Teaching sustainable development in higher education

Teacher organisational commitment (TOC) is a key factor influencing teachers' professional stability and teaching quality, and it is important for achieving sustainable development in higher education. However, systematic analyses in this area are insufficient. Therefore, this study adopted the PRISMA framework to conduct a systematic literature review, focusing on empirical studies on the COVID-19 pandemic and its post-epidemic period. Relevant literature was screened from Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley, and ScienceDirect, resulting in 11 peer-reviewed studies from the context of higher education in China, this study aims to explore the mainstream research theories and methodologies on TOC from a Chinese perspective and discuss the different roles TOC has played in various research. Exploring the current state in China, this study enhances the theoretical and practical understanding of TOC and delivers actionable insights for school administrations and policymakers to promote sustainable development in higher education. The study also offers recommendations for future research to investigate TOC in various cultural contexts further, thereby supporting international perspectives.

PurposeThe need for sustainable development (SD) of higher education (HE) is recognized in the UN 2030 Agenda for SD. Central to the SD of HE is information literacy and information use. This study aims to investigate information literacy, information use and SD of HE in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was the staff of public higher educational institutions in Southern Nigeria. A self-structured online questionnaire was sent to the respondents via social media. The data generated were analysed using mean, frequency count and percentages.FindingsIt was reflected that information literacy played a significant role in the SD of HE and that the extent of information use was high. It was revealed that the areas of HE that require SD include economic/finance and investment priorities; administration, mission and planning; and research and scholarship.Originality/valueThe study emphasizes that SD of HE in the current educational enterprise requires that people are information literate and information is extensively used.

Objectives This article explores a German university case that integrates the principles and values of sustainable development principles into all aspects of the German higher education system. The study sets out to provide practical implications for the development strategies from a sustainable development perspective to support general education in South Korea. Methods This paper gives an overview of the higher education system for implementation while the significance of this study lie in the practice and possibilities of general education. Theses are examined to probe how Germany adapts and applies a whole-institution approach to embed the value of sustainable development. A German university case of adapting the whole-institutional approach towards sustainability is then provided. Priority action areas are reviewed for the analysis of sustainable development in action through the approach to Education for Sustainable Development in the illustrative case. Results The characteristics of the German higher education system that realizes the value of sustainable development are as follows. A concept of sustainable development builds upon the global framework for implementation of sustainable development such as the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development(ESD): Towards achieving the Sustainable Developing Goals(SDG). A joint research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research(BMBF) is to establish guidelines for higher education for sustainable development. Based on the guideline each university develops a common concept of sustainability and transformative action program that promote the whole-institution approach. Conclusions Main findings of this research provide insights for general higher education in South Korea. This approach will prove useful in expanding our understanding of how apply to the whole-institution approach to general education in South Korea.

Despite widespread policy support for education for sustainable development in higher education, and a strong academic literature arguing for a radical rethink of curriculum, pedagogy and institutional culture, progress towards the educational reforms advocated remains limited. Based on in‐depth interviews with lecturers at a case‐study university, this article explores reasons for the slow pace of change, in particular how constraining variables (such as class size, patchy managerial support, perceived irrelevance to some disciplines, and conflict with prevalent higher education pedagogies) inhibit the widespread use of the holistic, interdisciplinary, transformative learning approaches advocated by theorists. Coping strategies employed by lecturers to bring education for sustainable development into their teaching practices are investigated and reviewed in the context of the ‘theory of the second best’. We conclude with a plea for greater recognition in the literature of the merits of such ‘second‐best’ approaches in higher education.

