including education about climate change in educational curricula as a way of increasing environmental awareness and combating misinformation on the topic. Keywords: Universities. Climate changes. Sustainability.
Climate change education is both important and challenging. Prior research suggests that many secondary school science teachers in the United States were conveying “mixed messages” to students that legitimized scientifically unwarranted explanations of recent global warming. In this paper, we focus on US climate education at the middle school level and assess whether teacher attention to recent global warming, and whether the messages conveyed to students, changed between 2014 and 2019. Pooling data from two nationally representative probability surveys of middle school science teachers, we show significant advances on several key criteria, but the prevalence of mixed messages remained high. Exploratory analysis suggests that improvements were spurred partly by the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards by many states and by partly by shifts in the personal views of science educators.
There is an urgent need for interventions in addressing the rapid and disproportionate impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and climate change (CC) on low- and middle-income countries. Within this context, it is important to understand indigenous knowledge in rural communities, which are highly affected. This study examined knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) regarding AMR and CC in the Adadle district, Somali region, Ethiopia, utilizing mixed methods, including 362 surveys and 12 focus group discussions among rural communities. Findings showed that 39% and 63% of participants were familiar with AMR and CC, respectively. Of those surveyed, 57% attributed AMR to inappropriate antimicrobial use in animals and humans, while CC was often associated with Allah/God. Multivariable analysis indicated that males exhibited superior knowledge and a positive attitude towards AMR and CC. Additionally, individuals aged 26–35 and 36–45 years showed heightened awareness of AMR and CC, respectively. Moreover, participants who were government employees, pastoralists, and business owners showed better knowledge on CC compared to family caretaker. Religious education and households with more than six members were linked to lower AMR knowledge. This study underlines a greater awareness of CC than AMR and highlights gender-based disparities, recommending integrated educational AMR programs targeting different demographics through a One Health lens, actively involving females, and incorporating local beliefs and practices.
This paper begins with a broader discussion of the current efforts to address the gap in integrating the topic of climate change across university curricula. This context informs the study’s primary objective of evaluating the efficacy of a two-phase faculty learning community (FLC) and student climate literacy assessment model, designed and implemented as an exploratory case study at an American Midwestern university, in promoting (1) climate change pedagogy and (2) climate change literacy and engagement among students. Methods include: surveys of the FLC to assess how well it prepares faculty to add or revise climate change coverage in their courses, climate literacy and engagement tests of students in these courses, and faculty debrief reports at the conclusion of course revision implementation. Faculty surveys indicated appreciation of interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborative learning, though debrief reports highlighted a need for additional training on climate change and guidance in assignment design and assessment. Climate literacy and engagement surveys demonstrate improved scores among the student population in the assessed areas, and growth in levels of student engagement with the topic. The paper offers suggestions to address FLC time constraints and the reliability of the climate literacy results for those considering employing this model.
Smart cities have emerged to cope with economic and environmental challenges posed by modern-day complex city systems. This study hypothesized that overcoming such challenges with a smart city framework entails a systematic approach to increasing synergies and eliminating trade-offs between different smart city indicators. This study applied network analysis and used data from 33 smart cities worldwide for the period 2005–2019 to ascertain these synergies and trade-offs by introducing a modified framework of smart cities based on the community identification of interconnected smart city drivers. The findings of this study reveal that very few trade-offs exist in the network of smart city indicators compared to the identified synergies. Furthermore, the network statistics show that innovation, business sophistication, ICT infrastructure, and government effectiveness are key drivers of a smart city.
The article analyzes one of the crucial junctures in the fight against climate change, namely its relationship with the media and disinformation. A dense network of actors is involved in the creation and dissemination of disinformation that has long been supported by the economic interests of the oil and coal industries and is now fully embedded in the post-truth climate. The absence of direct experience and perception of the effects of climate change has emphasized the public’s cognitive dependence on the media, which, however, have lagged far behind and manifested inadequacy with respect to the emergence of the global warming issue. In dialogue with a vast scientific literature and Pew research data, the paper analyzes the widespread post-factual and social attitudes ranging from skepticism to outright militant denialism.In this context, the article proposes and signals the need for a healthy epistemic environment, understood as an indispensable index of the quality of democracy and of critical subjectivity as a preconditions for any positive action against countering climate change.
Climate change is an important concern to be addressed. The Higher Education Institutions hae a major role to play in mitingating climate change related crisis.
