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Teaching formats involving non-university partners are increasingly gaining importance to deliver key competencies needed in higher education for sustainable development. Such teaching formats may also create new transdisciplinary spaces that allow different actors to impact regional transition towards sustainable development. Against this background, this article focuses on how universities foster regional transition through teaching, particularly in collaboration with local non-university. Using the interdisciplinary certificate programs on sustainable development offered by the German Universities of Tübingen and Duisburg-Essen as case studies, we analyze the potentials and challenges of teaching programs on sustainable development for promoting regional transition. Leaning on the multi-level-perspective-approach, we have used qualitative interviews to shed light on the design of cooperation between the university and regional partners as well as the creation and integration of transdisciplinary learning spaces. This paper shows that the impact of such teaching formats on the regional transition consists primarily of awareness and network building. One of the most fundamental challenges faced is unequal power relations in terms of access to resources, financing, and doing the course planning. Simultaneously, co-design, mutual understanding, and collective decisions on roles and responsibilities and—especially—empathy and trust are crucial factors for successfully teaching cooperation towards regional sustainability.

After the end of the first Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development, coinciding with ongoing international evaluation processes, questions about the implementation of the Education for Sustainable Development programs and assessments continue to be raised. The present study examined Education for Sustainable Development implementation at the local (teachers’) level, assessing what teachers think and know about Education for Sustainable Development and how they implement it in secondary school classes in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. By providing novel data from a teacher survey in 2019, this study revealed that Education for Sustainable Development in some aspects still lacks concrete structural implementation in educational contexts. Using a longitudinal approach, we additionally compared data from an earlier representative assessment in 2007 to the data from 2019. In reference to the preceding evaluation report, the present study showed, for example, that teachers’ attitudes towards Sustainable Development Goals were significantly higher in 2019 compared to 2007. This study provides clarification of the needs and achievements of the Education for Sustainable Development implementation process. In sum, our analysis found that from the teachers’ perspective, more abstract policies are not needed, but instead teachers ask for very concrete support that is close to teaching and the schools’ objectives. The results of our study help, in a larger sense, to navigate society towards a more sustainable direction and towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by highlighting the remaining challenges of these broad objectives.

As a pedagogical method to improve student recognition of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) through scientific data reading, this study looked at the effects of learning in online academic discussions using data from global indicators. Students’ scholarly messages were coded and introduced into qualitative content analysis, sequential analysis, and social network analysis, which are emphasized, respectively, to investigate code co-occurrence, code sequence, and code distribution. In all, 307 messages appeared from 119 university students in the online community. The ESD competencies and collective intelligence (CI) are used as indicators for analyses. Qualitative content analysis, particularly addressing those sentences, proved that CI enhanced communication among students where they shared individual norms and values. Sequential analysis elucidated characteristics of discussion thread characteristics with CI, which induced further discussion with foresight views and questions. Social network analyses indicated students connected and showed the connection structure was meshed. Key student bridging messages were extracted. Whereas ESD competencies appeared effectively, the expansion of the current online environment must be regarded as including competency in participatory learning. After summarizing the effects of the online learning method in the Moodle forum environment, the method was proved to empower students to represent core competencies of ESD and to lead data-driven concept transformation.

Purpose This paper aims to critically reflect the current specialist discourse on experiential approaches to higher education for sustainable development (HESD). Limitations to the current discourse are identified, and as a result, an alternative approach to the study of experiential education (EE) within HESD is suggested. Design/methodology/approach Three research questions are addressed by analysing the literature on EE and experiential learning (EL) within HESD in specialist academic journals. Findings There is a consensus among authors regarding the appropriateness of experiential approaches to HESD. However, limitations to the current discourse suggest the need for an alternative approach to studying EE within HESD. Therefore, this paper proposes the application of the learning landscape metaphor to take a more student-centred and holistic perspective. Originality/value The learning landscape metaphor has previously not been applied to EE within HESD. This alternative conceptualisation foregrounds student perspectives to experiential initiatives within HESD. The holistic approach aims to understand the myriad influences on students learning, while allowing examination of how experiential approaches relate to other educational approaches within HESD.

Purpose Education is widely recognized as a key domain for the promotion of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), prompting an increased focus on sustainable development in foreign language education. Despite increased attention, guidelines about SDGs are often primarily policy-based without concrete guidance, and the integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) within higher education curricula has been slow. This paper aims to mitigate this gap by providing an outline for the curriculum development for three elective English courses integrating SDG themes. Design/methodology/approach The paper begins by introducing the SDGs, ESD and its application to language education. From there, this paper outlines three content and language integrated learning courses that integrate global issues into their curriculum. Finally, there is a discussion and consideration of various factors to consider when implementing global issues into an English language classroom. Findings Following practical examples of how to integrate global issues into an English language classroom, considerations such as socio-cultural context, teaching context and the expertise of the instructor are discussed. Originality/value This paper covers a variety of social topics related to sustainable development in addition to the often addressed environmental topics. Many guidelines about integrating SDGs into education are policy-based without concrete guidance, so this paper aims to provide practical examples and considerations.

