Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Perception and Challenges

Ider om h llbarhet V r tid att skapa milj historia, men vilken h llbarhet t nker vi sj lva lyfta fram? {

Frelsningens upplgg & syfte Att ha ett reflekterande och aktivt tillf lle d r det finns m jlighet f r fria reflektioner kring id er om h llbarhet. Vi kommer anv nda oss av min master uppsats I h llbar utveckling och skifta mellan utvalda sektioner somgrund f r diskussion. Challenges teaching Sustainable Development in higher education: A qualitative case study on how university teachers in Uppsala perceive the sustainable development concept.

Sustainable Development (SD)? What do we know about this concept? What do we know about this concept? The commonly quoted Brundtland definition: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCED, 1987, p. 8) Over 300 interpretations Unique worldwide goal Should be promoted through law in many countries Many perceive it as an abstract and contradictory concept

The role of university teachers Fishbein & Ajzen (1975) suggests that attitudes and perceptions towards, for example, a concept can be seen as the proximate cause of behavior related to that concept Hence, one may reason on the meaningfulness of delving further into how the SD concept is used, understood and communicated within the education system As the educators of future workers within the SD field, university teachers arguably play a key role as their perception of the concept will influence how it will be used and perceived by future generations

Aim and research questions Research aim: Research aim: To examine the perception of university teachers teaching about SD, in order to analyze and determine how they perceive and make use of the SD concept in their teaching. Research questions: Research questions: How do university teachers understand and perceive the sustainable development concept, how can their relation with the concept be described? In what way is the sustainable development concept internalized into their teaching and what are the challenges and opportunities the teachers face in this process?

Background Historical background of the SD concept Historical background of the SD concept a literature review a literature review Positioning the study to previous research while also providing context and understanding of how the SD concept has developed and branched into numerous perspectives A selection of interpretations, philosophies and schools of thoughts were covered such as: Limits to growth school versus the Eco-feminism Eco-theology economists/technocrat optimists Weak- and strong Environmental economics sustainability Deep ecology Eco-socialism

Different viewpoints of sustainability Hur ser ni p dessa olika s tt att uppskatta h llbarhet? Vilken ligger er n rmast och varf r? Ser ni kopplingar mellan dessa uteg ngspunkter och de historiska processer vi behandlat I kursen?

Rollspel: Frsvara det andra tankes ttet Fundera 3-4 min ver hur du skulle lyfta upp varf r det andra tankes ttet r det b sta n r det kommer till allt arbete f r h llbarhet. Skriv ner dina argument om du vill.

Methods and methodology Literature review Teachers at Uppsala University and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Phenomenological and abductive approach Semi-structured interviews Inductive thematic analysis

Participants of the study Hans Liljenstr m Peter Aspengren Per Berg Peter S derbaum Margarita Cuadra Christi n Alarcon Ferrari Daniel Mossberg Nadarajah Sriskandarajha

Results: Inductive thematic analysis 3 main themes, each with 2 subthemes were generated 1. How 1. How the teachers experience and the teachers experience and navigate navigate the SD the SD concept concept Subtheme 1: Subtheme 1: Critical attitude towards SD - the consequences of its abstract and contradictory nature Another problem with the concept is that it can be interpreted in so many ways that it touches upon a state of uselessness P.B. Subtheme 2: Subtheme 2: Optimistic attitude towards SD, highlighting strengths and various approaches to achieve SD We should not look upon ourselves as separated from nature but rather as a we should try to find a harmonic balance between our specific interests and the interests, if I may so say, that nature can hold. H.L.

2. To teach SD, obstacles and opportunities in and outside of the classroom Subtheme 1: Subtheme 1: Difficulties and potentials in the relation between student and teacher I, as a natural scientist, have to talk to students mainly from a social science way of thinking. It becomes difficult to find the appropriate level in this case while at the same time I do not want the content to be too simple for the students from natural sciences H.L. Subtheme 2: Subtheme 2: Challenges in planning and structuring meaningful, pedagogical and effective education for SD No, of course not because syllabuses are a part of programs and one of the main problems in master education in Sweden is that sometimes you just have different courses within a master program but the rationale of those courses together is missing I would sometimes to describe this say a very bad pyttipanna. C.A.F.

3. Critique of societal structures and the misuse of SD in society and by colleagues Subtheme 1: Subtheme 1: Disagreements, misuse, and conflicts concerning the SD concept within universities there is the feeling of: Alright, now that is over with and now we do not need to think sustainably any more. Then there are programs geared this way where this way of thinking is the norm. P.A. Subtheme 2: Subtheme 2: Solutions and alternative values to combat power-games and unsustainable exploitation of SD I think there is so much of a tendency to return to conceptual frameworks which is largely dominating, for example neoclassical economics but more and more is happening in terms of questioning that theoretical perspective but we have a long road to go still and I think education has a key role. P.S.

Discussion Ideological pull between participants way of perceiving SD towards the Limits to growth school, Deep ecology, Eco- socialism and Strong sustainability Various norms of reluctance and conflicts regarding the SD concept was identified among other teachers and researchers Difficulties of improving syllabuses and curriculums to improve pedagogical planning for teaching SD