La pertinencia de la formación universitaria en respuesta a las demandas del contexto se evidencia en el ejercicio de la práctica profesional y en el desempeño de los egresados en el medio social y académico. Sin embargo, algunos estudios señalan que los empleadores resaltan la necesidad de fortalecer las competencias blandas incluidas las socioemocionales que son la base de la convivencia social. Este escrito persigue poner en relieve el aprender para convivir desde las relaciones interpersonales para fortalecer el ejercicio de las prácticas profesionales en los diferentes escenarios de actuación. Se parte, de los resultados obtenidos en la investigación realizada con estudiantes de práctica profesional de dos Universidades ubicadas en la ciudad de Bogotá-Colombia, con el propósito de indagar sobre las dificultades y aciertos en el manejo de la comunicación y su incidencia en el relacionamiento interpersonal y la convivencia, como base del buen entendimiento para el logro de los objetivos de la práctica profesional. Entre los resultados cabe destacar que los estudiantes de práctica empresarial cuentan con cursos de formación en habilidades de comunicación y cultura ciudadana, pero estos no han impactado en las habilidades, capacidades y actitudes de los estudiantes al observar dificultades en la expresión oral y en el intercambio de códigos culturales con otras personas en los lugares de práctica. Se concluye la necesidad de revisar las metodologías de los profesores que potencien estas capacidades de interacción y las posibilidades de intercambio de experiencias y conocimientos con otras poblaciones externas y en contextos diversos. Palabras clave: Convivencia, comunicación, relaciones interpersonales, práctica profesional, educación superior
Climate change education (CCE) can play an essential role in pushing forward a climate-just transition. However, educational institutions seem to be challenged to equip students and their prospective teachers with what is necessary for them to become multipliers for climate action. This study aims to provide actionable insights on how to harness the untapped potential of CCE, overcome obstacles, and draw conclusions on which adaptations are necessary to improve current CCE settings. We conducted a qualitative questionnaire study using the example of 80 secondary school students (grade 12) and 18 pre-service teachers (PSTs). The results indicated that both cohorts feel inadequately prepared for their role as possible “change agents”, stating that climate change as a topic is given too little time, engagement with practical examples on taking climate action is inadequate, and a superficial examination of the topic takes place. Students as well as PSTs as change agents are not sufficiently supported by educational institutions to exercise their transformative potential due to numerous identified challenges that have to be confronted at a systemic level. Results indicate that especially teacher training programs need to increasingly focus on the professional development of educators in this field.
Technology innovations and financial development are the tools to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the carbon neutrality process; however, such nexus has lacked evidence, particularly in top-polluting economies countries. The current study examines the effectiveness of technological innovation and financial institutions on renewable energy consumption and green growth in top-polluting economies by using the cross-sectional Autoregressive Distributive Lag (CS-ARDL) method over the period from 1991 to 2019. The findings show that in the long-run, technological progress and financial institutions are major drivers of renewable energy consumption of top-polluting economies. Moreover, the study shows that technological progress, financial institutions, education, and public spending foster green growth in top-polluting economies in long-run. Top-polluting economies need to improve energy technology innovation and financial institutions for achieving green growth and carbon neutrality targets.
Research suggests climate change beliefs among science teachers mirror those of the general public, raising questions of whether teachers may be perpetuating polarization of public opinion through their classrooms. We began answering these questions with a survey of middle school science teachers (n = 24) and their students (n = 369) in North Carolina, USA. Similar to previous studies, we found that though nearly all (92.1%) of students had teachers who believe that global warming is happening, few (12%) are in classrooms with teachers who recognize that global warming is anthropogenic. We found that teacher beliefs that global warming is happening and student climate change knowledge were the strongest predictors of student belief that global warming is happening and human caused. Conversely, teacher beliefs about human causes of global warming had no relationship with student beliefs, suggesting that science teachers' low recognition of the causes of global warming is not necessarily problematic in terms of student outcomes. These findings may be explained by previous research suggesting adolescents interpret scientific information relatively independently of ideological constraints. Though teacher polarization may be problematic in its own right, it appears that as long as climate change information is presented in classrooms, students deduce anthropogenic causes.
There is a strong political divide on climate change in the US general public, with Liberals and Democrats expressing greater belief in and concern about climate change than Conservatives and Republicans. Recent studies find a similar though less pronounced divide in other countries. Its leadership in international climate policy making warrants extending this line of research to the European Union (EU). The extent of a left–right ideological divide on climate change views is examined via Eurobarometer survey data on the publics of 25 EU countries before the 2008 global financial crisis, the 2009 ‘climategate’ controversy and COP-15 in Copenhagen, and an increase in organized climate change denial campaigns. Citizens on the left consistently reported stronger belief in climate change and support for action to mitigate it than did citizens on the right in 14 Western European countries. There was no such ideological divide in 11 former Communist countries, likely due to the low political salience of climate change and the differing meaning of left–right identification in these countries.
