Enhancing Sustainability Awareness Among Business Students: Insights from University Professors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24265/liberabit.2023.v29n2.695Keywords:
sustainability, teaching methods, professors perceptions, education for sustainable development (ESD), sustainability actitudesAbstract
Background: Higher education, especially in business, stands out as a crucial means to promote professional action focused on sustainability, emphasizing the need for innovative pedagogical approaches and teaching strategies. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of business university professors concerning the most effective teaching and learning methodologies for fostering sustainability awareness
among their students. Method: This exploratory qualitative study, employs convenience sampling to select and interview 19 outstanding professors from a private accredited university in Lima, Peru. Results: The professors emphasize the importance of a cross-cutting and ongoing integration of sustainability-related content into the curriculum. Additionally, they place value on the utilization of experiential learning methodologies and the cultivation of dialogue and reflexivity regarding the future roles of their students as organizational leaders who champion more conscientious and sustainable modes of production. Conclusions: sustainability education in business careers makes sense to the extent that the behavior adopted by future business leaders will depend on the success in the implementation of more conscious and sustainable modes of production. However, for this training to be effective, adaptations are needed in the design of curricula and in the traditional way of conducting the teachinglearning processes in the classroom, migrating from teachercentered approaches to student-centered methodological approaches.
Downloads
References
Aktas, C. (2015). Reflections on interdisciplinary sustainability research with undergraduate students. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16(3),354-366. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-11-2013-0153
Andrási, G., Körtvési, D., & Szegedi, K. (2022). Developing Ethical Future Managers Embracing Sustainability: Case Study of Budapest Business School. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies, 17(8), 1-19. http://doi.org/10.4018/IJWLTT.300786
André, R. (2020). Teaching Climate Leadership: Promoting Integrative Learning in Courses on Strong Sustainability. Journal of Management Education, 44(6), 766–793. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920941547
Aragon-Correa, J., Marcus, A., Rivera, J., & Kenworthy, A. (2017). Sustainability Management Teaching Resourcesand the Challenge of Balancing Planet, People, and Profits. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 16(3), 469-483.https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2017.0180
Berchin, I., Aguiar Dutra, A., & Guerra, J. (2021). How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2219
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rindskopf, & K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, 2, 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004
Brunstein, J., Walvoord, M., & Cunliff, E. (2021). Problem-posing in management classrooms for collective sustainability transformation. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22(3), 477-496. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-05-2020-0141
Burns, H. (2018). Thematic Analysis: Transformative Sustainability Education. Journal of Transformative Education, 16(4), 277–279. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344618796996
Chandler, J. & Teckchandani, A. (2015). Using social constructivist pedagogy to implement liberal learning in business education. Innovative Education Decision Science Journal, 3(3), 327-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12073
Cottafava, D., Cavaglià, G., & Corazza, L. (2019). Education of sustainable development goals through students’ active engagement. 10(3),521-544. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-05-2018-0152
Dyck, B., & Caza, A. (2022). Teaching multiple approaches to management to facilitate prosocial and environmental well-being. Management Learning, 53(1), 98–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/13505076211045498
Easter, S., Ceulemans, K., & Lynn, M. (2022). Moving Beyond Sisyphus: Pursuing Sustainable Development in a Business-as-Usual World. Business & Society, 61(4), 924–963. https://doi.org/10.1177/00076503211015914
Fini, E., Awadallah, F., Parast, M., & Abu-Lebdeh, T. (2018). The impact of project based learning on improving student learning outcomes of sustainability concepts in transportation engineering courses. European Journal of Engineering Education, 43(3),473-488. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2017.1393045
Fisher, P. & McAdams, E. (2015). Gaps in sustainability education: The impact of higher education coursework on perceptions of sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16(4),407-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2013-0106
Fullan, M. (2016). The elusive nature of whole system improvement in education. J Educ Change,17, 539–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-016-9289-1