This paper presents three tools developed within the framework of the project EDINSOST2-SDG, aimed at embedding and assessing the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Engineering curricula. ESD is promoted through the introduction into engineering curricula of learning outcomes related to sustainability and, specifically, to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The first tool, the “Engineering Sustainability Map”, contains ESD-related learning outcomes that any engineering student should have acquired upon completion of their studies. These learning outcomes are described according to four sustainability competencies: (1) Critical contextualization of knowledge, (2) Sustainable use of resources, (3) Participation in community processes, and (4) Application of ethical principles. The second tool, the “Sustainability Presence Map” of a degree, shows the percentage of the presence in the curriculum of each sustainability competency. The calculation of the presence of each competency is based on the effective integration of the related learning outcomes into a specific curriculum. Respective data are provided by teachers responsible for the coordination of the different subjects of the degree, collected by means of a questionnaire. The third tool presented is a questionnaire aimed at measuring the level of ESD that students perceive they have acquired through each competency. The comparison of data resulting from the Sustainability Presence Map with the data from the student questionnaire is the first step that allows the effectiveness of embedding ESD in a degree to be determined, a proper learning assessment will confirm such effectiveness. The three tools presented in this work have undergone a validation process and are currently being used in a set of engineering degrees related to the EDINSOST2-SDG project. The results of the application of these tools are part of the future research work of the authors.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the implications for higher education of a rapidly changing global context, where technologies play a role in the propagation of unsustainable patterns of change. Drawing from research on science and technology studies as well as existing work on (higher) education for sustainability, it seeks to expose the multidimensional nature of these patterns to raise a series of questions for educators, particularly those in engineering, computer science and other technical disciplines, and inform structured curricular and organisational interventions. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical perspectives on unsustainable patterns of technological change are explored with the objective of informing how the mitigation of their evolution could be addressed in educational settings. Key themes in the sustainability and higher education literature are then identified with the purpose of informing curricular and organisational intervention. Findings Countering unsustainable patterns of technological change requires the development of key sustainability competencies within more technical disciplines, informed by concepts in science and technology studies. This requires change at curricular, organisational and institutional levels to enable spaces for inter- and transdisciplinary learning to be created, so that skills may be developed. Originality/value This paper reflects on unsustainable patterns of technological change, identifying challenges for educators, in particular those in more technical disciplines.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Climate Change Education (CCE) aim at increasing (young) people's competencies and critical engagement. Their impact depends on innovative learning settings. In this study, [the authors] deliver scientific evidence of the success of ESD/CCE in schools when pupils do their own research and co-operate with experts. The COP21 Agreement 2015 sets very high targets, which cannot be reached by political agreements or technological progress alone. Within this context, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and particularly Climate Change Education (CCE), play an ever increasing role regarding a holistic societal transformation towards a sustainable world. Creating ESD/CCE learning settings and delivering scientific evidence for their success has turned into a vital challenge in order to meet the high expectations. In this longitudinal study, based on the research project k.i.d.Z.21 - Competent into the Future, [the authors] deliver scientific evidence of the success of CCE when based on transdisciplinary and/or moderate constructivist theories, and show that the impact is even higher when both approaches are combined. The data presented derive from scientific surveys and tests, involving 343 teenagers before and after intensive collaboration with a high number of experts, including renowned climate change scientists. (Orig.).

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the extent to which education for sustainable development (ESD) training enhances university teachers’ professional competence and whether it has the same effect in the digital as in the face-to-face format. Design/methodology/approach A training concept was developed based on the professional action competence model. Between 2018 and 2021, 19 training sessions were conducted with 183 university teachers: ten in face-to-face sessions and nine in the digital format. Questionnaires were administered before and after the training to determine its impact. Findings Overall, the training proved to be effective. There was a significant increase in professional knowledge and self-efficacy after the training, but there was no change in motivation. The face-to-face and digital formats proved to be equally effective. Research limitations/implications The long-term effect of the training could not be determined. Practical implications There should be regular ESD training and coaching for university teachers. Originality/value There has been little research on the effectiveness of ESD teacher training, and no comparison between the face-to-face and digital approaches exists. It has been possible to train a relatively large number of university teachers from a wide range of subject areas, about two-thirds of whom have had no previous ESD experience.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) approaches in English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japanese higher education. Design/methodology/approach A content and language integrated learning (CLIL) University-level course was run over two separate semesters: the first as a lecture-based course and the second was a similar course that integrated ESD best-practice. A program effects case study was used to see if any significant changes could be measured between the separate semesters. A mixed-methods approach to data collection was used and student marks, survey results using values, beliefs and norms (VBN) model and reflection tasks were collected across the two courses. Findings A meaningful change in the ascription of responsibility and personal norms was present in the ESD best-practice course. This shows that ESD best-practice integration into language teaching has a positive impact on student environmental VBN and more research is necessary for this area. Practical implications ESD integrated into language teaching correlates positively with environmental behavior change according to the VBN-model. A new field of study is proposed, language education for sustainable development, to better integrate the disciplines of EFL and ESD. Originality/value This study is looking at the integration of ESD in language teaching and CLIL based courses in Higher Education and, at present, there are no other studies of this kind.