This essay describes the inequity faced by most interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) degree programs and the impact of that inequity on student and faculty experiences. Despite the urgent need for IES education and research to solve critical environmental and sustainability challenges, as well as high demand for IES education by students and employers alike, we illustrate and discuss how the majority of IES programs suffer from limited resources or unequal standing relative to the traditional disciplines. Traditional disciplinary departments, which dominate university structures and were created decades before most IES programs, often have a monopolistic grip on hiring, firing, and the tenure-granting process. We argue universities must structurally reform to support IES programs, given that this disciplinary silo problem is so deep-rooted and restrictive. We assert the urgent need for equivalent autonomous status and equivalent resources for IES programs, preferably as schools, colleges, and institutes or centers that have core interdisciplinary faculty and draw upon resources across the university, or for smaller schools as IES departments. We also strongly support initiatives to more effectively support the integration of IES knowledge across all higher education curricula. We conclude with a list of recommendations we believe are necessary to support IES higher education.
Confirmation bias, as the term is typically used in the psychological literature, connotes the seeking or interpreting of evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs, expectations, or a hypothesis in hand. The author reviews evidence of such a bias in a variety of guises and gives examples of its operation in several practical contexts. Possible explanations are considered, and the question of its utility or disutility is discussed.
In research and literature about integration of sustainable development in higher education, particular attention is given towards barriers for change and critical success factors, mainly with a focus on organisational aspects. Implementation models and integration guidelines are defined in order to guide sustainable development integration in higher education at the level of a single higher education institution. These initiatives look at factors that influence the integration process, however seldom from the perspective of change management and the impact of human factors on organisational change. This paper studies higher education from the perspective of organisational change management and, more specifically, focuses on analysing the human factors in this process: resistance, communication, empowerment and involvement, and organisational culture. A conceptual model, which links human factors to the sustainable development integration process, is presented. The model structures and supports the analysis of this integration process in a higher education institution. It is applied in a specific case study of a Belgian university college. The results indicate that the conceptual model helps to get a profound understanding of human related barriers for integrating sustainable development in higher education, as well as to understand the underlying reasons for these barriers and linkages between them in different stages of the integration process. Another main lesson learned is the importance of continuously supporting ambassadors of sustainable development integration in higher education. These and other insights from the case study are valuable for supporting future integration processes in higher education. Next to that, the model supports scholars to study the integration process of sustainable development and gather profound insights on what and why changes happen. This can trigger individual and collective reflexivity on sustainable development in higher education. Future research includes further improvements and application of the model in other cases.
This article addresses the important questions that higher education institutions ask concerning their impact on their students’ sustainability-related attributes ‘How do our students’ worldviews change as they experience higher education with us?’ The process of monitoring such a dynamic entity is fraught with statistical complexity but may not be impossible for an institution willing to ask whether or not its educational efforts in ‘education for sustainability’, ‘education for sustainable development’ or ‘environmental education’, and campus sustainability developments, are paralleled by changes in the attitudes of its students. We describe here a longitudinal survey process based on the revised New Ecological Paradigm scale, with two cohorts of students, in three programmes of study, operating over four years, with multiple survey inputs by each student. We implemented the longitudinal analysis using a linear mixed-effects model and describe here the development and testing of this model. We conclude that higher education institutions can benchmark the sustainability attributes of their students and monitor changes, if they are minded to. We invite higher education practitioners worldwide to join us in further developing suitable research instruments, processes and statistical models, and in further analysing the assumptions that link higher education to sustainability and to global citizenship.
Interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability focused institutes and centers (IESICs) serve a crucial role in bridging the knowledge needs of society and the knowledge production capabilities of universities. They facilitate research, administer academic programs, support campus sustainability initiatives, and engage in collaborative problem-solving with internal and external partners including students, faculty, staff, public and private sector organizations, citizen scientists, other colleges and universities, and governmental institutions from local to global. Few studies have examined the roles and structures of research institutes and centers and none have investigated IESICs specifically. This chapter describes the results of the first empirical study of IESICs in the United States. The data were obtained from a census of IESICs at research universities and centers and fall into seven distinct categories, each exhibiting distinctive characteristics. Findings discussed include the types of IESICs, their primary goals, their funding sources, and how these attributes are related to their operational and administrative structures.
