Prioritising Educating for a Just and Sustainable Future

In the first week of Topic 2: Competences in higher education, as part of the course HEDS241, my PBL group (Problem-based learning group) and I had an interesting discussion about academic freedom and how it can make integrating sustainable development (SD) difficult in some universities. We found out that different universities have different views on academic freedom. I strongly believe that having the privilege to teach in higher education brings a responsibility towards society; it is not an individual privilege to teach your expertise in the way you think it is best, but in a way that is just and sustainable for us all.

In the webinar with Ola Leifler (2024), Mr. Leifler shared his thoughts and insights on STEM education in higher education. In one of the PowerPoint slides, he presented various beliefs about STEM education, resulting in creative problem-solving. However, according to research conducted by Amsler et al. in 2017, students who undergo STEM education are more likely to produce similar ideas rather than formulate diverse visions for the future. This is one argument against STEM education, and he presented more, which made me intrigued.

We need to implement ESD in our Universities, but we do not have to have the answer to what we need to do. We can discuss this with our students! The key competencies for sustainable development, as framed by A Rounder Sense of Purpose, can be leveraged to encourage educators to adopt an action-oriented and transformative pedagogy. This approach engages learners in participative, systemic, creative, and critical thinking and acting processes that I look forward to learning more about. I think I am more motivated to work with my students and the management than directly with colleagues since I think SD needs to be implemented from the top.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

I understand that it is not realistic for a few teachers to be responsible for educating society about sustainable development. Instead, we need universities with a unified ESD strategy. The universities should provide educators with the tools to incorporate sustainability themes effectively. However, one of my group members pointed out that it's a leadership issue. It's important to hire individuals with a clear vision and communicate the university's expectations about sustainable development in higher education. Dealing with staff who misunderstand ESD or lack knowledge about SDGs can also be challenging, which is why this needs to come from the top and, at the same time, from the teachers around the faculties.

I also believe collaboration across various fields is crucial for achieving sustainable development and developing a healthy syllabus for the university as a whole. To truly make a difference, we must challenge conventional practices and consider all aspects - environmental, societal, and economic - when making decisions. This is the essence of ESD, which encourages people to adopt this mindset.

During our PBL group session, we engaged in an activity to align the key competencies for SD (Brundiers et al. 2021) with our respective courses and learning objectives. However, I couldn't help but notice that our curriculum lacked specificity on how to apply these competencies in practical situations. Moreover, there was no mention of involving and inspiring students to participate in sustainability initiatives, which is a missed opportunity.

The learning objectives in the key competencies for SD differ greatly from those in the degree programs I teach. Even if I try to include SD in my teaching, it is not visible in the syllabus. I see value in including the key sustainability competencies, and I believe they will help teachers open up and include SD in their original teaching. But they/we need help. I can see both cultural and administrative challenges. To not lose motivation, I think it's important to remember that we all have the power to inspire change. Although it can be daunting to collaborate with colleagues on a shared goal, it's worth it to strive for sustainable development and create a positive impact.

A book I will definitely read that will keep me motivated is Robin Wall Kimmerers book Braiding Sweetgrass (2013). Kimmerer argues that our relationship with nature shapes our thinking and that intelligence must be guided by wisdom in the pursuit of knowledge, which I totally agree with, but sometimes feel lonely in believing. I need to remember not to let the Monday blues get in the way of the vision of a better future, and remember that small steps can lead to big progress.

References

Amsler, S. and Facer, K. (2017). Contesting anticipatory regimes in education: exploring alternative educational orientations to the future. Futures, 94:6–14.

Learning the Future Otherwise: Emerging Approaches to Critical Anticipation in Education.

Brundiers, K. et al. (2021). Key competencies in sustainability in higher education - toward an agreed-upon reference framework. Sustainability Science, 16:13–29.

Kimmerer, R. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed editions.