Sustainability Education in the Spanish Higher Education System: Faculty Practice, Concerns and Needs

Pere Busquets, Jordi Segalas, Antonio Gomera, Miguel Antúnez, Jorge Ruiz-Morales, Silvia Albareda-Tiana and Rafael Miñano
Additional contact information
Pere Busquets: Department of Mining, Industrial and ICT Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Jordi Segalas: Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
Antonio Gomera: Environmental Protection Service (SEPA), University of Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Miguel Antúnez: Environmental Protection Service (SEPA), University of Córdoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain
Jorge Ruiz-Morales: Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Sevilla, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
Silvia Albareda-Tiana: Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain
Rafael Miñano: Innovation and Technology for Development Center, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-UPM Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-14

Abstract: This article presents the results of the EDINSOST project in relation to the university faculty’s practice concerns and the need to embed sustainability education in the Spanish Higher Education system. Four questions were devised to determine (1) which conceptions the university faculty has about sustainability in the context of the Spanish higher education (2) what sustainability competencies the university faculty holds (3) the ways in which sustainability teaching strategies are implemented and (4) the ways in which practical coursework related to sustainability is undertaken in a Spanish university context. The methodology that was applied was comprised of a discourse analysis of faculty focus groups. To that end, a category system and a focus group implementation protocol were designed and validated, as well as processes of construct elaboration based on the analysis of the focus groups’ discourses. Among the most relevant contributions stemming from the research questions regarding the faculty’s assumptions was the evidence that the holistic conception of sustainability is not addressed in all its dimensions and the environmental dimension is overemphasised. The need for training to teach sustainability competencies and the faculty’s lack of awareness were also identified. As far as sustainability teaching strategies are concerned, project-based learning prevails, with service-learning emerging as the most effective strategy, even though its application is hindered by faculty training gaps. Finally, the absence of sustainability in teaching guides and study plans and the scarce institutional support for establishing sustainability as a strategic subject in the university were significant findings.

Keywords: sustainability; sustainable development; education for sustainable development; higher education; university faculty’ perception; focus groups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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