Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys
This research examines the connection between higher education curricula for sustainable development and student development of key competencies for sustainability. The authors conducted a comparative case study that followed ten students from three graduate sustainability programs. Through a combin...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2022.2097773 |
| _version_ | 1811216470970990592 |
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| author | Jodie Birdman Matthias Barth Daniel Lang |
| author_facet | Jodie Birdman Matthias Barth Daniel Lang |
| author_sort | Jodie Birdman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This research examines the connection between higher education curricula for sustainable development and student development of key competencies for sustainability. The authors conducted a comparative case study that followed ten students from three graduate sustainability programs. Through a combination of student-generated and contextual data, we created a set of learning journeys. These journeys showed that activities which foster reflection, interaction, and real-world connections are especially critical for competence development as part of the whole curriculum. What and how students found most useful depended on individual disposition and we identified four general categories based on prior experience, attitude to learning, and individual goals. Barriers to competency development were frustration, feelings of helplessness, and being unable to link competence to concrete activities or concepts. These barriers could be mitigated through peer interaction and mentorship, environmental support such as spaces for collaboration, and instructor scaffolding. Because no single course can fit the needs of each student, we recommend that beneficial components in the form of courses that support the above-mentioned activities be part of purposeful curriculum design. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:39:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d70f3d2b083041d294d2d097f7c22360 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1548-7733 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:39:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d70f3d2b083041d294d2d097f7c223602022-12-22T03:43:47ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy1548-77332022-12-0118156057510.1080/15487733.2022.2097773Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeysJodie Birdman0Matthias Barth1Daniel Lang2Institute for Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, GermanyInstitute for Sustainable Development and Learning, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, GermanyInstitute for Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, GermanyThis research examines the connection between higher education curricula for sustainable development and student development of key competencies for sustainability. The authors conducted a comparative case study that followed ten students from three graduate sustainability programs. Through a combination of student-generated and contextual data, we created a set of learning journeys. These journeys showed that activities which foster reflection, interaction, and real-world connections are especially critical for competence development as part of the whole curriculum. What and how students found most useful depended on individual disposition and we identified four general categories based on prior experience, attitude to learning, and individual goals. Barriers to competency development were frustration, feelings of helplessness, and being unable to link competence to concrete activities or concepts. These barriers could be mitigated through peer interaction and mentorship, environmental support such as spaces for collaboration, and instructor scaffolding. Because no single course can fit the needs of each student, we recommend that beneficial components in the form of courses that support the above-mentioned activities be part of purposeful curriculum design.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2022.2097773Higher educationsustainability educationeducation for sustainable developmentcompetence developmentcurriculum |
| spellingShingle | Jodie Birdman Matthias Barth Daniel Lang Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy Higher education sustainability education education for sustainable development competence development curriculum |
| title | Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| title_full | Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| title_fullStr | Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| title_full_unstemmed | Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| title_short | Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| title_sort | connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys |
| topic | Higher education sustainability education education for sustainable development competence development curriculum |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2022.2097773 |
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