Educating academic staff to reorient curricula in ESD

Michele Biasutti · Vassilios Makrakis · Eleonora Concina · Sara Frate

108 citations0/0 files storedInternational Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

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Sustainability in Higher Education Environmental and sustainability education Evaluation of Teaching Practices

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a professional development experience for higher education academic staff within the framework of an international Tempus project focused on reorienting university curricula to address sustainability. The project included revising curricula to phase sustainable development principles into university courses. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used to examine perceived professional development. Focus groups have been conducted with the academic staff who participated in the project. Findings The results provided evidence that revising their curricula offered the participants an opportunity to discuss different principles, teaching methods, didactic processes and practices in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Several strategies emerged during curricula revision such as a positive attitude towards meta-cognitive strategies and a goal-oriented approach to curriculum planning. Moreover, the project induced the academic staff to reconsider their teaching methods. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is the restricted generalisability of the findings, because of the small number of participants. Further research is needed to confirm the theoretical model that emerged. Implications of the results for professional development and the induction of change in academic staff are also discussed. Originality/value There is little information about training experiences for enhancing professional development in academic staff using ESD principles, and this study provides a starting point. According to the results, the project had an impact on the participants’ attitudes, teaching principles and methods, course design skills and assessment approaches.

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References

1985The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action 1992Basics of Qualitative Research 2008Basics of Qualitative Research (3rd ed.): Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory 2011Academic staff development as a catalyst for curriculum change towards education for sustainable development: an output perspective 2009A United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–14)2006University Lecturers’ Understanding of Sustainability 2009Revolutions and second‐best solutions: education for sustainable development in higher education 2013Transformative Learning for a Sustainable Future: An Exploration of Pedagogies for Change at an Alternative College

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