University Teachers’ Change Readiness to Implement Education for Sustainable Development through Participation in a PBL-Based PD Program

Xiangyun Du, Aida Guerra (), Bente Nørgaard, Youmen Chaaban, Adrian Lundberg and Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf
Additional contact information
Xiangyun Du: Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO—Department of Planning & Institute for Advanced Study in PBL, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Aida Guerra: Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO—Department of Planning & Institute for Advanced Study in PBL, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Bente Nørgaard: Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO—Department of Planning & Institute for Advanced Study in PBL, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark
Youmen Chaaban: Education Research Center, College of Education, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Adrian Lundberg: Department of School Development and Leadership (SOL) and Centre for Teaching and Learning (AKL), Malmö University, 211 19 Malmö, Sweden
Niels Erik Ruan Lyngdorf: Aalborg Centre for Problem Based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the Auspices of UNESCO—Department of Planning & Institute for Advanced Study in PBL, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg East, Denmark

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: This study investigated university teachers’ perspectives on their change readiness to implement education for sustainable development (ESD) through their participation in a problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogical development (PD) program. Theoretically, the study connected a systems-thinking approach to change readiness literature and proposed a four-dimensional conceptual framework, including intrapersonal, relational, and environmental dimensions. Q methodology was adopted to collect and analyze data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Four significantly different viewpoints emerged among the 25 participants regarding what they considered most important for their change readiness towards ESD, namely (1) improvement of teaching and learning performance, (2) personal learning and conviction, (3) applying PD learning to practice, and (4) student learning engagement and professional practice. Revealing a complex and interrelated connection between the four dimensions of change readiness, these results also observed university teachers’ expression of learning gains and engagement in prospective change. Nevertheless, such change readiness was mainly within their micro teaching practice environment, with little anticipation of commitment to a wider institutional scale of change. Such restrictions on their change readiness were attributed to constrained institutional conditions and supports for long-term improvement. Results of the study suggested that it is essential to facilitate both individual awareness and efforts, as well as institutional readiness for the goal of implementing ESD in higher education (HE). In this regard, both systemic and systematic professional learning activities are recommended.

Keywords: change readiness; education for sustainable development (ESD); problem-based learning (PBL); professional learning; Denmark; Colombia; systems thinking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12079/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/19/12079/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12079-:d:923939

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().