Many universities have begun to introduce curriculum innovation and change to facilitate the curricular integration of generic skills underlying education for sustainable development (ESD). However, the literature and research in the area to date show few successful examples of comprehensive large-scale curriculum change. From the literature on curriculum change in universities, we identify the conditions that have been reported to facilitate such change. We then report on two surveys that explored academic perceptions of the conditions that influence curriculum change, one of a sample of Australian academics and the other of a sample of international academics involved with ESD. We discuss the survey findings and outline implications for those attempting to introduce ESD curriculum change at universities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Arnold, G.
and
J.T. Civian
.1997. ‘
The Ecology of General Education Reform
’, Change, 29 (4):
18–23
.
2.
Barker, T.S.
and
H.W. Smith
. 1997. ‘
Strategic Planning: Evolution of a Model
’, Innovative Higher Education, 21 (4):
287–306
.
3.
Baud, R.2004. ‘Y.E.S.—Student Education in Sustainability Public Education in a Knowledge Society: Creativity, Content, and Delivery Mechanisms’, Delhi Sustainable Development Summit,
New Delhi, February
.
4.
Bekessy, S. and M. Burgman. 2001. ‘Environmental best practice in Australian and International Universities’, unpublished report to the Vice Chancellor, University of Melbourne, November.
5.
Bekessy S.
,
M. Burgman
,
T. Wright
,
W. Filho
and
M. Smith
. 2003. Universities and Sustainability, Tela Papers, no. 11.
Melbourne: Australian Conservation Foundation
.
6.
Brownlee, P.P.2000. ‘
Effecting Transformational Institutional Change
’, National Academy News-letter, 1 (3), See http://www.thenationalacademy.org/readings/effecting.html (accessed May 2004).
7.
Chanock, K.2004. ‘Challenges of the Graduate Attributes Movement’, in
K. Dellar-Evans
and
P. Zeegers
(eds), Language and Academic Skills in Higher Education, vol. 6.
Adelaide: Flinders University
.
8.
Cortese, A.2003. ‘
The Critical Role of Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable Future
’, Planning for Higher Education, (March–May):
15–22
.
9.
de la Harpe, B.
and
A. Radloff
. 2003. ‘
The Challenges of Integrating Generic Skills at Two Australian Universities
’ [Special Edition], Staff and Education Development International, 7 (3):
235–44
.
10.
de la Harpe, B.
and
A. Radloff
. 2006a. ‘
Lessons Learned from Three Projects to Design Learning Environments That Support “Generic” Skill Development
’, Journal of Learning Design, 1 (2):
21–34
.
11.
de la Harpe, B.
and
A. Radloff
. 2006b. ‘
Building on AUQA Learning and Teaching Commendations in Devolved Institutional Contexts
’, Proceedings of the Australian Universities Quality Forum, Perth, Western Australia.
12.
de la Harpe, B.
and
A. Radloff
. 2008. ‘
Developing Graduate Attributes For Lifelong Learning – How Far Have We Got
?’ Proceedings of the Lifelong Learning Conference, Central Queensland University, Yeppoon, Queensland.
13.
Eckel, P.D.
and
A. Kezar.2003. ‘
Key Strategies for Making New Institutional Sense: Ingredients to Higher Education Transformation
’, Higher Education Policy, 16:
39–53
.
14.
Eckel, P.
,
M. Green
,
B. Hill
and
W. Mallon
. 1999. Taking Charge of Change: A Primer for Colleges and Universities.
Washington, DC: American Council on Education
.
15.
Fallows, S.
and
C. Steven
(eds). 2000. Integrating Key Skills in Higher Education.
London: Kogan Page
.
16.
Fien, J.2002. ‘
Advancing Sustainability in Higher Education: Issues and Opportunities for Research
’, Higher Education Policy, 15 (2):
143–52
.
17.
Fien, J.
,
R. Guevara
,
J. Lang
and
J. Malone
. 2004. Australian Country Report UNESCO-NIER Regional Seminar on Policy, Research and Capacity Building for Education Innovation for Sustainable Development.