: Analysis of college catalogs from 292 four-year colleges and universities over a 25-year period revealed four popular models of general education: “core distribution areas,†“traditional liberal arts,†“cultures and ethics,†and “civic/utilitarian.†During the period more general education courses were required and the number of required courses related to basic academic skills, diversity, and non-Western cultures increased. The case of general education is an example of non-convergent organizational forms and therefore has implications for the new institutionalism in organizational analysis.
In recent years, several converging trends have constrained state appropriations for public postsecondary institutions. Despite real growth in total appropriations of state tax funds for postsec-ondary operating expenses, state investment in higher education has substantially declined relative to changes in enrollment, state wealth, and the growth of institutional budgets. Legislators have pursued tax cuts and other structural restraints on tax growth. K–12 schools have faced new demands from federal mandates and, in many states, burgeon-ing enrollments. Healthcare costs, and thus Medicaid costs, have risen dramatically. The national government's capacity to continue to provide various grants to states has rapidly deteriorated as large federal budget deficits loom (Archibald & Feldman, 2006; Kane, Orszag, & Apostolov, 2005). Together, these developments have compelled institutions to pur-sue new, non-governmental revenues, and in some research-oriented flagship institutions, state revenues have declined to as little as one-third or even one-tenth of total institutional revenues (Duderstadt, 2000; Partisans, Professionals, and Power: The Role of Political Factors in State Higher Education Funding
At a number of colleges and universities, the core General Education requirements for all degrees include an in depth exposure to environmental literacy. Many colleges are also including a degree requirement in the area of social responsibility and/or civic engagement. Colleges include sustainability curricula using a variety of models. The first baseline national surveys have collected information about the percentage of institutions incorporating sustainability into curricula, course design and content, faculty development and outcomes. What does the data to date describe in terms of the models for inclusion of environmental literacy, social responsibility and sustainability in higher education? For many colleges, it is politically difficult to add additional courses for degree requirements. Some higher education institutions have solved this dilemna by integrating environmental literacy, social responsibility and sustainability course materials into existing liberal arts and specialty courses. Models have been developed that are flexible, inexpensive and fun to implement within a variety of disciplines or as part of an interdisciplinary learning community. According to research, for both teachers and students, these models reduce apathy, and instill attitudes and skills required to be positive change agents for the society. Research results support students using these models developed an: increased caring about the future of society, increased belief that they can make a difference, increased willingness to participate in solving societal and environmental problems. This chapter reviews some successful models for requirements and strategies to infuse the curricula with environmental literacy, social responsibility and sustainability. These models and strategies include degree requirements, infusion across the curricula, development of interdepartmental minors, sustainability in other sectors as the latent curricula, and integration into the mission statement. This chapter also includes a discussion of implications from the national surveys, a list of needs for future research, a highlighted course curricular project useful for a variety of disciplines, and additional resources for the educator or researcher.
A report for The Higher Education Academy November 2005 "The human assault on the terrestrial environment shows no signs of abating and some signs of spilling over into non-terrestrial environments. … Many are appalled by this destruction … because of what it implies for themselves, their children, their friends, other creatures, the biomass [global nature], and the planet we inhabit. This response is in many instances an ethical response. People judge that what is occurring is not merely irritating, inconvenient, disappointing, or unfortunate, but immoral, bad, wrong or evil." Elliot, 2001. Normative ethics. In: (editor, D. Jamieson) A Companion to Environmental Philosophy.
We examine political polarization over climate change within the American public by analyzing data from 10 nationally representative Gallup Polls between 2001 and 2010. We find that liberals and Democrats are more likely to report beliefs consistent with the scientific consensus and express personal concern about global warming than are conservatives and Republicans. Further, the effects of educational attainment and self-reported understanding on global warming beliefs and concern are positive for liberals and Democrats, but are weaker or negative for conservatives and Republicans. Last, significant ideological and partisan polarization has occurred on the issue of climate change over the past decade.
U.S. public opinion regarding climate change has become increasingly polarized in recent years, as partisan think tanks and
others worked to recast an originally scientific topic into a political wedge issue. Nominally “scientific” arguments against
taking anthropogenic climate change seriously have been publicized to reach informed but ideologically receptive audiences.
