Assessing the impacts of sustainability teaching at higher education institutions

Leal Filho, Walter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1241-5225, Viera Trevisan, Laís ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3673-6573, Sivapalan, Subarna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6318-5637, Mazhar, Muhammad ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2749-6408, Kounani, Aristea ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9976-4291, Mbah, Marcellus Forh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4199-0819, Abubakar, Ismaila Rimi ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7994-2302, Matandirotya, Newton R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4447-1827, Pimenta Dinis, Maria Alzira ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2198-6740, Borsari, Bruno ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9463-333X and Abzug, Rikki ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1824-0099 (2025) Assessing the impacts of sustainability teaching at higher education institutions. Discover Sustainability, 6 (1). 227. ISSN 2662-9984

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Abstract

The necessity of sustainability teaching (ST) has recently become increasingly crucial due to several interrelated factors. The world faces significant environmental challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion. ST equips students with the knowledge and tools to address these issues and work towards a more sustainable future. ST helps students understand these complex challenges and fosters holistic problem-solving skills. ST at higher education institutions (HEIs) can take place in various modalities, including lectures, hands-on projects, field trips, simulations, and collaborative learning to enhance knowledge and develop competencies. The impact of ST at HEIs may be measured through multiple avenues, such as student surveys, interviews with faculty, and research studies on the effectiveness of sustainability courses. This paper reports on a study that assessed the current impact of ST at HEIs. The data collection used a multi-methods approach, which included a bibliometric analysis, the assessment of a set of case studies, and an international survey conducted with teaching staff from HEIs in 38 countries. The evidence supporting ST is presented and discussed, indicating how current teaching programmes are being delivered and their degree of success. The results show that the literature on ST has evolved substantially over the past years and covers a wide range of areas, as demonstrated by the various clusters. The case studies, in turn, show multiple real-world examples of how HEIs across diverse geographic regions have implemented ST practices and their implications. The paper's novelty lies in its approach to evaluating sustainability education's effectiveness and broader impacts on HEIs. It offers a unique approach by integrating assessments across multiple disciplines, showing how ST impacts students´ education. Also, the study tracks the impacts of the sustainability literature, providing insights into how sustainability education shapes students' professional prospects. Finally, the paper shows the status of sustainability education across different HEIs and countries, offering a broader perspective on how it is implemented into practice. The study concludes by suggesting measures that may maximise the impact of sustainability courses in HEIs curricula and, among other things, the overall campus culture toward sustainable development.