The Integration of Competencies for Sustainable …
591
universities (Leuven University College and Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (Lambrechts et al. 2013); KU Leuven (Stough et al. 2018), leaving non-elite universities
offside. In the meantime, the issues of elite do not match the non-elite realities (Fornaciari and Arbaugh 2017).
The present research is aimed at answering the following research questions:
(1) Does the wording of competencies fit the meaning of the same competencies
provided by the heads of study programmes? (2) Which competencies for SD are
treated by the heads of study programmes as most relevant in the context of study
programme? (3) To what extent are the competencies for SD integrated in different
study programmes? What are the intentions and actual behaviour of the heads of
study programmes as regards the SD competencies? (4) What are the main barriers
for the integration of SD competencies in study programmes? (5) What is the main
value of integrating the SD competencies into the curricula?
To answer these questions, the paper presents the results from 15 interviews with
heads of different study programmes in a non-elite-university. The research fits into
Lambrechts et al. (2013) encouragement to reveal the current stage of integration of
competencies in study programmes. The results give a review of the competencies
a non-elite university wishes to cover in the curricula, however further research is
needed looking at the students perceptions whether they have acquired these competencies.
The remaining parts of the paper are structured in the following way: firstly, a
discussion on the linkage between sustainability and higher education underlying the
competency-based approach and presenting the competencies for SD is provided; the
next part describes the method used; then, the results and discussion are presented;
and last section provides the conclusions.
2 The Linkage Between Sustainable Development
and Higher Education
SD is treated as a contested concept (Disterheft et al. 2013; Stough et al. 2018),
however there is a general agreement among scholars that the World Commission
on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987 report “Our common future” has
spread the currently best-known definition for sustainable development: “SD is the
kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED 1987) Moving
towards SD requires changing the mental models which influence our decisions and
actions (UNESCO 2009). Education and learning are pointed out as core activities
to facilitate the processes, which challenge the mindsets (Lambrechts et al. 2013)
and develop new attitudes towards different cultures, nature and consumptions patterns (Adomßent et al. 2014). The institutionalisation of the concept of education
for sustainable development (ESD) started in 1992 with the Agenda 21 (and specifically its chapter 36) at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (UNCED 1992).
591
universities (Leuven University College and Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (Lambrechts et al. 2013); KU Leuven (Stough et al. 2018), leaving non-elite universities
offside. In the meantime, the issues of elite do not match the non-elite realities (Fornaciari and Arbaugh 2017).
The present research is aimed at answering the following research questions:
(1) Does the wording of competencies fit the meaning of the same competencies
provided by the heads of study programmes? (2) Which competencies for SD are
treated by the heads of study programmes as most relevant in the context of study
programme? (3) To what extent are the competencies for SD integrated in different
study programmes? What are the intentions and actual behaviour of the heads of
study programmes as regards the SD competencies? (4) What are the main barriers
for the integration of SD competencies in study programmes? (5) What is the main
value of integrating the SD competencies into the curricula?
To answer these questions, the paper presents the results from 15 interviews with
heads of different study programmes in a non-elite-university. The research fits into
Lambrechts et al. (2013) encouragement to reveal the current stage of integration of
competencies in study programmes. The results give a review of the competencies
a non-elite university wishes to cover in the curricula, however further research is
needed looking at the students perceptions whether they have acquired these competencies.
The remaining parts of the paper are structured in the following way: firstly, a
discussion on the linkage between sustainability and higher education underlying the
competency-based approach and presenting the competencies for SD is provided; the
next part describes the method used; then, the results and discussion are presented;
and last section provides the conclusions.
2 The Linkage Between Sustainable Development
and Higher Education
SD is treated as a contested concept (Disterheft et al. 2013; Stough et al. 2018),
however there is a general agreement among scholars that the World Commission
on Environment and Development (WCED) 1987 report “Our common future” has
spread the currently best-known definition for sustainable development: “SD is the
kind of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (WCED 1987) Moving
towards SD requires changing the mental models which influence our decisions and
actions (UNESCO 2009). Education and learning are pointed out as core activities
to facilitate the processes, which challenge the mindsets (Lambrechts et al. 2013)
and develop new attitudes towards different cultures, nature and consumptions patterns (Adomßent et al. 2014). The institutionalisation of the concept of education
for sustainable development (ESD) started in 1992 with the Agenda 21 (and specifically its chapter 36) at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (UNCED 1992).