Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Keywords

Curriculum development, Education for sustainable development, Key competencies, Learning objectives, Sustainability problem solving

Abstract

Hundreds of sustainability programs have emerged at universities and colleges around the world over the past 2 decades. A prime question for employers, students, educators, and program administrators is what competencies these programs develop in students. This study explores convergence on competencies for sustainability programs. We conducted a Delphi study with 14 international experts in sustainability education on the framework of key competencies in sustainability by Wiek et al. (Sustain Sci 6: 203–218, 2011), the most frequently cited framework to date. While experts generally agreed with the framework, they propose two additional competencies, suggest a hierarchy of competencies, and specify learning objectives for students interested in a career as sustainability researcher. The refined framework can inform program development, implementation, and evaluation to enhance employability of graduates and facilitate comparison of sustainability programs worldwide.

Volume

16

Issue

1

First Page

13

Last Page

29

ISSN

18624065

E-ISSN

18624057

DOI

10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2

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