Reflecting the success of such arguments, polls have noted that concern about climate change increased with education among
Democrats, but decreased with education among Republicans. These observations lead to the hypothesis that there exist interaction
(non-additive) effects between education or knowledge and political orientation, net of other background factors, in predicting
public concern about climate change. Two regional telephone surveys, conducted in New Hampshire (n = 541) and Michigan (n = 1, 008) in 2008, included identical climate-change questions that provide opportunities to test this hypothesis. Multivariate
analysis of both surveys finds significant interactions. These empirical results fit with theoretical interpretations and
several other recent studies. They suggest that the classically identified social bases of concern about the environment in
general, and climate in particular, have shifted in recent years. Narrowcast media, including the many Web sites devoted to
discrediting climate-change concerns, provide ideal conduits for channeling contrarian arguments to an audience predisposed
to believe and electronically spread them further. Active-response Web sites by climate scientists could prove critical to
counterbalancing contrarian arguments.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the case for engineering departments to undertake rapid curriculum renewal (RCR) towards engineering education for sustainable development (EESD), to minimise the department's risk exposure to rapidly shifting industry requirements, government regulations and program accreditation. This paper then outlines a number of elements of RCR.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper begins by proposing that Higher Education Institutions face a “time lag dilemma,” whereby the usual or “standard” curriculum renewal approach to embed new knowledge and skills within the curriculum may take too long, lagging behind industry, regulatory, and accreditation shifts. This paper then outlines a proposed RCR approach. This paper presents a number of preliminary “elements of RCR” formulated from a literature review of numerous existing but largely ad hoc examples of curriculum renewal within engineering and other discipline areas, together with the authors' experience in trialling the elements.
Findings
This paper concludes that a strategically implemented process of curriculum renewal to EESD can help a department address its risk exposure to likely and impending shifts in industry, regulations and accreditation. A number of examples of implementing “elements of RCR” are emerging and this literature can inform a strategic approach to curriculum renewal.
Practical implications
The aim of this paper is to highlight the potential risks and opportunities for engineering departments as they consider “how far” and “how fast” to proceed with curriculum renewal for EESD, along with providing an overview of a range of options for implementation.
Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified information/resources need.
An analysis of why people with knowledge about climate change often fail to translate that knowledge into action.
Global warming is the most significant environmental issue of our time, yet public response in Western nations has been meager. Why have so few taken any action? In Living in Denial, sociologist Kari Norgaard searches for answers to this question, drawing on interviews and ethnographic data from her study of "Bygdaby," the fictional name of an actual rural community in western Norway, during the unusually warm winter of 2000-2001.
In 2000-2001 the first snowfall came to Bygdaby two months later than usual; ice fishing was impossible; and the ski industry had to invest substantially in artificial snow-making. Stories in local and national newspapers linked the warm winter explicitly to global warming. Yet residents did not write letters to the editor, pressure politicians, or cut down on use of fossil fuels. Norgaard attributes this lack of response to the phenomenon of socially organized denial, by which information about climate science is known in the abstract but disconnected from political, social, and private life, and sees this as emblematic of how citizens of industrialized countries are responding to global warming.
Norgaard finds that for the highly educated and politically savvy residents of Bygdaby, global warming was both common knowledge and unimaginable. Norgaard traces this denial through multiple levels, from emotions to cultural norms to political economy. Her report from Bygdaby, supplemented by comparisons throughout the book to the United States, tells a larger story behind our paralysis in the face of today's alarming predictions from climate scientists.
Climate change is a threat to human societies and natural ecosystems, yet public opinion research finds that public awareness and concern vary greatly. Here, using an unprecedented survey of 119 countries, we determine the relative influence of socio-demographic characteristics, geography, perceived well-being, and beliefs on public climate change awareness and risk perceptions at national scales. Worldwide, educational attainment is the single strongest predictor of climate change awareness. Understanding the anthropogenic cause of climate change is the strongest predictor of climate change risk perceptions, particularly in Latin America and Europe, whereas perception of local temperature change is the strongest predictor in many African and Asian countries. However, other key factors associated with public awareness and risk perceptions highlight the need to develop tailored climate communication strategies for individual nations. The results suggest that improving basic education, climate literacy, and public understanding of the local dimensions of climate change are vital to public engagement and support for climate action.
