Using system dynamics to develop education for sustainable development in higher education with the emphasis on the sustainability competencies of students
Introduction
A brief look at the status of the world in the recent decades reflects the challenges of sustainability. We know that sustainability index in human activities is not suitable; therefore, if the activities are increased with the unsustainable methods, sustainability challenges would be multiplied. On the other hand, sustainability issue is complex because of the overlap among economic, environmental, and social aspects. Then, there is a need to propose comprehensive and holistic solutions to sustainability challenges. Then, there is a need to propose comprehensive and holistic solutions to sustainability challenges.
In response to growing concerns in society about sustainability challenges as well as the intensification of the international calls to move towards a sustainable future, such as the declaration of decade of education for sustainable development by UNESCO, all educational sectors of society should implement the programs of education for sustainable development (ESD) or sustainability education (SE) (UNESCO, 2009). Education for sustainable development and sustainability education have the same concept in this article.
The efforts to rethink and revise educational programs towards sustainability which are important for the present and future communities, are the target of education for sustainable development. This educational approach can occur from preschool to university to integrate the principles, knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values associated with sustainability. Accordingly, the role of higher education in social transformation towards sustainable development was determined as a scientific subject and the higher education institutions around the world started to change their educational mission and procedures for integrating sustainability into the educational system (Stephens and Graham, 2010, Holmberg et al., 2008).
Higher education has always responded to the social needs. The goals of the university directly affect the dynamics of technology and social systems (Bursztyn, 2008, Vorley, 2008). Universities can play a critical role in the process of social change that relies on educating new generations of leaders and citizens. Academic freedom of higher education is unique. It has a variety of skills for developing new ideas and meeting the challenges of society (Meadows, 1997).
In fact, higher education fosters many future managers, decision makers, planners, and educators (Bekessy et al., 2003, Fien, 2002). It has the potential to prepare students and increase information and knowledge in order to move towards a sustainable future.
University graduates as future leaders and inheritors of technology can be part of the solution of sustainability challenges (Woodruff, 2006). Correlations among humans, environment, technology, and politics for a sustainable future are interdependent issues in the community (Cortese, 2003). These issues pass the boundaries of all disciplines. All disciplines need to participate in preparing the community for a sustainable future.
Professionals should be prepared to confront challenges (Mihelcic et al., 2007). They should establish safety, health, and welfare of the community in the best way and attempt to agree with the principles of sustainable development in both the professional and personal life (Woodruff, 2006). This issue occurs under the umbrella of education for sustainable development in higher education. Education for sustainable development affects all components of higher education, such as policy, curriculum, teaching and learning strategies, competencies, assessment, finance, and extra-curricular activities.
Some studies have pointed out the necessity of integrating the programs of education for sustainable development into the higher education (e.g. Figueiro and Raufflet, 2015, Verhulst and Lambrechts, 2015, Lambrechts et al., 2013, Lozano et al., 2013, Barth and Rieckmann, 2012, Brundiers et al., 2010, Chhokar, 2010, Sibble, 2009, Barth et al., 2007, Velazquez et al., 2005, Bryce et al., 2004). The studies showed that higher education should lead to create the knowledge and skills for dealing with global issues such as food security, climate change, water management, non-renewable energy management, biodiversity, health, and social inequality.
The higher education of agriculture and natural resources include these issues. Due to this fact that the inputs in agriculture and natural resources are non-renewable ones, integrating education for sustainable development into this educational system is necessary. Applying unsustainable technologies and policies in managing these resources limits the accessibility of the present and future generation to consumption. According to this, higher education in agriculture and natural resources can train managers, professionals, researchers and future leaders who have a mental model based on the sustainability principles, and capability in their practical actions.
Iran's rank in the 2012 Environmental Performance Index report was 118 (Emerson et al., 2012). In Iran, like other countries, the integration of sustainability into higher education was understood, but not seriously and profoundly.
