Search results

1 – 7 of 7
Article
Publication date: 20 September 2023

John Chung-En Liu and Ting-Yu Kan

This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the current situation of education for sustainable development, climate change education and environmental education in a nationwide context. Methodologically, this study calls for more research to go beyond case studies and take a similar approach to examine university curricula and facilitate cross-country comparisons.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the status of climate and sustainability curricula in Taiwan’s higher education system. Using the course catalog for the 2020–2021 academic year, the authors constructed a unique data set that includes 1,827 courses at 29 major universities in Taiwan. In each institution, the authors search for course titles that include “climate,” “sustainable/sustainability” and “environment/environmental” as keywords and code the courses according to their disciplines.

Findings

The finding highlights the variations across institutional types and subject matters. Public universities have an average of 4.94 related courses per 1,000 students, whereas private universities have only 3.13. In general, the relevant courses are more concentrated in the STEM and bioscience fields. The curricula, however, are seriously constrained by the disciplinary structure and foster few transdisciplinary perspectives.

Originality/value

The authors seek to go beyond case studies and offer one of the most comprehensive curricula samples at the national level. Taiwan adds an important data point, as the current literature focuses heavily on the USA and Europe.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 June 2023

Jayne Bryant, James Ayers and Merlina Missimer

Transformative learning and leadership are key leverage points for supporting society’s transition towards sustainability. The purpose of this study was to identify the outcomes…

1077

Abstract

Purpose

Transformative learning and leadership are key leverage points for supporting society’s transition towards sustainability. The purpose of this study was to identify the outcomes of transformational learning within an international sustainability leadership master’s program in Sweden. The study also prototypes a typology for transformative learning (TTL) in the context of sustainability leadership education.

Design/methodology/approach

Alumni spanning 15 cohorts provided answers to a survey, and the responses were used to identify the outcomes of the program. Graduates were asked to describe what transformed for them through the program. Empirical data was coded prototyping the use of the TTL in sustainability education context.

Findings

Graduates of the Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability program, described transformation with regards to their Self-in-relation to Others and the World, their Self-knowledge, sense of Empowerment/Responsibility; their Worldview became More Comprehensive or Complex, and they gained New Awareness/New Understandings which transformed their Worldview. Many described transformations in their general Ways of Being in the world. Findings suggest the TTL learning as a good basis for analysis in the education for sustainable development (ESD) context. Suggestions for the TTL include further development of the process that articulates the relational, interdependent and perhaps a priori relationships between elements that transform.

Research limitations/implications

This study presents the outcomes of transformational learning within an international sustainability leadership master’s program. It prototypes the use of a TTL within the ESD context using empirical data. This combination provides practical insights to a dynamic, often theoretical and hard to articulate process.

Originality/value

This study presents the outcomes of transformational learning within an international sustainability leadership master’s program. It prototypes the use of a TTL in the ESD context and assesses the outcomes of a sustainability leadership program using empirical data. This combination provides practical insights to a dynamic, often theoretical and hard to articulate process.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 April 2023

Christel Persson, Daniel Einarson and Maria Melén

This study aims to address how a higher education pedagogical course in sustainable development (SD) for university educators affects their teaching efforts in providing…

1730

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to address how a higher education pedagogical course in sustainable development (SD) for university educators affects their teaching efforts in providing sustainability matters for students.

Design/methodology/approach

With the aim of improving that course, a case study approach was used to understand how the educators made use of the course in their teaching practice. Data were collected as written and oral feedback reflections and as semi-structured interviews at course completion.

Findings

Educators clearly express that they understand the concept “about” SD, but there are only vague expressions of a developed teaching repertoire to address education “for” SD in their teaching practice.

Research limitations/implications

When it comes to the purposes of developing sustainability literacy among students, implications from the study furthermore address the needs for further clarifications on both structure and intent on the course presented in this contribution.

Practical implications

The educators as well as their students will be exposed to, and trained in concepts, to prepare them to act in alignment with SD. This, in turn, meets requirements from higher education authorities concerning SD at higher education institutions.

Social implications

A core aim of the covered approach is to support student readiness in SD, and for those to become future agents of positive change.

Originality/value

This study has a focus on presenting how educators change the structures of courses and learning elements to approach SD in their teachings.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2024

Wenpei Fang, Liang Wan and Lei Zhou

Effective cooperative communication and knowledge management capabilities are particularly important in the cross-team cooperation. Based on the social exchange theory, this paper…

Abstract

Purpose

Effective cooperative communication and knowledge management capabilities are particularly important in the cross-team cooperation. Based on the social exchange theory, this paper aims to further explore the role and influence mechanism of cooperative communication and knowledge sharing on co-innovation performance in open innovation projects (OIPs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes China’s high-tech enterprises as the research object by using a paired questionnaire survey based on 168 pairs of OIPs. Hayes’ PROCESS programme and the bootstrap technique are used to test the hypothesis model and the significance of the mediation effect.

