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K. Emblen-Perry
3 Education for Sustainability
The main role of EfS within HE is to transform students by enhancing their
knowledge and skills (Harvey 2000) and promoting effective learning outcomes
of values, attitudes and behaviours (Shephard 2007) to empower them to assume
responsibility for creating a sustainable future (UNESCO 2002). Universities’
most constructive contribution to achieving this sustainable future is to provide
innovative approaches to EfS in which students are equipped with appropriate
knowledge and skills (Rieckmann 2011; Chalkley 2006) and engage with business to solve real-life problems for both businesses and society (Molthan-Hill
2014).
The demand for graduates with knowledge of both sustainability and business
that grew up a decade ago is continuing to grow (Stubbs 2011) such that students
and graduate employers now expect academics to promote employment skills within
learning, teaching and assessment (Pegg et al. 2012). Despite this, a sustainability
skills gap still exists and in many cases sustainability knowledge of the graduates
does not meet business needs (Laurinkari and Tarvainen 2017).
To promote sustainability and business skills to prepare students for the workplace
and ensure they gain appropriate knowledge and skills to produce sustainable futures,
HE is undergoing transformation in sustainability teaching. This, coupled with the
marketised culture of 21st Century HE, is reshaping EfS and demanding educators
introduce innovative practices into LTA (HEFCE 2013; Higher Education Academy
2015).
In this marketised environment of HE, EfS can be seen to have three main actors:
students, educators and employers. These actors have individual expectations of outcomes: Students expect good grades and employment skills delivered through participatory learner interactions (Conole and Alevizou 2010) rather than traditional
instructivist approaches such as slide based lectures; Educators hope for student
engagement, sustainability literacy and values for advocacy; Employers demand
employment-ready graduates who possess appropriate sustainability knowledge and
employment skills (Drayson 2014). An element of overlap can be seen between students’ and employers’ expectations of employment skills and educators’ and employers’ hope for sustainability knowledge which HE are expected to deliver. In addition,
although not a main consumer of HE, the Government’s strategic hopes and expectations to increase the skills base of the UK and enhance the employability of graduates
(Harvey 2000) also directly influence the three main consumers’ behaviours.
These actors’ expectations, hopes and demands have arisen in the marketised
culture of HE so that a complex EfS learning environment has emerged requiring
different approaches to deliver academic content and help students acquire skills
required for the 21st Century workplace such as collaboration, critical thinking and
communication (Buck Institute for Education 2017). Business Management education must therefore prepare students to respond to the environmental, social and
ethical dilemmas that increasingly confront organisations (Navarro 2008) in a way
that is relevant and in contexts they find meaningful (Crossthwaite et al. 2006).
K. Emblen-Perry
3 Education for Sustainability
The main role of EfS within HE is to transform students by enhancing their
knowledge and skills (Harvey 2000) and promoting effective learning outcomes
of values, attitudes and behaviours (Shephard 2007) to empower them to assume
responsibility for creating a sustainable future (UNESCO 2002). Universities’
most constructive contribution to achieving this sustainable future is to provide
innovative approaches to EfS in which students are equipped with appropriate
knowledge and skills (Rieckmann 2011; Chalkley 2006) and engage with business to solve real-life problems for both businesses and society (Molthan-Hill
2014).
The demand for graduates with knowledge of both sustainability and business
that grew up a decade ago is continuing to grow (Stubbs 2011) such that students
and graduate employers now expect academics to promote employment skills within
learning, teaching and assessment (Pegg et al. 2012). Despite this, a sustainability
skills gap still exists and in many cases sustainability knowledge of the graduates
does not meet business needs (Laurinkari and Tarvainen 2017).
To promote sustainability and business skills to prepare students for the workplace
and ensure they gain appropriate knowledge and skills to produce sustainable futures,
HE is undergoing transformation in sustainability teaching. This, coupled with the
marketised culture of 21st Century HE, is reshaping EfS and demanding educators
introduce innovative practices into LTA (HEFCE 2013; Higher Education Academy
2015).
In this marketised environment of HE, EfS can be seen to have three main actors:
students, educators and employers. These actors have individual expectations of outcomes: Students expect good grades and employment skills delivered through participatory learner interactions (Conole and Alevizou 2010) rather than traditional
instructivist approaches such as slide based lectures; Educators hope for student
engagement, sustainability literacy and values for advocacy; Employers demand
employment-ready graduates who possess appropriate sustainability knowledge and
employment skills (Drayson 2014). An element of overlap can be seen between students’ and employers’ expectations of employment skills and educators’ and employers’ hope for sustainability knowledge which HE are expected to deliver. In addition,
although not a main consumer of HE, the Government’s strategic hopes and expectations to increase the skills base of the UK and enhance the employability of graduates
(Harvey 2000) also directly influence the three main consumers’ behaviours.
These actors’ expectations, hopes and demands have arisen in the marketised
culture of HE so that a complex EfS learning environment has emerged requiring
different approaches to deliver academic content and help students acquire skills
required for the 21st Century workplace such as collaboration, critical thinking and
communication (Buck Institute for Education 2017). Business Management education must therefore prepare students to respond to the environmental, social and
ethical dilemmas that increasingly confront organisations (Navarro 2008) in a way
that is relevant and in contexts they find meaningful (Crossthwaite et al. 2006).