ERIC Number: EJ1100839
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1467-6370
EISSN: N/A
Sustainability Champions? Academic Identities and Sustainability Curricula in Higher Education
Wood, Bronwyn E.; Cornforth, Sue; Beals, Fiona; Taylor, Mike; Tallon, Rachel
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, v17 n3 p342-360 2016
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of academic staff who are committed to embedding sustainability within tertiary curricula and pedagogy. Design/Methodology/Approach: The focus of this paper is on a New Zealand university. A survey of staff was undertaken and in-depth interviews conducted with 11 sustainability "champions". A narrative variant of thematic analysis was used to examine the ways these sustainability "champions" made sense of the work they do. Through an analysis of their metaphors and metaphorical language, a sense of the identities that they held as educators of sustainability was gained. Findings: Three types of identities emerged--the sustainability "saviour", "nurturer" and "struggler". These identities reflected the champion's experiences, disciplinary affiliations and pedagogical approaches. Interdisciplinarity emerged as a key tenet and challenge for such sustainability champions. Originality/Value: This paper provides rare insights into the experiences, identities and teaching approaches of sustainability champions within higher education. It highlights the need for university-wide conversations and cross-discipline support for such academics.
Descriptors: Sustainability, Academic Achievement, Interdisciplinary Approach, Environmental Education, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Professional Identity, Interviews, Teaching Methods, Figurative Language, Discourse Analysis, Language Usage, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A