Sustainability evolved for experts but students fell behind: teaching interrelated social, economic and environmental goals
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 1 January 2024
Abstract
Purpose
While sustainability experts point to interrelated social, economic and environmental goals, students may think about sustainability primarily as natural resources. To prepare students to tackle global challenges to well-being, this paper aims to show that educators need to assess and address students’ shortcomings in considering socioeconomic dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study coded essays on the meaning and components of sustainability written by 93 undergraduate and graduate students in environmental policy, business and engineering courses at US and Austrian universities. Then, the study reviewed a teaching strategy using diverse experts, case studies and assignments. Finally, the analysis evaluated students’ final projects proposing sustainability legislation with social, economic and environmental dimensions.
Findings
Students usually connect sustainability with limited natural resources affecting current and future generations, but seldom think that sustainability means acting on prominent socioeconomic challenges like poverty, food insecurity, pandemics and violence. Teaching in diverse courses through multidimensional case studies and legislation broadened and deepened students’ understanding and preparedness to act.
Originality/value
Despite experts’ attention to the interconnected Sustainable Development Goals, educators and policymakers need information on whether students associate sustainability with socioeconomic challenges. Open-response questions can reveal gaps in the respondents’ sustainability beliefs. In a wide range of courses, teaching can use diverse experts and multidimensional case studies and legislative assignments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
No conflicts/funding: Thanking Holly Rosencranz for expert collaboration, John Abelson, Leon Liebenberg, Samantha Lindgren, Robert McKim and Bruce Murray.
Citation
Lavey, W.G. (2024), "Sustainability evolved for experts but students fell behind: teaching interrelated social, economic and environmental goals", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2023-0327
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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