Today's managers are past students; therefore, the mental model of these actors has not formed based on the sustainability principles. In fact, this issue is especially tangible in a way that the progress of the sustainability challenges in the fields of agriculture and natural resources in Iran could be the consequence of paying less attention to the higher education system for integrating education for sustainable development and reinforcing sustainability competencies of students.
We implemented this research in order to show this problem and present solutions to integrate education for sustainable development into higher education with the emphasis on the sustainability competencies in Iran. We selected University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, as a case for studying. This case has been implementing a few programs of education for sustainable development, but not with a specific approach.
It is necessary to explain sustainability competencies which provide a framework for developing knowledge and skill of today's students, who are future problem solvers (Willard et al., 2010, Wiek et al., 2011). Sustainability competencies are a combination of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable to solve real-world sustainability challenges (Rieckmann, 2012, Wiek et al., 2011, Barth et al., 2007).
Taxonomy of sustainability competencies was presented in the studies such as Wiek et al. (2011), Brundiers et al. (2010), Segalas (2009), Sipos et al. (2008), De Haan (2006), Sterling and Thomas (2006). Based on the literature and viewpoints of subjective experts, sustainability competencies included three classes in this article:
- a.
Understanding of the sustainability;
- b.
Skills: critical thinking in the sustainability, creative thinking in the sustainability, systemic thinking, empathy, and interdisciplinary collaboration;
- c.
Attitudes: commitment to the sustainability, respect for the past, present and future generations.
Barth and Michelsen (2013) revealed that the emergence of education for sustainable development can change individual action and behavior, and increase inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations. On the other hand, these collaborations are one of the pillars of education for sustainable development (De la Harpe and Thomas, 2009, Ferrer-Balas et al., 2008, Hogan and Tormey, 2008, Cohen, 2007; Swansborough et al., 2007, Sterling and Thomas, 2006, Dawe et al., 2005, Velazquez et al., 2005, Sterling, 2004).
In order to develop the sustainability competencies in the universities, they should create teaching and learning settings which can be characterized by aspects such as inter- and trans-disciplinary, participation, problem-orientation as well as the linking of formal and informal learning (Barth and Rieckmann, 2012, Rieckmann, 2012, Wiek et al., 2011, Brundiers et al., 2010; Baartman et al., 2007, Voorhees, 2001, Barth et al., 2007). Moreover, Rieckmann (2012) and Sibble (2009) underlined that the university should integrate education for sustainable development into its curricula in order to enable future professionals to cope with issues of sustainable development in their work.
Some studies point out that sustainability content should be integrated into the curriculum, please refer to James (2009), The Higher Education Academy of the UK (2006), Velazquez et al. (2005), and Ali Baigi (2005). Lipscombe et al. (2008) emphasized on programs of education for sustainable development as extra-curricular activities and the connection of these activities with curriculum and physical actions at the university.
Additionally, some studies (De la Harpe and Thomas, 2009, Cohen, 2007, Litzinger et al., 2007, Fien, 2006, The Higher Education Academy of the UK, 2006, Ali baigi, 2005, Kolb and Kolb, 2005, Trigwell and Prosser, 2004, Fenner et al., 2004) manifest the role of the pedagogy in reinforcing competencies of students in education for sustainable development.
Shephard (2008) presents that teaching and assessment in higher education mostly focus on cognitive skills of knowledge and understanding rather than on the affective domain (values, attitudes and behaviors) while the attention to affective domain could benefit sustainability education. Moreover, science members' capacity building and professional development for education for sustainable development help the universities to reinforce sustainability competencies of students (Barth and Rieckmann, 2012, Svanstrom et al., 2008, The Higher Education Academy of the UK, 2006, Velazquez et al., 2005, Ferrer-Balas, 2004, Thomas, 2004, Rowe, 2002).
