Professionalization of Academic Teaching in Latin American Universities to Address SDGs Applying the Stages of Concern Theory

Vassilios Makrakis (), Nelly Kostoulas-Makrakis, Alexander Siegmund, Delfina María Martelletti, Alejandro Álvarez-Vanegas, Mateo Alfredo Castillo Ceja, Miguel Gonzalez, Carolina Carrillo Artavia, Nadiarid Jiménez-Elizondo, David Eduardo Velázquez Muñoz, Alicia Jimenez-Elizondo and Nikolaos Larios
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Vassilios Makrakis: School of Education and Social Sciences, Frederick University, Y. Frederickou 7, Nicosia 1036, Cyprus
Nelly Kostoulas-Makrakis: Department of Primary Education, Faculty of Education, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymnon, Greece
Alexander Siegmund: Institute of Geography & Geo-Communication, Heidelberg University of Education, Czernyring 22/10-12, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
Delfina María Martelletti: Escuela de Educación, Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires C1010AAZ, Argentina
Alejandro Álvarez-Vanegas: Area of Natural Systems and Sustainability, Universidad EAFIT, Carrera 49, No 7, sur-50, Medellín 050022, Colombia
Mateo Alfredo Castillo Ceja: Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceautical Biology, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo, Avenida Francisco J. Múgica S/N Ciudad Universitaria, Morelia C.P. 58030, Michoacán, Mexico
Miguel Gonzalez: Humanistic Studies Area, Universidad Técnica Nacional, Alajuela 20101, Costa Rica
Carolina Carrillo Artavia: Faculty of Education, Universidad Nacional (UNA), Heredia 40100, Costa Rica
Nadiarid Jiménez-Elizondo: Escuela de Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), San José 11501, Costa Rica
David Eduardo Velázquez Muñoz: Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Tollocan esq Jesús Carranza, s/n Col. Universidad, Toluca C.P. 50130, Mexico, Mexico
Alicia Jimenez-Elizondo: Earth Charter International, University for Peace, Campus, San José 10701, Costa Rica
Nikolaos Larios: RCE Crete (Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development), Androutsou 8, 16673 Voula Attica, Greece

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-24

Abstract: In the face of escalating sustainability challenges globally, such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and injustices, the need for a systematic approach to tackle them through the infusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education has become increasingly critical. This article explores the crucial issue of professionalizing academic teaching, emphasizing the readiness of academic teachers to cope with sustainability and SDGs in higher education. Using the Stages of Concern Theory and the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to professionalize academic teaching to address SDGs in teaching, learning, and the curriculum, a sample of 1566 academic teachers in nine Latin American universities responded to the survey. This study aimed to answer two key questions, as follows: (1) How do the years of teaching experience affect academic staff’s stages of concern? (2) How do different academic teaching areas influence the academic staff’s stages of concern? The trend reveals that faculty members with fewer than four years of service scored higher than those with twenty or more years. Similarly, academic teaching staff from the Education Sciences have a significantly higher mean score and effect size than faculty members from the Humanities, Engineering, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Health Sciences across all stages of concern. However, despite these differences, professional development initiatives should be designed to match all teaching staff regardless of years of service and subject area by encouraging teamwork and increasing understanding of the critical importance of transformative teaching and learning.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; teaching; curriculum; professionalization; academic disciplines; Latin America; years of academic teaching service (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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