PurposeSince 2006, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sweden, should according to the Higher Education Act, promote sustainable development (SD). In 2016, the Swedish Government asked the Swedish higher education authority to evaluate how this study is proceeding. The authority chose to focus on education. This paper aims to produce a report on this evaluation.Design/methodology/approachAll 47 HEIs in Sweden were asked to write a self-evaluation report based on certain evaluation criteria. A panel was appointed consisting of academics and representatives for students and working life. The panel wrote an evaluation of each HEI, a report on general findings and recommendations, and gave an overall judgement of each HEI in two classes as follows: the HEI has well-developed processes for integration of SD in education or the HEI needs to develop their processes.FindingsOverall, a mixed picture developed. Most HEIs could give examples of programmes or courses where SD was integrated. However, less than half of the HEIs had overarching goals for integration of SD in education or had a systematic follow-up of these goals. Even fewer worked specifically with pedagogy and didactics, teaching and learning methods and environments, sustainability competences or other characters of education for SD. Overall, only 12 out of 47 got a higher judgement.Originality/valueThis is a unique study in which all HEIs in a country are evaluated. This provides unique possibilities for identifying success factors and barriers. The importance of the leadership of the HEIs became clear.

A Higher education system is closely related to a country’s development. Governments need to make appropriate adjustments to ensure the healthy and sustainable development of higher education. To measure and evaluate the development status of the national higher education system and propose a set of policies, the following work has been done in this paper: First, this paper establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system based on the AHP‐FCE model. The healthy development of education in significant countries was compared horizontally and vertically. The results of weighted scores were used to determine the Japanese higher education system as the research object. Secondly, this paper uses factor analysis and principal component analysis to evaluate the level of sustainable development of higher education, detecting development barriers that migrate from the current to the future. This paper proposes a healthy and sustainable development policy blueprint from four aspects. Finally, this article uses the ARMA time series model to predict the development trend of Japanese higher education in the next 30 years and formulates a timetable for corresponding implementation arrangements. In addition, this paper quantitatively evaluates the effectiveness of the policies we propose and their impact on reality and provides references for other countries in the world.

Sustainable development in higher education is still at infancy stagewhile the aim was to train our youth to be sustainable leaders forensuring conservation of the environment, society and economy forfuture. The leading purpose of the paper was to unfold the situation offive universities for the level of embeddedness of education forsustainable development in preparing their students as sustainableleaders. The nature of the study was qualitative and phenomenologicalapproach through semi-structured interviews (validated by four expertsof related field) conducted from department heads of universities presentin Lahore. Three themes (along with sub exclusive functionalities of theuniversity) were noted during qualitative analysis of the collected data.The findings indicated various levels of embeddedness of education forsustainable development i.e. high, medium or low in the form of threepillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental),in theuniversity education and research, university operations and externalcommunity.

ABSTRACTPlanning in sustainable development is believed to be an important element in allowing higher education institutions to set their goals and to commit themselves towards undertaking concrete actions and measures at all levels in order to implement sustainability. Yet, there is a paucity of research that has looked at the extent to which planning can support institutions of higher education to assess their performances and to determine whether the set aims have been met. This research gap needs to be met to allow a better understanding of how planning can help to promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development – economic development, social development and environmental protection in higher education. This paper explores the challenges for planning the sustainable development in higher education, also outlining the potentials lessons learned that could assist in improving Education for Sustainable Development efforts in Higher Education Institutions. Among its main results are the fact that many universities wish to pursue sustainable development, but their efforts are hindered by lack of institutional support and planning and limited emphasis on approaches, such as problem-based learning. The universities that are engaged in the field have to face many problems, varying from limited resources to lack of trained staff. As a result, integrated approaches to sustainability become difficult to implement. Finally, the paper has identified the fact that many opportunities offered mainstream developments, such as the UN Declaration ‘The World we Want’ or the UN Sustainable Development Goals are not being put to full use.

