Reading Harry Potter: A Journey into Students’ Understanding of Sustainable Development Goals

Mehmet Galip Zorba (), Derya Şahhüseyinoğlu and Arda Arikan
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Mehmet Galip Zorba: Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Akdeniz University, Konyaaalti, 07058 Antalya, Türkiye
Derya Şahhüseyinoğlu: Children’s Research Center, Via Tower Trade Center, No: 7, Yenimahalle, 06560 Ankara, Türkiye
Arda Arikan: Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, Akdeniz University, Konyaaalti, 07058 Antalya, Türkiye

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 11, 1-22

Abstract: Implementing education for sustainable development (SD) into higher education requires curricular changes, embodying various constraints. Therefore, exploring students’ understanding of sustainable development goals (SDGs) is part of the initial steps. In doing this, students’ reflections on literary works can yield valuable insights and guide what and how to teach for effective ESD practices. This study investigated university students’ understanding of SDGs through their reflections on a literary work. A mixed-methods research design was employed, collecting data from senior English literature students at a Turkish state university. Qualitative data were collected through an open-ended survey and students’ term papers, while quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire. The survey and term papers showed divergent results regarding students’ understanding of SDGs. Although the survey indicated a restricted understanding, the term papers showed a more nuanced understanding. The quantitative findings also suggested that students had a systems perspective related to SDGs. Moreover, the term paper findings showed that students focused primarily on characters and settings while clarifying and elaborating their associations. Literary texts can be valuable tools to gain more insights into students’ understanding of SDGs, as they provide explicit and implicit instances in which essential plot elements construct rich and meaningful contexts.

Keywords: literary text; Harry Potter; higher education; education for sustainable development; English as an academic language; fantasy literature; sustainable development goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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