From the colonial colleges to the present-day flagship universities, the undergraduate general education curriculum has dramatically shifted from a single, faculty-prescribed, general program to a diverse array of elective, student-choice-driven, specialized programs of general studies. This transformation has also encouraged, if not established, faculty specialization, disciplinary departments, and through research, the production of “new knowledge.” The general education curriculum has served as a dynamic “locus and transmitter” of student, faculty, and administrative as well as external social, cultural, economic, and governmental educational values and aspirations. While the contemporary general education curriculum has been comparatively static, general education represents a balance—or at least a stalemate, depending on one’s perspective—of these often competing interests. While much has been written about general education, the enormity and complexity of the subject proves difficult for just a single theory to yield meaningful analysis and interpretation. Handily, Lee G. Bolman and Terrance E. Deal’s Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership dissuades a single theoretical perspective in favor of a multifaceted analysis and interpretation; and when applied to general education, it allows a great deal of flexibility, and a number of useful themes emerge.
Over the last decade, sustainability reporting (SR) has gained importance in both profit and non-profit environments. In spite of the slowly emerging trend of SR in higher education, it is still unclear for certain actors within this field what SR entails. This paper offers a comprehensive review of the existing literature on SR in higher education, aimed at providing guidance on the topic, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the literature, and finding new paths for research. The findings show that the topic of SR has been approached in a rather fragmented way in the literature, while the scientific field would benefit from more in-depth studies, preferably supplemented by empirical evidence. Important issues for future research are: the potential of SR for organisational change, the influence of stakeholder engagement processes on SR, the link between SR and general sustainability management, and the link between existing reporting indicators, tools, and management standards. Structuring and defining these topics can stimulate scholars to further study them in depth, leading to a better understanding of the dynamics of the reporting process, and in a broader sense of the process of sustainability integration in higher education.
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.
The attention for sustainable development (SD) is ever growing (Van Poeck, Vandenabeele, & Bruyninckx, 2009). Although the importance of SD integration in higher education (HE), both on strategic and operational level, is often stressed, actual measurements of this integration are less frequent. Therefore, a large scale assessment was set up to assess SD integration within 33 professionally and academically oriented programs of applied economics in a total of 22 Flemish HE institutions. The integration of SD in applied economics programs is crucial for society, among others because business students are our future managers (Ceulemans & De Prins, 2010). The interrelations between different SD integration strategies and the barriers to them were also studied in this research, leading us to a new concept, where two different dimensions of SD integration are combined. From the research we can conclude that an SD integration approach that combines horizontal and vertical integration with bottom-up and top-down seems to be the most beneficial for sustained SD integration efforts.
This paper explores the ideological and the practical relationship between neoliberalism and New Public Management (NPM) and the sustainable development agenda of western higher education. Using the United Kingdom and specifically English universities as an example, it investigates the contradictions and the synergies between neoliberal and NPM ideologies and the pursuit and practice of the sustainability agenda, focusing in particular on education for sustainable development (ESD) and ESD research. This paper reveals a range of challenges and opportunities in respect of advancing sustainability in higher education, within the prevailing neoliberal context. It illustrates using examples how neoliberal and managerialist control mechanisms, which govern institutional, departmental and individual academic, as well as student behaviour, are working conversely to both drive and limit the sustainability education agenda. The case is made for further exploration of how ‘nudging’ and ‘steering’ mechanisms within English HE might provide further leverage for ESD developments in the near future, and the implications of this for sustainability educators.
The purpose of this study was to develop a theory that explains the process and implementation of an outcomes-based general education program at a public, doctoral/research-extensive institution from the perspective of twenty-nine faculty. The theory that emerged from this qualitative study explains how different causal, intervening, and contextual conditions interact with and affect the phenomenon of general education reform at a public, doctoral/research-extensive university. The model portrays change as cyclical in nature with a limited life cycle. Internal and external pressures, such as assessment mandates and accreditation requirements, motivated faculty and administrators to consider changing the previous general education program. The phenomenon itself consisted of five distinct phases. Intervening and contextual conditions provided specific circumstances in which the new program was developed, adopted, and implemented. The level of faculty involvement combined with the power of key individuals were important strategies in the process to generate ideas, negotiate solutions, and implement a new general education program. The process also included several consequences, such as the new program’s impact on the quality of education, the extent to which it is accountable/assessable, sustainable, and marketable. Eventually, the consequences will become causal conditions that will again start the cycle of reform.