PurposeIn education concerning environmental issues, there are two predominant currents in the world, environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD). ESD is the formal commitment and therefore promoted by the United Nations, to ensure that countries achieve sustainable development. In contrast, EE was the first educational trend with an environmental protection approach. The purpose of this systematic review that seeks to show whether the migration from EE to ESD is being effective and welcomed by researchers and especially by universities is presented. With the above, a global panorama can be provided, where the regions that choose each model can be identified. In the same sense, it was sought to determine which of the two currents is more accepted within engineering education.Design/methodology/approachThe review followed the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes parameters for systematic reviews. In total, 198 papers indexed in Scopus, Science Direct, ERIC and Scielo were analyzed. With the results, the advancement of ESD and the state of the EE by regions in the world were identified.FindingsIt was possible to categorize the geographical regions that host either of the two EE or ESD currents. It is important to note that ESD has gained more strength from the decade of ESD proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. For its part, EE has greater historical roots in some regions of the planet. In turn, there is evidence of a limited number of publications on the design and revision of study plans in engineering.Originality/valueThrough this systematic literature review, the regions of the world that are clinging to EE and those that have taken the path of ESD could be distinguished. Moreover, specific cases in engineering where ESD has been involved were noted.

In educational settings, educators’ individual perceptions of theories and concepts (e.g. about teaching and learning) are crucial for their professional performance. Thus, regarding education for sustainable development (ESD), it is vital to focus on teacher educators’ (TEs’) perceptions of this concept. As ESD is a comparatively young and dynamic field of research, not all academic lecturers are familiar with it. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that they all have a well-founded or similar understanding of it. In this study, we surveyed TEs’ perceptions of ESD and provided further insight into the understanding and application of ESD in teacher education, thereby contributing to the professional development of TEs in the context of ESD. We characterised the presented perceptions as subjective theories and used the research programme subjective theories (RPST) procedure to describe them. We found that aspects of instrumental and emancipatory ESD and transformative learning were mixed in the subjective theories. Moreover, the TEs in our study presented learning objectives and methods that could be assigned to the key competencies of ESD in higher education. Our results serve to describe TEs more precisely and thus enrich the basis for their involvement in ESD implementation processes and suitable support services.

The purpose of this study is to undertake a comparative study of higher education indices in China and between the 31 administrative divisions of China with the international evaluation system. The analysis includes a comparison of higher education indices between China and six continents and several key countries in the world, as well as a comparison between internal regions in China and Malaysia, both of which are in Asia. The numbers and rankings of higher education institutes (HEIs) of various countries and regions listed in the QS World University Rankings (QS) over 13 years from 2010 to 2023 form the basis of corresponding higher education indices obtained through several calculation formulas. These indices are the QS Higher Education Density Index (QSHEDI), QS Higher Education Quality Index (QSHEQI), QS Higher Education Composite Index (QSHEI), and Relative QS Higher Education Composite Index (RQSHEI), and they reflect the index calculation results of the density, quality, and composite of higher education relative to the regional population. Based on the comparative analysis of the indices from multiple perspectives, this study found that there is a large gap between higher education in China and other countries, and there is also a significant imbalance in the geographical distribution of higher education resources among Chinese provinces based on the population proportion and economic impact. These disparities will hurt the sustainable development of higher education in China. Therefore, paying more attention to the international evaluation system and recognition standards like the QS Rankings becomes necessary to guide the balanced development of higher education among provinces according to the population proportion. It is also vital to improve the international influence of HEIs in China according to internationally recognized requirements so that China's higher education can develop sustainably in the process of global internationalization.

This study evaluates the health and sustainability of higher education systems in nine countries: the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, China, Brazil, India, and South Africa. Using a multi-level analysis model and principal component analysis (PCA), nine key factors—such as international student numbers, academic levels, and graduate employment rates—were identified, capturing over 90% of the cumulative impact on higher education systems. India, scoring 6.2036 initially, shows significant room for improvement. The study proposes policies to increase graduate employment, promote international faculty collaboration, and enhance India’s educational expenditure, which surpasses 9.8% of GDP. Post-policy simulations suggest India’s score could rise to 8.7432. The paper also addresses the impact of COVID-19 on global education, recommending a hybrid model and increased graduate enrollment in China to reduce unemployment by 5.4%. The research aims to guide sustainable development in higher education globally.