Tokyo: ESCO Australian National Commission Education for Sustainable Development
.
18.
Her Majesty's Government. 2005, Securing the Future: Delivering UK Sustainable Development Strategy.
London: Stationery Office
.
19.
Holdsworth, S.
,
S. Bekessy
,
C. Hayles
,
P. Mnguni
and
I. Thomas
. 2006. ‘Beyond Leather Patches Project for Sustainability Education at RMIT’, in
W.L. Filho
and
D. Carpenter
(eds), University Sustainability in the Australasian University Context,
Frankfurt: Peter Lang Scientific Publishers
, 107–28.
20.
International Institute for Sustainable Development. 2005. ‘Agenda 21’. See http://www.iisd.org/rio+5/agenda/agenda21.htm (accessed September 2005).
21.
Keup, J.R.
,
A.A. Walker
,
H.S. Astin
and
J.A. Lindholm
. 2001. ‘Organizational Culture and Institutional Transformation’, ERIC Digest ED464521, ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education. See http://www.eriche.org (accessed March 2004).
22.
Kotter, J.P.1996. Leading Change.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press
.
23.
Kotter, J.P.
and
D.S. Cohen
. 2002. The Heart of Change.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press
.
24.
Lang, J.
,
I. Thomas
and
A. Wilson
. 2006. ‘
Education for Sustainability in Australian Universities: Where is the Action
?’ Australian Journal for Environmental Education, 22 (2):
45–58
.
25.
Levine, A.1980. Why Innovation Fails.
Albany, NY: State University of New York Press
.
26.
McKenzie, J.
,
S. Alexander
,
C. Harper
and
S. Anderson
. 2005. Dissemination, Adoption & Adaptation of Project Innovations in Higher Education.
Canberra: Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
.
27.
Noonan, D.
and
I. Thomas
. 2004. ‘Greening Universities in Australia: Progress and Possibilities’, Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 20 (2):
67–80
.
28.
Pearson, S.
,
S. Honeywood
and
M. O'Toole
. 2004. ‘Not Learning for Sustainability—The Challenge of Environmental Education in a University’, Proceedings of Effective Education for Sustainability Conference, University of New South Wales, Sydney, February.
29.
Radloff, A.
, and
B. de la Harpe
. 2007. ‘Institutional Support for Quality Learning and Teaching—What's Missing?’ Proceedings of the Australian Universities Quality Forum 2007, Evolution and Renewal in Quality Assurance, Hobart, Tasmania.
30.
Rowe, D.2007. ‘
Education for a Sustainable Future
’, Science, 317 (5836):
323–24
.
31.
Rowley, D.J.
,
H.D. Lujan
and
M.G. Dolence.1997. Strategic Change in Colleges and Universities.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
.
32.
Sharp, L.2002. ‘
Green Campuses: The Road from Little Victories to Systemic Transformation
’, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 3 (2):
128–45
.
33.
Southwell, D.
,
D. Gannaway
,
J. Orrell
,
D. Chalmers
and
C. Abraham
. 2005. Strategies for Effective Dissemination of Project Outcomes.
Canberra: Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
.
34.
Stevens, K.2005. Promoting and Advancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: The Messages from the AUQA Reports.
Canberra: Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
.
35.
Thomas, I.2004. ‘
Sustainability in Tertiary Curricula: What is Stopping it Happening?
’ International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5 (1):
33–47
.
36.
Tilbury, D.
,
A. Keogh
,
A. Leighton
and
J. Kent
. 2005. A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Further and Higher Education.
Sydney: Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES
). See http://www.aries.mq.edu.au/project.htm (accessed 30 June 2007).
37.
UNESCO. 2004. ‘Education for Sustainable Development: Objectives.’ See http://portal.unesco.org/education/ev.php?URL_ID=23295&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201 (accessed February 2006).
38.
University Leaders for a Sustainable Future. 2001. ‘History’. See http://www.ulsf.org (accessed 26 September 2007).
39.
University Leaders for a Sustainable Future. 2006, ‘Talloires Declaration Signatories List’. See http://www.ulsf.org (accessed April 2008).
