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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 31318

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Haiying Long

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Guest Editor

Department of Educational Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
Interests: educational psychology; educational research; quantitative research methodology; DEIB issues in research; large-scale data analysis; validation and rater effects; project evaluation; creativity; motivation; achievement; STEM education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability is often defined as keeping balance between the needs of the current and future generations. Although it may be most closely associated with the environment, it exists in every aspect of the world we are living in, such as economy and society. As a crucial component of human society, education has been considered “one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development” (the United Nations, 2022). This vehicle, however, needs to be sustainable by itself to support the sustainable development of the world. There may not be a consensual definition of sustainable education; however, its importance has been generally acknowledged. Without a sustainable education, teaching may be significantly disrupted, learning progress may be stalled, motivation and self-efficacy may decrease, mental health may suffer, and the most vulnerable may be hit the hardest. Yet, despite its importance, sustainable education has been paid little attention in research and practice, and many key questions about sustainable education have seldom been examined in the literature. This Special Issue aims to address these gaps in sustainable education and relevant issues in education in a broad sense. We welcome original reviews and theoretical, empirical, and policy research articles from different disciplines (e.g., education, psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and humanities), fields (e.g., special education, STEM education, and higher education), theories (e.g., transformative theory, critical race theory, and grounded theory), perspectives (e.g., individual, group/team, and inter- and trans-disciplinary), age levels (e.g., pre-K, K-12, higher education, and adult), settings (e.g., formal, informal), cultures (e.g., Eastern, Western, and Mid-Eastern), approaches (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), and populations (e.g., students, teachers, staff, parents, underrepresented, underserved, disabled, and minority populations).

Research topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

The definitions and characteristics of sustainable education in the literature, research, and practice.
The theories and perspectives that can be used to understand sustainable education.
The research practices, approaches, and methods that can be used to study sustainable education.
Individual, environmental, and social factors, as well as their interactions that influence sustainable education.
Different theoretical perspectives and practical approaches to making education sustainable.
Individual, environmental, and social factors, as well as their interactions that make education sustainable.
Issues in education and other disciplines and fields that are related to sustainable education.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Haiying Long
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

sustainable education development

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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24 pages, 1296 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability in Universities: The Triad of Ecological Footprint, Happiness, and Academic Performance Among Brazilian and International Students

by Biagio F. Giannetti, Marcos José Alves-Pinto Junior, Maritza Chirinos-Marroquín, Luis Velazquez, Nora Munguia, Feni Agostinho, Cecília M. V. B. Almeida, Ginevra Lombardi and Gengyuan Liu

Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030950 - 24 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1615

Abstract

Universities, as hubs for educating future leaders and decision-makers, hold a crucial role in advancing sustainable development. However, the challenge of effectively integrating sustainability into university practices and student behavior remains significant. The Ecological Footprint, subjective well-being, and academic performance are three critical dimensions that, when evaluated together, offer a comprehensive view of sustainability in the educational context. This study aims to apply a university sustainability assessment model called ’Sunshine’ to university students in a diverse sample of five different countries. Additionally, the study provides a critical analysis of the relationships among the indicators of Ecological Footprint, Happiness, and Academic Performance. This application seeks to test the robustness of the model and explore lifestyle differences among students, providing valuable insights for decision-making in the context of university sustainability. Data were collected through specific questionnaires administered to a representative sample of students, and analyses were conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The results show that Brazilian, American, and Peruvian students exhibit an unsustainable lifestyle, requiring more than one planet to support their consumption habits. However, they are considered happy and perform well academically. These students were classified as environmentally distracted, highlighting a disconnect between their environmental awareness and practices. Chinese students showed a high ecological footprint, contrasting with the Italian group, which had an ecological footprint below one planet. However, both groups presented similar results, with low happiness indices and high academic performance. On the other hand, the group of Mexican students was the most sustainable, achieving acceptable levels in all three sustainability indicators. The analyses revealed that academic performance is related to happiness in some groups but not happiness in Ecological Footprint. This study significantly contributes by testing and validating the model in a multicultural and diverse sample, offering insights that can guide institutional policies to promote sustainability in the university environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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17 pages, 269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Construction and Practice of Using a Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation System for Project Maturity Based on the Sustainable Development of Entrepreneurship Among Chinese University Students

by Jianjun Zhang, Min Li, Weihui Wang and Limei Wang

Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020703 - 17 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 933

Abstract

There is a close connection between university student entrepreneurship programs and sustainable development, which are mutually reinforcing: university student entrepreneurship programs provide innovation and vitality for sustainable development, while concepts related to sustainable development can guide the development direction of university student entrepreneurship programs. College students are the driving force of innovation and entrepreneurship. In view of the problems of the failure rate of college students’ entrepreneurial projects, this article constructs a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Then, this study uses the hierarchical analysis method to clarify the comprehensive evaluation indexes affecting the maturity of college students’ entrepreneurial projects and takes a student entrepreneurial project of Qingdao University of Technology as an example. Ultimately, specific suggestions are offered to optimize the maturity of college students’ entrepreneurial projects based on the evaluation results so as to improve the probability of success of college students’ entrepreneurship. Great importance is placed on the quality of university entrepreneurship projects and the sustainability of society in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

45 pages, 7412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human-Centered Systems Thinking in Technology-Enhanced Sustainable and Inclusive Architectural Design

by Stanislav Avsec, Magdalena Jagiełło-Kowalczyk, Agnieszka Żabicka, Joanna Gil-Mastalerczyk and Agata Gawlak

Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9802; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229802 - 10 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2519

Abstract

Human-centered systems thinking (HCST) can be seen as a promising enabler of effective Industry 5.0. This study primarily examined whether architecture students consider themselves systems thinkers and how this affects their design thinking, digital competency, and engagement in sustainable and inclusive design practices. Next, this study also examined the students’ HCST profiles, their stability, and the roles of digital competency, design thinking, motivation, and risk propensity in human-centered design. Using a person-oriented approach and cluster analysis, a sample of Polish architecture students from three universities (n = 208) was classified based on their self-perceived HCST ability. Three profiles were identified, namely high, average, and low HCST. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the HCST profiles differed significantly in terms of design thinking and digital competencies, while multinomial logistic regression (MLR) analysis revealed that perceived intrinsic motivation predicted that students would be more likely to have a high HCST profile. MLR also revealed an undefined role of risk propensity in the context of HCST in inclusive and sustainable architecture design education. The findings indicate that it is essential to recognize and support students with low HCST throughout their education. It is also suggested to change the focus of architecture study programs to promote students’ systems thinking, and to encourage course designers to create novel and tailored technology-enhanced integrated human-centered design and systems thinking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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16 pages, 2076 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Green Management in the Teaching, Research, and Practice of Human Resource Management

by Chong Zhou and Zeng Zeng

Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 6878; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166878 - 10 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1581

Abstract

Characteristics of green management in saving costs and promoting sustainable development have been widely recognized but advanced green management theory has not been well integrated into the curriculum of human resource management majors. This study analyzes the challenges faced by green management practices from the perspective of teachers’ teaching and scientific research, notes the urgency of integrating green management into the teaching and research of human resource management majors, and proposes a methodology and teaching reform ideas for integrating green management theory and green management modes into the practice of human resource management majors’ courses. Comparative and case study research methods are used to analyze and demonstrate the application of green management theories and models in teaching and research in human resource management. Incorporating the green management theory and model into the teaching and research of human resource management can encourage enterprises to become “people-oriented”, value employees, pursue sustainable development, and achieve the organic unity of economic, social, and ecological benefits. Integrating green management into the teaching and research of human resource management enriches course content, promotes the effective combination of professional knowledge and application practice, and provides research methodology and theoretical support for teachers and students to conduct scientific research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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30 pages, 1508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigating the Gaps between Engineering Graduates and Quantity Surveyors of Construction Enterprises

by Ping Zhang, Shuai-Ge Ma, Ying Sun and Yue-Nan Zhao

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2984; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072984 - 3 Apr 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3905

Abstract

Meeting the future workforce demands of the construction industry is defined as one of the main paths for sustainable engineering education. Quantity surveyors play a crucial role in driving the digital transformation of the construction industry. There is a pressing need to cultivate a significant number of engineering graduates who meet market demands to bolster the workforce of quantity surveyors for accomplishing this core mission. In this context, this study examined the main gaps existing between engineering graduates and quantity surveyors in terms of personal competencies needed to successfully value projects. Through the participation of 262 individuals (165 quantity surveyors and 97 engineering graduates), using a literature review, personal interviews, and a questionnaire survey, it was possible to assess five competencies (sustainable competency, budget competency, site management competency, engineering ethics, and settlement competency), and determine significant differences between both groups. All personal competencies’ mean scores are higher for quantity surveyors than for engineering graduates. Four competencies are found to differ significantly between quantity surveyors and engineering graduates: sustainable competency, budget competency, site management competency, and settlement competency. As the conclusion derived from this study, it is recommended to introduce market-oriented mechanisms and establish a dynamic engineering talent model driven by market demand through collaborative development involving school–enterprise partnerships and the integration of expertise and creativity, aiming to foster the development of social practice competency. Particular emphasis should be placed on strengthening budget competency, site management competency, and settlement competency. The findings guide the education, training, and practice of quantity surveying to deal with emerging challenges in the dynamic market demand in China and beyond. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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21 pages, 3698 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Student-Centered Assessment Research on Holographic Learning Paradigm Based on Intelligent Analytic Hierarchy Process in Teaching of Bridge Engineering Course

by Maojun Duan, Fenghui Dong and Jiaqing Wang

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2430; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062430 - 14 Mar 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1524

Abstract

As the core course of civil engineering, the teaching quality of bridge engineering and the learning effectiveness of students are crucial for the construction of bridge engineering. The traditional teaching of bridge engineering courses tends to be teacher-centered, with learning as a supplement, and therefore is commonly referred to as teacher-centered. This article analyzes the drawbacks of the teacher-centered teaching model and proposes a student-centered holographic teaching method in the teaching practice of bridge engineering courses. By reconstructing the learning content and constructing a holographic information field from a comprehensive perspective of digital, physical, and humanistic aspects, a teacher–student learning community guided by teachers and deeply participated in by students is established. From the perspective of integrating life experience, professional knowledge cognition, and engineering philosophy thinking, the learning effect of students is made high order, innovative, and challenging. The improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to evaluate the student-centered holographic teaching concept, and the results showed that adopting a multidimensional and multi-level holographic teaching method has great practical significance in promoting the establishment of student knowledge systems and the development of diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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25 pages, 682 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying the Prosocial Orientations That Influence Choice of University Studies in the Social Field for Sustainable Educational Integration

by Gheorghița Nistor, Mirela Anghel and Mihaela Popa

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041462 - 8 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1666

Abstract

For sustainable educational integration, universities are tasked with the aim of educating specialists who are chosen based on particular criteria in order to promote sustainable development. In the domain of social work, it is crucial to take into account young individuals who express a desire to pursue studies in this field and who have prosocial orientations and tendencies. This research was based on the application of a Prosocial Orientation Questionnaire on a group of 238 students (M—2.4 years, 89.5% female) using questions with a purpose, but also a scale for measuring prosocial tendencies (PTM). The findings regarding the prosocial guidelines highlighted the role of the family in the multidimensional development of prosocial behaviour (PSB), but also the involvement in voluntary activities. The results revealed a high association with the six scales of PTM, with higher values being obtained for three dimensions (Compliant, Dire, Emotional) that show a stronger development. Assessing prosocial orientations and tendencies can help select a career and pursue university courses in the social field. The use of these instruments provides evidence of the effectiveness of PTM in assessing prosocial tendencies and supports the idea that PSB is multidimensional. This is demonstrated by the correlations observed in young individuals pursuing a social career. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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31 pages, 5678 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transition in Architecture Education? Exploring Socio-Technical Factors of Curricular Changes for a Sustainable Built Environment

by Fabian Kastner and Silke Langenberg

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15949; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215949 - 15 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2424

Abstract

Curricular changes in architecture can support to meet the increased demand for sustainability in higher education (HE). Identifying their associated factors is necessary to understand ongoing and future transitions in architecture education. Transition management (TM) frameworks have been frequently used to analyze structural changes in various institutions but have received little attention in architecture education. This study explores the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) as a case study, focusing on its architecture curricula within 32 years from 1990 to 2022, corresponding to multiple generations of academic careers. A multiple-level perspective (MLP) document analysis on curricular changes is conducted in three steps, drawing on a specific perspective on sustainability in architecture. First, generic characteristics that may influence curricular changes are identified from the literature. Second, shifts in the undergraduate curriculum of ETH Zurich are systematically mapped. Third, a classification of implemented curricular shifts results in seven nuanced variations in generic factors. These socio-technical factors involve the development and dissemination of new disciplinary (1) and interdisciplinary (2) approaches to a sustainable built environment (SBE), a relocation of the viewpoint on sustainability from physiology/hygiene to building physics (3), experimentation with inquiry-based learning in niches (4), extended spheres of influence in teaching (5), early committed intra-faculty opinion leaders (6), and the formation of educational networks (7). The proposed approach based on longitudinal curriculum mapping offers a way to locate structural curricular changes, identify hidden educational trends, and inform institutional changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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20 pages, 2905 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Bibliometric Review of Education for Sustainable Development, 1992–2022

by Chuang Yang and Qi Xiu

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10823; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410823 - 10 Jul 2023

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4689

Abstract

The United Nations promulgated Agenda 21 in 1992, thereby recognizing education as the pathway to a more sustainable future. The launch of education for sustainable development (ESD) activities and the growing number of related studies have created an urgent need for a thorough and comprehensive review of the field. Based on 2779 publications from the related literature in the SSCI index from 1992 to 2022, this study outlines the growth characteristics, research areas, and research methods, and conducts a statistical analysis of the contributing forces of countries, institutions, and authors to demonstrate that the literature is mainly generated in developed countries. Meanwhile, this study identifies ten core journals and finds that highly productive institutions are characterized by close relationships and long-term in-depth research and collaboration with authors. Finally, a combination of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) theme models, manual coding, and pyLDAvis visualization tools identified five research themes, including foundations of ESD research, environmental education, higher education for sustainable development, sustainable development capacity, and educational technology innovation. The intellectual structure of research in this emerging interdisciplinary field is revealed, and this study provides a reference for scholars in this discipline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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16 pages, 323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Critical Environmental Education in Latin America from a Socio-Environmental Perspective: Identity, Territory, and Social Innovation

by Rodrigo Florencio da Silva, Alma Delia Torres-Rivera, Vilmar Alves Pereira, Luciano Regis Cardoso and Melgris José Becerra

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129410 - 12 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3287

Abstract

The objective of this study was to contemplate the role of critical environmental education in Latin America from a socio-environmental perspective and explore how environmental problems associated with justice in territories and communities face the dynamics of the complexity of the effects of climate change. They modify the economic and social dynamics that little by little strip communities of their identity and deepen inequality. Selection and recovery of the articles in the bibliographic review, published between 2018 and 2022, used to determine the state of the question were carried out with the search chain integrated by the following keywords: critical environmental education, territory, and social innovation, which make up an analysis carried out using hermeneutic phenomenology from a socio-environmental perspective. The main finding is that critical environmental education in Latin America reveals historical distortions, forms of colonization, and modes of production associated with the exploitation of nature that deepen extreme poverty. On the other hand, the region’s contradictions contribute to understanding the territory and identifying processes of social innovation that favor community life, recognizing new ways of being and living together in Latin America, whose cultural dimension and belonging follow the logic governed by the principles of binomial biodiversity and economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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22 pages, 793 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) into Indigenous Education for Sustainability: The Development and Implementation of a Curriculum Based on Disaster Prevention for Young Children

by Ming-Kuo Chen and Chung-Chin Wu

Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9186; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219186 - 23 Oct 2024

Viewed by 2611

Abstract

There are differences between Western mainstream culture and traditional Indigenous culture in the way they address sustainable development. The spirit of sustainability has been emphasized and practiced by Indigenous cultures for hundreds or even thousands of years, but it is increasingly disappearing over time due to the threat of natural disasters. It is necessary to recover this practice of sustainable development from its roots in traditional Indigenous knowledge. This study considers the possibility and utility of incorporating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into Indigenous education for sustainability, a topic that has not been addressed by other studies. Based on a literature review, the proposed framework and content for this study focus on Indigenous disaster prevention. The specific topic was chosen to be most relevant to young Indigenous children. STEM indicators from the US next-generation science standards (NGSS) were referenced to create the proposed STEM teaching objectives, which were designed to be specifically appropriate for Indigenous curricula and teaching activities. Additionally, the cultural curriculum model was adopted to reform the Indigenous curriculum and teaching model by utilizing the transformation and social action approaches. Finally, the five-stage learning cycle was used as the framework to implement the curriculum, intertwined with the principles of the spiral curriculum, to co-construct an instructional example of Indigenous education for sustainability for future reference. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Education: Theories, Practices and Approaches)

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