Integration of education for sustainable development into the higher education needs culture building, financial aids, and research funding (for making networks among university, government, organizations, and society) that in some studies have been suggested (De la Harpe and Thomas, 2009, Ferrer-Balas et al., 2008, Lang et al., 2006). The commitment of the university to sustainability and appropriate educational policies both are necessary for implementing education for sustainable development (Van Dam-Mieras, 2006, The Higher Education Academy of the UK, 2006, Noonan and Thomas, 2004).
Finally, we mention that underlying question in this article is:
- •
What mechanisms are needed to develop education for sustainable development in higher education with the emphasis on the sustainability competencies of students?
Section snippets
Material and methods
This study was done at University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the University of Tehran as a case study. In this study, the system dynamics method was applied. It is a mixed method research design and it starts with the exploration. In accordance with this research method, the problem situation in the University College is modeled. In addition, we did this research from 2010 to 2013.
According to the five-step method of system dynamics (Sterman, 2000), the executive procedures
Behavior patterns of key variables
The behavior patterns of the key variables have been presented in Chart 1, Chart 2, Chart 3, Chart 4, Chart 5. In the period from 1991 to 2011, the total mean of sustainability competencies of graduates was 4.12. The means of applying appropriate teaching and learning strategies for education for sustainable development and science members' competencies were respectively 4.32 and 6.36 out of 10. Also, the mean of integration of sustainability content into curricula of agriculture and natural
Conclusions
Through analyzing the influencing factors and obstacles to education for sustainable development in higher education, this article created a system dynamic model to develop education for sustainable development in higher education with the emphasis on sustainability competencies of students. The approach of system dynamics helped us to recognize the interventional procedures in fostering competencies of students into the University College.
This model describes the dynamic interactions among the
Elham Faham received the B.Sc. degree in the agricultural extension and education in 2005, the M.Sc. degree in the agricultural extension in 2007, and the Ph.D. degree in the agricultural education in 2013 from the University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran. Her researches and publications cover sustainability education, environmental education, curriculum revision, participation of local people, and system dynamics. She dedicated her Ph.D. thesis to
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Elham Faham received the B.Sc. degree in the agricultural extension and education in 2005, the M.Sc. degree in the agricultural extension in 2007, and the Ph.D. degree in the agricultural education in 2013 from the University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Iran. Her researches and publications cover sustainability education, environmental education, curriculum revision, participation of local people, and system dynamics. She dedicated her Ph.D. thesis to analyze the mechanisms for enhancing sustainability competencies of students in higher education. Dr. Faham is a researcher in the Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran.
Ahmad Rezvanfar working as a professor in the field of agricultural extension and education at the University of Tehran, Iran. Dr. Rezvanfar served as Director of the Entrepreneurship Center at the University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran from 2008 up to 2009. He also held the position as Department Head of Agricultural Extension and Education from 2011 to 2013. His research interests and capabilities include the agricultural extension, agricultural higher education, communication in agriculture, agricultural technology transfer systems, human resource development in the agricultural sector, and agro-environmental conflict assessment.
Seyed Hamid Movahed Mohammadi is a professor in the field of agricultural extension and education at the University of Tehran, Iran. He served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs from 2003 to 2005 and 2009 to 2011, and also served as Vice Chancellor for Finance Affairs from 2005 to 2009 at the faculty of agricultural economics and development. Dr. Movahed also held the position as Head of Department of Agricultural Extension and Education from 2010 to 2011. His research interests include the human resource management, agricultural education, statistics, continuing Education, distance education, and ICT.
Meisam Rajabi Nohooji is a PhD student in the field of public policy at the University of Tehran, Iran. He worked as a teacher assistant for system dynamics courses in top universities of Iran from 2009 and has some papers with system dynamics methodology in ISC journals. His research interests and experiments focus on the public problems and using methods which can describe complexity and complex problems. He has capability -which comes from his decentralized study and working background-in articulating, analyzing, modeling, simulating and policy making in multi-dimensional complex problems with cognitive creative approach.