Gal, A., & Gan, D. (2020). Transformative Sustainability Education in Higher Education: Activating Environmental Understanding and Active Citizenship Among Professional Studies Learners. Journal of Transformative Education, 18(4), 271–292. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541344620932310
Gordon, S. & Thomas, I. (2018). The learning sticks: reflections on a sustainability role play case study. Research in Environmental Education., 24(2),172-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2016.1190959
Gupta, H., & Singhal, N. (2017). Framework for Embedding Sustainability in Business Schools: A Review. Vision, 21(2), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262917700993
Hedden, M., Worthy, R., Akins, E., Slinger-Friedman, V., & Paul, R. (2017). Teaching sustainability using a constructivist approach to active learning: discipline-specific case studies in higher education. Sustainability, 9(8),1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9081320
Hursh, D., Henderson, J., & Greenwood, D. (2015). Environmental education in a neoliberal climate. Environmental Education Research, 21(3), 299-318. https://doi.org/0.1080/13504622.2015.1018141
Kelley, S. & Nahser, R. (2014). Development of sustainable strategies: fundamentals, method and pedagogy. Business ethics magazine, 123(4),631-644. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-2014-6
Mcmillin, J. & Dyball, R. (2009). Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking Curriculum, Research and Sustainable Campus Operations. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 3(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/097340820900300113
Menón, S. & Suresh, M. (2020). Synergizing education, research, campus operations, and community engagements towards sustainability in higher education: a literature review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(5),1015-1051. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2020-0089
Mercer, T., Kythreotis, A., Robinson, Z., Stolte, T., George, S., & Haywood, S. (2017). The use of educational game design and play in higher education to influence sustainable behaviour. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(3), 359-384. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2015-0064
Montiel, I., Antolin-Lopez, R., & Gallo, P. (2018). Emotions and Sustainability: A Framework Literary Genre for Environmental Sustainability Management Education. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 17(2), 155-183. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2016.0042
Mostafavi, A., Huff, J., Abraham, D., Oakes, W., & Zoltowski, C. (2013). Integration, learning and professional practice service: towards the vision of civil engineering in 2025. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 142(3). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000179
Pistrang, N., & Barker, C. (2012). Varieties of qualitative research: A pragmatic approach to selecting methods. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rindskopf, & K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, 2, 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-001
Posch, A. & Steiner, G. (2006). Integration of research and teaching in innovation for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 7(3), 276-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370610677847
Qureshi, S. (2020). Learning by sustainable living to improve sustainability literacy. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(1),161-178. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2019-0001
Redman, E., Wiek, A., & Redman, A. (2018). Continuing Professional Development in Sustainability Education for K-12 Teachers: Principles, Programme, Applications, Outlook. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 12(1), 59–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/2455133318777182
Remington-Doucette, S. & Musgrove, S. (2015). Variation in sustainability competency development according to age, gender, and disciplinary affiliation: Implications for teaching practice and overall program structure. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16(4), 537-575. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2013-0005
Restrepo, M., Blanco-Portela, N., Ladino-Ospina, Y., Sigua, R., & Vargas, K. (2017). Professional development of university teachers in ESD: a study from the pedagogical styles. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2016-0031
Roth, S., Schneckenberg, D., & Tsai, C. (2015). The ludic impulse as a driver of innovation: introduction to the gamification of innovation. Creativity and Innovation Management, 24(2), 300-306. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12124
Rountree, M. & Koernig, S. (2015). Values-Based Education for Sustainability Marketers Two Approaches to Improving Students Social Awareness. Marketing Education Magazine, 37(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 0273475314559513
Shrivastava, P. (2010). Pedagogy of Passion for Sustainability. AMLE, 9, 443–455, https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.9.3.zqr443
Singhal, N., Gupta, H., & Mittal, G. (2018). Importance-performance Analysis to Identify Effective Learning Approaches for Sustainability in an Indian Business. School. Vision, 22(3), 276–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262918785963