Findings

This study finds that cooperative communication is an effective mechanism for the internal and external interaction of OIPs. Knowledge sharing plays an intermediary role in the relationship between cooperative communication and co-innovation performance; both explicit knowledge sharing and tacit knowledge sharing have a significant positive impact on co-innovation performance. And the impact of cooperative communication on co-innovation performance is based on effectively promoting the knowledge sharing of partners.

Originality/value

This research incorporates cooperative communication, knowledge sharing and co-innovation performance into a unified research framework to study the co-innovation at the project level, enriches the research scenario on the mechanism of cooperative behaviour, deepens the understanding of the role and influence mechanism of cooperative communication and knowledge sharing on co-innovation performance in OIPs, verifies the mediating role of knowledge sharing to co-innovation, and also helps extend the social exchange theory to a new research setting.

Details

Chinese Management Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-614X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2022

Barbara Tomasella, Anne Wylie and Devi Gill

The purpose of this paper is to understand how higher education institutions (HEIs) educate future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how higher education institutions (HEIs) educate future leaders with social impact contributing to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). HEIs have an interest in developing leaders with social impact, but there is a lack of knowledge on the best teaching and learning strategies to engage students with social action aimed at the SDGs. This paper fills this gap by addressing the question of how HEIs can shape the sustainability mindsets of future leaders with social impact contributing to the SDGs.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a mixed method research design, including a quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews of UK students involved in HEIs experiential learning programmes, focused on social impact and entrepreneurial action, developed in partnership with the organisation Enactus.

Findings

This research highlighted the importance of experiential learning, as it develops the knowledge, values and competency underpinning the sustainability mindset of future leaders contributing to the SDGs, in particular their emotional intelligence.

Originality/value

This research shows that HEIs can educate future leaders with social impact contributing to the SDGs, through real-world experiential learning that develops their sustainability mindset; in terms of aligning the curriculum to the SDGs, more focus on the systems perspective of the sustainability mindset framework is needed.

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2023

Jessica Ostrow Michel, Peter Siciliano, Michaela Zint and Sarah Collins

One of the rapidly growing bodies of literature on sustainability in higher education focuses on the competencies students should master to bring about the necessary…

Abstract

Purpose

One of the rapidly growing bodies of literature on sustainability in higher education focuses on the competencies students should master to bring about the necessary transformation toward a sustainable future. Given the influential nature of this particular scholarship on curricula and programs, this study aims to assess its trajectory based on bibliometric analyses.

Design/methodology/approach

More specifically, authors conducted coauthorship, direct citations of articles and journals and bibliographic coupling analyses to identify the scholars and publications that have shaped the subfield of higher education sustainability competency research.

Findings

Findings show that despite the growth in higher education sustainability competency scholarship, this important subfield in higher education for sustainable development (HESD) has been a relatively narrow one. Contributing scholars, coauthor publications mainly with each other, cite each other and draw from a shared pool of research primarily by individuals from the Global North.

Research limitations/implications

Scholars seeking to advance sustainability competency scholarship are encouraged to engage with individuals who can bring more diverse perspective on the knowledge, skills and mindsets higher education students need to master, to ensure that they can transform their communities toward a sustainable future in just ways. Integrating environmental/social justice, traditional knowledge and decolonizing perspectives from academics and sustainability leaders from minoritized groups and the Global South have the potential to result in important, new contributions.

Originality/value

Although prior scholars have examined HESD, including higher education sustainability education through bibliometric analysis, none have focused on assessing the higher education sustainability competency literature specifically. Given the influence this particular body of scholarship has already had, and will increasingly have, on preparing students for leading a just transition toward sustainability, this finding of this subfield’s limited diversity is important to highlight and address moving forward.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2024

Xiufeng Li and Zhen Zhang

This study aims to analyze and discuss the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ performance, as well as to examine the interplay between CSR and the economy…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyze and discuss the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ performance, as well as to examine the interplay between CSR and the economy, society and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper collects data from 420 manufacturing firms across various geographical regions in China. By using a structural equation model, the paper investigates the impact of CSR on enterprise innovation, customer management capability, market competitiveness (MC) and firm financial performance.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that CSR performance positively contributes to enhancing the level of enterprise innovation, as well as customer management capability and market competitiveness. Furthermore, it assists enterprises in improving market competitiveness and elevating customer management capabilities. Thus, CSR can have a positive effect on the firm financial performance.

Originality/value

The outcomes presented in this paper offer valuable evidence regarding the influence of implementing CSR on different aspects of enterprise performance and innovation. Moreover, it provides practical recommendations for enterprises seeking to transition towards low-carbon practices and upgrade their manufacturing industry.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

1 – 7 of 7