Sustainable development is a worldwide recognized social and political goal, discussed in both academic and political discourse and with much research on the topic related to sustainable development in higher education. Since mental models are formed more effectively at school age, we propose a new way of thinking that will help achieve this goal. The authors undertook this study in the context of Russia, where the topic of sustainable development in education has been yet poorly developed. The authors used the classical methodology of the case analysis. The analysis and interpretation of the results employed the framework of the institutional theory. Presented is the case of Ural Federal University, which has been working for several years on the creation of a device for the purification of industrial sewer water in the framework of an initiative student group. Schoolchildren recently joined the program, and such projects have been called university-to-school projects. Successful solutions for inventive tasks contribute to the formation of mental models. This case has been analyzed in terms of institutionalism, and the authors argue for the primacy of mental institutions over normative ones during sustainable society construction. This case study is the first to analyze a partnership between a Federal University and local schools regarding sustainable education and proposes a new way of thinking.

<p>Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a new educational paradigm that allows Universities to lead and respond to social needs towards a more sustainable life. The ESD is a global preparedness and complex phenomena in relation to the effects of human activity on the environment, society and economy in spatial (global, regional and local) and temporal dimensions (learn from the past, act in the present and anticipate the future). This article provides an important synthesis of the vast literature in recent years in relation to ESD. It is analyzed the areas and elements to be integrated into the application and integration of Sustainability in Higher Education (SHE), the importance of sustainability curricula and changing the teaching and learning methods into more participative and active techniques. This paper ends with a proposal of steps to follow to implement a sustainability plan, the various existing integration strategies, and the identification of barriers and remaining challenges into ESD.</p>

Introduction: In response both to the fundamental changes in the state of the world we are living in and an increasingly closer connection between nature and society, the idea of sustainable development has emerged on the political agenda over the last thirty years, challenging both science and politics. Based on the definition laid out in the so-called BrundtlandReport, sustainable development is about meeting fundamental human needs while preserving the lifesupport systems of planet earth (Kates et al., 2001). According to Grosskurth and Rotmanns (2005), a focal point of the sustainability discourse is marked by the integrative examination of the threat to natural resources and an economic development that is both environmentally friendly and socially just. It is obvious that the journey towards a more sustainable world requires fundamental societal transformations that may only take place as a social learning process (Glasser, 2007). Thus, in the Agenda 21, agreed upon at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) held in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, education, both formal and informal, is seen as crucial to achieving a more sustainable development. In this process, educational institutions are named as a key factor for the dissemination of the idea of sustainable development. Consequently, in 2002 the United Nations (UN) proclaimed the years from 2005-2014 the World Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, thus underlining the role of education for sustainable development. Among the various educational institutions, universities are increasingly recognized as playing a crucial role in the context of sustainability by generating, transferring and communicating new knowledge as well as offering education and training as one of their key tasks (Cortese, 2003, Fien, 2002). To meet the challenges mentioned and to support research and network building in higher education for sustainability is the mission of the UNESCO Chair “Higher Education for Sustainable Development”, established at the University of Luneburg. In 2009 the Chair played joint host with the University Sains Malaysia in Penang to the Third International Conference on Higher Education for Sustainability, its topic being the specific implications for higher education in education practice, research and learning. Choosing as its regional focus the Asia-Pacific region, the conference emphasized its international orientation and highlighted its commitment to a crosscultural dialogue.2009 marked the half-way stage of the UN Decade ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ and one of the Conference’s goals was to provide an opportunity for critical reflection on what had been achieved so far and what tasks and challenges remained to be addressed. The conference theme centered around the question of what value is added by integrating questions of sustainability into teaching and learning in higher education. Attended by some 130 participants from more than 20 countries, the Conference aimed to bring together experienced colleagues as well as those newly interested in exploring how higher education is responding to the challenge and opportunities of sustainability. In a 3-day programme of lectures, workshops, poster presentations and round tables, the state of the art in research on higher education was presented. Selected presenters were invited to contribute to a special issue of this journal, and in the end, ten contributions were chosen for inclusion in the present issue. The articles correspond to the three thematic lines that the conference was focusing on: