Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Volume 22, Issue 5, Pages 1055-1086Publisher
EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
DOI: 10.1108/IJSHE-07-2020-0247
Keywords
Climate change; Sustainable development goals; Education for sustainable development; Green economy; Business studies; Sustainability literacy
Funding
- Manchester Metropolitan University Grant: QR Global Challenges Research Fund 2018: Project: Enhancing Research on Sustainability and Resilience in marginalized communities in Latin America
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In the three Latin American higher education institutions surveyed, there is still a tendency to discuss issues related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) but concrete actions are not sufficiently advanced. Compared to the USA and Europe, the surveyed institutions have not conceptually distinguished between sustainable development, ESD and sustainability literacy (SL) in their curriculum development, showing that there is still work to be done in embedding these concepts effectively. The paper suggests strategies for moving from the current embryonic stage to a more structured provision of sustainability literacy and a stronger emphasis on ESD.
Purpose This paper aims to report on the status and the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability literacy (SL) in three Latin American (LA) higher education institutions (HEIs) business programs in Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The paper examines institutional efforts to both introduce and implement ESD curricula and provide SL. Design/methodology/approach The methods used in this paper included reviews of university Web pages and course materials. Structured interviews were also conducted with program leaders, to examine the level of ESD, as input affecting the business programs curricula of the universities concerned. Findings Initial findings suggest that, in the three HEIs surveyed, there is still a tendency to talk about issues related to ESD but actions that confirm this interest are not sufficiently advanced. The authors surveys a sample of business programs curricula and interviewed its leaders and a mixed and dated picture emerged. When compared to other regions particularly the USA and Europe, the findings show that the HEIs surveyed still have not developed enough work to distinguish conceptually between sustainable development, ESD and SL making the embedment of these concepts in the curriculum not fully developed. Originality/value In LA HEIs, the ESD message seems to be slowly taking ground, equipping HEIs to respond to SL concerns. Implementation and practice in some HEIs are still at an embryonic and conceptually confused stage with regard to LA HEIs SL. This paper sheds light to help ESD delivery. It offers some strategies for moving on from this inception phase to a more structured SL provision and ESD outlook.
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