Assessing the essential pre-conditions of an authentic sustainability curriculum

Abstract

Purpose This study has two aims. It aims to analyse three essential pre-conditions of an authentic sustainability curriculum (ASC). The theoretical analysis involves the definition of authenticity through the learning outcomes (LOs) framework called authentic minimum (AM). This paper also aims to gauge students’ views on economic growth, sustainability and mindfulness. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical aim was accomplished by extensive study of and critical reflections on the relevant literature. The empirical research was qualitative using an online questionnaire as survey instrument consisting of predominantly open-ended questions involving students of two economic faculties. Directed content analysis and nonparametric quantitative methods were used to assess the answers. Findings Viable sustainability goals are in stark contrast with the promotion of sustainable economic growth in sustainable development goals 8 and the reigning neoliberal agenda. The empirical findings provide valuable insights into how undergraduate students view mindfulness, economic growth and aspects of sustainability. Research limitations/implications The empirical research has some obvious limitations that warrant caution in generalizing the results. The authors used a sample of convenience and the base population of the survey consisted only in students of economics in two economic faculties of two Hungarian universities. Practical implications Practical implications of the present paper are many all sharing; however, the need for existential courage on the part of teachers, students and leaders of higher education institutions. Existential courage is required for profound personal transformation, for going against mainstream ideology and the possible confrontations with colleagues, leaders of institutions, students, friends or family members. Originality/value On the theoretical side, the concept of ASC was introduced with AM as its LOs framework. For the first time, an attempt was made to interpret authenticity in sustainability education as an integration of mindfulness, human and environmental ethics and a firm opposition to economic growth and neoliberal ideals. The analysis of qualitative data supported earlier research and also provided unique findings in the examined areas.

Education for Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions and Knowledge

“…As can be observed in the results, the short duration of the training process did not encourage the consolidation of new knowledge. A significant development of ideas implies the need for longer processes in time that, amongst other things, facilitate comparison with reality [68]. However, the results obtained reveal the path taken and the strategies used are appropriate to promote change.…”

Sustainability and Subjective Well-Being: How Students Weigh Dimensions

“…In a recent pioneering effort, Wamsler and Brink [119] empirically demonstrated that higher levels of Inner peace (mindfulness) go together with more sustainable behaviour. In a theoretical study, Wamsler et al [120] call attention to the emerging role of mindfulness in teaching sustainability and this is also underlined by Lengyel et al [42] in a qualitative study involving Hungarian university students.…”

“…Belief in God and Inner peace was chosen to reflect on the imperative of paradigm change moving from consumer values towards spiritual ones. Closeness to nature represents the importance of relearning to take instructions from nature [42]. Finally, Good job is a dimension having culture-dependent significance in the Hungarian society.…”

“…Koch et al [41] examined Indonesian students' knowledge of sustainable management and found that they were much better informed ecologically than about socio-economic issues of sustainability. In contrast, Lengyel et al [42], in a qualitative study involving a sample of undergraduate students of economics, reported that when students were assigned the task of laying down principles for building a small self-sufficient community in a country location, the social aspect received the biggest emphasis, followed by economy and environment. STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System™), a voluntary, self-reporting framework for HEIs, calls this model a three-legged stool representation and mentions it together with the Russian doll model of three nested concentric circles, without giving priority to either of the two models.…”

The transforming generation: increasing student awareness about the effects of economic decisions on sustainability

“…It is commonly accepted that universities must play a leading role as drivers of change (Sonetti et al, 2019). In this context, one of the greatest challenges that higher education institutions currently face is how to adapt their study plans to go beyond traditional teaching models to develop multi-disciplinary approaches to ESD (Lengyel et al, 2019;Melles, 2019). In a rapidly changing world that is becoming increasingly complex over time, curriculum reform and improvement must be addressed in an integrated and holistic way.…”