In spite of a number of Sustainable Development (SD) initiatives and an increasing number of universities becoming engaged with SD, most higher education institutions (HEIs) continue to be traditional, and rely upon Newtonian and Cartesian reductionist and mechanistic paradigms. As a result many universities are still lagging behind companies in helping societies become more sustainable. This paper analyses the texts of eleven declarations, charters, and partnerships developed for HEIs, which can be considered to represent university leaders’ intentions to help improve the effectiveness of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The analysis was done against two sets of criteria: (1) the university system, including curricula, research, physical plant operations, outreach and engagement with stakeholders, and assessment and reporting; and (2) the texts’ complexity, number of bullet points, and number of words. The analysis was done continuously; whenever a new element was found in a text it was added to the university system (first criteria set) and applied to the analysis of the other texts. In this way, the system was augmented with the following elements: collaborating with other universities; fostering transdisciplinarity; making SD an integral part of the institutional framework; creating on-campus life experiences; and ‘Educating-the-Educators’. The authors of the paper propose that for universities to become sustainability leaders and change drivers, they must ensure that the needs of present and future generations be better understood and built upon, so that professionals who are well versed in SD can effectively educate students of ‘all ages’ to help make the transition to ‘sustainable societal patterns’. In order to do so, university leaders and staff must be empowered to catalyse and implement new paradigms, and ensure that SD is the ‘Golden Thread’ throughout the entire university system.
Purpose
Few US universities choose an environmental literacy requirement (ELR) as a method to increase student environmental literacy. Even fewer universities have evaluated their ELRs. The paper aims to assess the ELR at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 7,268 of the 13,740 students (53 percent) currently taking an ELR course and the 86 of 100 faculty teaching ELR courses were surveyed with a voluntary questionnaire on their awareness, support, and satisfaction for the requirement. The assessment involved 58 courses with 120 sections.
Findings
Although a majority of faculty (87 percent) was aware of the ELR, a majority of students (68 percent) was not. In spite of their awareness, most faculty (81 percent) did not know the specifics of the two ELR criteria. Both a majority of faculty (89 percent) and students (84 percent) supported the idea of an ELR. The ELR increased student knowledge (76 percent) and concern (65 percent) about environmental issues and changed some students’ behavior (26 percent). A majority of students (86 percent) and faculty (74 percent) were also satisfied with the ELR criteria and that the course they were taking (66 percent) or teaching (82 percent) satisfied the ELR. Most students (74 percent) thought that they were environmentally literate before taking an ELR course, although almost a majority of faculty (49 percent) thought students were environmentally illiterate.
Research limitations/implications
The evaluation showed widespread support and satisfaction with the requirement, but strong leadership, publicity, and continuous evaluation is needed to improve the requirement.
Originality/value
The UGA's ELR could serve as a model for other institutions.
The purpose of this article is to provide an exploratory analysis of the current context of general education at top liberal arts and doctoral-granting institutions in the United States. Through this analysis, we highlight the changes to general education as they fall into two camps: core curricula and distribution requirements.
After a brief historical overview of general education programs
at Chicago, Columbia, and elsewhere, the author discusses the
tensions between the teaching of skills and the teaching of facts,
between training in general knowledge and training for a particular
career, between democracy and selectivity in education,
and between universalist and historicist approaches to the great
books.
The concepts of environmental education and education for sustainability have been acknowledged by many tertiary institutions for over a decade. An appreciable number of institutions have signed agreements to educate students in all disciplines about sustainability. Although several Australian institutions of higher education have signed the Talloire Declaration, a recent survey finds little indication that their curricula have been changed to include sustainability education. Despite the apparent widespread support for the concept of student education in sustainability, there is little implementation. The experience of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University suggests that those concerned about education and environment/sustainability need more than conviction and vision. A strategic approach – based on change management and supported by staff development – is needed to implement these sorts of changes. Rather than attempting to outline a grand plan or model for implementation, this paper identifies key issues and looks into the current experience associated with implementation approaches.
Chief academic officers at four-year institutions in the USA were surveyed electronically to examine the extent to which these institutions provide for the environmental education of students in non-environmental majors, and to identify various approaches to increasing environmental literacy at the college level. Of the 496 responding institutions (representing a 42.3 percent response rate), 11.6 percent indicated that an “environmental literacy” course was required of all students, and 55.0 percent reported that such a course was available and countable toward the institution’s general education requirements. At least one “environmental” minor (e.g. Environmental Science, Environmental Studies) was offered at 33.7 percent of the institutions; 39 percent reported the existence of an “environmental” academic program that offered a course appropriate for non-majors. Discusses various approaches to achieving environmental literacy at the college level and statistical differences in survey responses among Carnegie classifications, from Research to Baccalaureate; between public and private institutions; and among geographical regions.
