The Contribution of Higher Education to Sustainability: The Development and Assessment of Sustainability Competences in a University Case Study

Kioupi, Vasiliki; Voulvoulis, Nikolaos

doi:10.3390/educsci12060406

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Within the contemporary academic context, sustainability is recognized as a key concept, attracting the attention of researchers and practitioners from a diverse spectrum of disciplines. The concept shares extensive inter-and trans-disciplinary interactions with a variety of topics that are relevant to both the public and private sectors, including, but not limited to resilience [1], digital transformation [2], stakeholder ecosystems [3], adaptive governance [4], dynamic capabilities [5], performance management [6], leadership [7], and higher education [8].…”

Section: Introduction Related To Some Perspectives Of Education For S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights

Gorski,

Ranf,

Badea

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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The opportunities and challenges related to sustainability impose not only a societal transformation but also a personal one. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have great potential to promote sustainability and shape future generations’ skills, knowledge, thinking, and actions. Addressing environmental, social, and economic pillars, education for sustainable development (ESD), or education for sustainability (EfS), is a catalyst for quality education towards a sustainable future. This paper aims to analyze the state of the art and prevailing trends in the scientific literature pertaining to ESD/EfS. In this regard, specific objectives were established to identify the following: (1) authors’ productivity over time; (2) countries’ contribution and collaboration; (3) the most relevant keywords; and (4) the most prominent themes—in terms of relevance and degree of development. To fulfill the research objectives, quantitative research employing bibliometric analysis was carried out in April 2023. The research data sample was collected from the Web of Science (WoS) database. By conducting the search using a combined topic (“education for sustainable development” OR “education for sustainability”), a total of 2827 documents in English were identified within a timeframe of 33 years (1989–2023). These documents served as the foundation for subsequent data processing, visualization, and analysis using Biblioshiny/Bibliometrix (version R-4.2.0), as well as Excel (version 2309) software. The visualization and analysis focused on examining the most prolific authors and countries, in addition to generating word clouds based on keywords. Moreover, the thematic map that was delineated into four quadrants—Basic, Motor, Niche, and Emerging or Declining themes—provides an overview of the researched subject. ESD—embracing environmental, social, and economic pillars—implies transformative learning, action-oriented pedagogies, and professional development. As a holistic framework, it requires interdisciplinarity, system thinking, critical and experiential thinking, problem-based learning, and the use of 4IR technologies to enhance the teaching-learning process.

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Section: Introduction Related To Some Perspectives Of Education For S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights

Gorski,

Ranf,

Badea

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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“…Data from these evaluation instruments, combined with data from formal assessment methods, can be used to triangulate evaluation results (using two or more assessment methods to infer student or team performance). According to Kioupi and Voulvoulis (2022), this approach is an appropriate combination of research methodologies in addressing the issue of competency development of university students.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

„omnino“ ‑ a Comprehensive Development in Extracurricular Activities of University Students

Nemcová¹,

Šoltésová²

2023

Sborník Z Mezinárodní Konference ICOLLE 2022: „Omnes, Omnia, Omnio“ Pro 21. Století

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Developing the all-round competences of university students by applying the principle of credit recognition for the implementation of relevant extracurricular activities (EA), case studies and recommendations for practice (e.g. in the Service Learning programme, in teacher-oriented programmes and training in the preparation of future teachers, as well as in non-formal education in parachurch organisations in the case of students of theology, etc.). The starting point is Directive No. 11/2021 on the recognition of ECTS credits for extra-curricular activities at Matej Bel University (MBU) and its implementation in practice. The paper is an output of the funded project VEGA 1/0409/21 (National Agency of the Slovak Republic). The theoretical basis is the required learning outcomes of university students in selected fields of study and their expected competences. These outcomes are compared with learning outcomes in selected educational extra-curricular activities implemented outside the university of which they are students. This is a set of case studies of selected educational programs that are not courses in higher education but have the potential to provide specifically beneficial learning outcomes for college students whose completion may also earn them credit for extra-curricular activities. We conclude with recommendations for practice regarding the comparison of learning outcomes in parallel curricular and extra-curricular activities that are expected to yield the development of transversal competencies for college students in selected fields of study.

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“…In the last decade, many efforts have been directed toward developing competences in higher education to ensure that students are prepared to meet the challenges of making societies more sustainable ( Žalėnienė and Pereira, 2021 ; Kioupi and Voulvoulis, 2022 ). However, it is clear that we still have a long way to go.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The challenge of education for sustainability in higher education: key themes and competences within the University of the Basque Country

Idoiaga Mondragon,

Yarritu,

Saez de Cámara

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionOne of the major challenges for higher education institutions in the last decade has been (and will continue to be) the integration of sustainability into their curricula and the development of sustainability competences in students. Education for Sustainability (ES) can help prepare students to meet the challenges of making societies more sustainable. However, as a first step toward this goal, teachers need to incorporate ES into their teaching. In this regard, this research aimed to analyze if members of the teaching staff have started this integration and, if so, which sustainability-related topics have been introduced and which skills do they consider contribute to the development of future graduates.MethodsA questionnaire was administered to teaching staff at the University of the Basque Country in 2022. A total of 403 teachers completed the questionnaire, expressing their perceptions through open-ended questions.ResultsIn general terms teachers incorporate ES into their teaching (71.22%). However, they do this mainly within the framework of two general themes: “Environmental awareness and energy” – most used by teachers of experimental sciences and engineering – and “Social commitment,” most used by teachers of social sciences and those who are familiar with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Regarding the key competences that ES provides for future graduates, those most frequently mentioned were “training of professionals committed to society” and “critical thinking and ethics.” These competences were particularly notable in the discourse of teachers who were aware of the 2030 Agenda and who use active methodologies in their classrooms. Finally, the opinion that sustainability has little to do with their teaching (28.78%) was notably expressed by teachers less familiar with the 2030 Agenda.DiscussionThus, it can be concluded that, aside from knowledge of the 2030 Agenda, factors such as the sustainability policy of the institution, area of teaching expertise, and the use of active methodologies all play a significant role in determining whether competences for sustainable development are integrated into higher education teaching.

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The Contribution of Higher Education to Sustainability: The Development and Assessment of Sustainability Competences in a University Case Study

Cited by 25 publications

References 80 publications

Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights

Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights

„omnino“ ‑ a Comprehensive Development in Extracurricular Activities of University Students

The challenge of education for sustainability in higher education: key themes and competences within the University of the Basque Country

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