An Action Research Project for Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in a University Curriculum: Processes and Prospects (original) (raw)

2015, Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level. World Sustainability Series

Research on sustainable development in higher education has tended to focus on environmental management of university estates and operations, and case studies and examples of good practice, without presenting the coherent theoretical or methodological approaches required to look at the change processes of universities seeking to embed sustainable development. Although the value and contribution of university initiatives has been articulated, little holistic and structural transformation of universities has been achieved so far. This paper presents an action research project undertaken at the University of Southampton to develop an organisational learning model to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the undergraduate curriculum. An action research approach guided by participatory and emancipatory approaches was used. The researcher aimed to learn from real practice through acting as a facilitator for curriculum development in ESD within an interdisciplinary group of academic staff members. A critical friend position was acquired within a community of practice to implement a programme that attempted to embed sustainable development within the student experience. This paper presents the qualitative methodology used in this project, providing a detailed overview of its research methods, processes and future prospects, which can inform other higher education institutions in their journey to embed ESD holistically.

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