Describes changes at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) since 1997 to foster curricular coherence in the liberal arts without imposing a curricular core. Changes include an on-line registration system, a curriculum plan for the first two years which helps students create sequences of interdisciplinary study in addition to the major, Web-based electronic portfolios for students, and an enhanced faculty advisory system. (DB)
Education for sustainability (EfS) is emerging as an urgent imperative and challenge for higher education. But what exactly does it mean to put sustainability into higher education? How do we bring sustainability themes into university curriculum, across the enormous diversity of academic disciplines? This paper describes the experience of teaching a large ‘stand‐alone’ EfS subject which sits within the professional contexts of the large first‐year cohort undertaking it. We describe the themes, architecture and approach to sustainability education taken in this course and evaluate the learning and assessment activities offered to students. We conclude with reflections on the student experience and feedback, which suggests that while academics build towards a deeply embedded sustainability ethic in higher education, specialist parallel courses have a valuable role to play in the transition to sustainable futures.
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to contribute to aligning higher education towards meeting the challenge of global sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
The barriers to sustainability are juxtaposed against the resources, responsibilities and potential of higher education. Ideas from several models and from within several disciplines are integrated to construct a framework through the challenges can be examined and then translated into learning outcomes, expressed as graduate attributes.
Findings
The focus of education for global sustainability has been on encouraging consumers to modify patterns of resource consumption and waste management. However, there are some significant limitations to relying on consumer action. Future professionals, involved in managing resources or designing options from which consumers make choices, are in a much better position for influencing how social, cultural and environmental resources are used. To actualise this potential requires that higher education curricula offer experiences which develop graduate attributes of self‐efficacy, capacity for effective advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as raise awareness of social and moral responsibilities associated with professional practice.
Research limitations/implications
For higher education to contribute towards achieving sustainability requires support of the whole institution, and considerable professional development of staff to help them appreciate how they can lead the next generation to global sustainability. The next stage of the research into the role of higher education in building a sustainable society should focus on how these objectives can be achieved.
Originality/value
Considerable research has been dedicated to describing the urgent and intractable nature of the problems facing the global community and, to some extent, the need for higher education to engage with these problems. This paper takes the next step by presenting some guidelines for designing curricula to develop graduate attributes required for this work.
During the last decade an increasing number of higher education institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating and institutionalizing the principles of Sustainable development (SD) into their curricula, research, operations, outreach, and assessment and reporting.This article focuses on the adoption and diffusion of SD in curricula by analyzing the results from the curricula audit of over 5800 course descriptions from 19 of the 28 schools from Cardiff University. The audit was done using the Sustainability Tool for Auditing UNiversities Curricula in Higher Education (STAUNCH©). The STAUNCH© analysis results are analyzed using a combination of diffusion of innovation theory with systems thinking.The analysis of the SD adoption and diffusion indicates that although some of the schools might be ‘innovators’ in a particular dimension, when the overall SD contribution is considered (i.e. the inter-connectedness and synergies among economic, environmental, social, and cross-cutting themes) they do not necessarily fall into the ‘innovators’ category. This indicates that to better incorporate SD into curricula, a transformation from compartmentalization, over-specialization, and reductionism towards more balanced, synergistic, trans-disciplinary, and holistic perspectives, is required.
Climate Change Seen as Top Global Threat. Pew Research Center
- J Carle
Carle, J., 2015. Climate Change Seen as Top Global Threat. Pew Research Center, July
14. http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/07/14/climate-change-seen-as-top-globalthreat/ (accessed 12.09.17).
Campus Environment 2008: a National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education
- M Mcintosh
- K Gaalswyk
- L Keniry
- D Eagan
McIntosh, M., Gaalswyk, K., Keniry, L., Eagan, D., 2008. Campus Environment 2008:
a National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education. National Wildlife
Federation.
http://www.nwf.org/campus-ecology/resources/reports/campusreport-card.aspx (accessed 12.09.2017).
Comparison of core curriculum and distribution models of general education
- A Tuazon
Tuazon, A., 2015. Comparison of core curriculum and distribution models of general
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She graduated as an honors student in the Sociology Department at Vanderbilt University, where she studied environmental sociology and ecology, evolution and organismal biology
- M Brandi
Brandi M. Collins is a research assistant in the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and
Environment. She graduated as an honors student in the Sociology Department at
Vanderbilt University, where she studied environmental sociology and ecology, evolution and organismal biology. She served as a team leader in a research project on
water conservation policies in U.S. cities, and she completed an honors thesis on factors that affect lead in drinking water in U.S. cities.