Soomro, B., Ghumro, I., & Shah, N. (2019). Green entrepreneurship inclination among the younger generation: An avenue towards a green economy. Sustainable Development, 28 (4),585-594. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2010
Soyer, M., McCrackin, G., Ziyanak, S., Givens, J., Jump, V., & Schad, J. (2022). Leaving the Lectures Behind: Using Community-Engaged Learning in Research Methods Classes to Teach about Sustainability. Teaching Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X221114688
Sroufe, R. (2020). Business Schools as Living Labs: Advancing Sustainability in Management Education. Journal of Management Education, 44(6), 726–765. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920951590
Tarrant, S. & Thiele, L. (2016). Practice makes pedagogy and skills-based sustainability education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 17(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2014-0127
Tognazzo, A., Gianecchini, M., & Gubitta, P. (2017). Educational context and entrepreneurial intentions of university students: an Italian study. Education for Entrepreneurship: New Perspectives in Education for Entrepreneurship,7, 47–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2040-724620170000007008
Vera Ruiz, A., Espinosa, A., & Prialé Valle, M. A (2021). Valores y Personalidad como Predictores del Aprecio por las Prácticas Sostenibles en Emprendedores Sociales y Comerciales de Lima-Perú. Psykhe, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.7764/psykhe.2019.22333
Viegas, C., Bond, A., Vaz, C., Borchardt, M., Pereira, G., Selig, P., & Varvakis, G. (2016). Critical attributes of Sustainability in Higher Education: a categorisation from literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 126, 260-276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.02.106
Wade, B. & Piccinini, T. (2020). Teaching Scenario Planning in Sustainability Courses: The Creative Play Method. Journal of Management Education, 44(6), 699–725. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920958136
Wall, T., Hindley, A., Hunt, T., Peach, J., Preston, M., Hartley, C., & Fairbank, A. (2017), Work-based learning as a catalyst for sustainability: a review and perspectives, Higher Education. Skills and Work Based Learning, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-02-2017-0014
Wang, C., Zhang, X., & Yao, M. (2018). Improving the transfer of learning of Chinese university students through service-learning. Studies in Higher Education, 44(8), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2018.1435635
Warwick, P. (2016). An integrated leadership model for leading education for sustainability in higher education and the vital role of students as change agents. Management in Education, 30(3), 105–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020616653463
Weinberg, A., Trott, C., & Wakefield, W. (2020). Looking inward, outward, and forward: Exploring the process of transformative learning in teacher education for a sustainable future. Sustain Sci, 15, 1767–1787.https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00831-9
Wiek, A., Xiong, A., Brundiers, K., & Van der Leeuw, S. (2014). Integrating problem-and project-based learning into sustainability programs: a case study on the sustainability school at Arizona State University. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education,15(4), 431-449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2013-0013
Wood, E., Cornforth, S., Beals, F., Taylor, M., & Tallon, R. (2016). Champions of sustainability? Academic Identities and Sustainability Curricula in Higher Education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education,17(3), 342–360. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-12-2014-0171.
Wynveen, B. (2017). Improving Sustainable Living Education through the Use of Formative Experiments. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 11(1), 14–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0973408217696532
Yuan, X. & Zuo, J. (2013). A critical assessment of the higher education for sustainable development from students perspectives. Clean. Prod., 48, 108-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.10.041
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright: In the event that the manuscript is approved for future publication, the authors retain the copyright and assign to the journal the rights to publish, edit, reproduce, distribute, exhibit, and communicate nationally and internationally in the various databases, repositories and portals.
Self-archiving policy: The author can share, disseminate, and publicize his research published by the media (e.g., academic social networks, repositories, and portals) available on the web. During the editorial review process, the journal will provide the author with the previous versions (post-print) which should NOT be disclosed by any media, only for personal use and for final approval. Liberabit will send the author the final version of the article (published version) in PDF and HTML to be shared, disseminated and disclosed by the media available on the web. After the publication of the articles, the authors can make other independent or additional agreements for the non-exclusive dissemination of the version of the article published in this journal (publication in books or institutional repositories), provided that it is indicated with the respective reference that the work has been published for the first time in this journal.