Meaningful Sustainability Learning: A Study of Sustainability Pedagogy in Two University Courses

Educators are increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability and the need to educate for sustainable change within higher education. This article addresses the growing need to focus on how teaching and learning can be re-oriented towards sustainability, and more specifically how educators can effectively address increasingly well-known sociocultural and ecological problems in ways that transform learners and empower them to make change based on a sense of civic responsibility and sustainability. This research study draws on the Burns Model of Sustainability Pedagogy, which integrates ecological design, systemic and interdisciplinary learning, multiple perspectives, an active and engaged learning process, and attention to place-based learning. Focusing on the implementation of sustainability pedagogy within two different university courses, this study highlights the importance of sustainability learning that is thematic, introduces diverse and non-dominant perspectives, and is experiential. Pedagogical implications and practical suggestions for teaching sustainability in higher education are discussed.