null Leren voor duurzame ontwikkeling / Learning for sustainability

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Leren voor duurzame ontwikkeling / Learning for sustainability

In het onderzoek naar het leren voor duurzame ontwikkeling wordt de nadruk gelegd op een multi- en transdisciplinaire benadering bij het beschrijven en vinden van oplossingen voor duurzaamheid, met de nadruk op competenties, (leer)concepten en innovatieve (digitale) leer- of bedrijfsprocessen. Er zijn een aantal met elkaar verweven onderzoeksthema’s, waar studenten met hun afstudeeronderzoek op kunnen inhaken.

Competences for sustainability professionals

Sustainability professionals encounter huge challenges in their daily job situation in order to achieve change processes towards sustainability. They usually operate in a multi-stakeholder context which requires collaboration and co-creation. The conglomerate of necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes (labelled competences) for effectively conducting change processes towards sustainability is investigated with practitioners, relating the results to existing frameworks for sustainability competences. 
Examples of research questions:

  • Which competences are required in specific jobs? Which are more generic and which are related to the specific professional expertise or to social or cultural contexts?
  • How are competences for sustainability professionals represented in higher education curricula? 

Partners: UNESCO, VVM (NL), VVSG (Be). 
More information
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez

Learning for Sustainability in Higher Education - SDGs

Competences for sustainability have been introduced in higher education programmes. 
Research questions can involve: 

  • How do students experience the competences? What skills and attitudes do students master? 
  • How are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Education (SDG4) and Climate Action (SDG13) implemented in courses or in learning programmes? 
  • What can be said about personal and systemic approaches in the educational material and methods with respect to transformative action?

More information:
MDPI.com
UNESDOC
SDG4EDUCATION
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez

Threshold concepts in Physics and Mathematics in Environmental Science Programme

Students of Environmental Sciences learn several physical and mathematical concepts in their undergraduate programme. Some of these are mastered with great difficulty, and can be labelled as so-called threshold concepts. The relation of threshold concepts and deeper and better insight into environmental and sustainability issues can be investigated as well.
Methods: evaluations, questionnaires, interviews (with students) in OU-courses.
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez

Sustainability, learning and innovation in non-profit sustainable organizations

Sustainable business models and business models frameworks, with special interest in innovation and transition processes in NGOs (non-governmental organisations). 

More information
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez

Higher Education, telework, sustainability and the quality of work processes; CO2-emissions

Digitalization in higher education and in organizations has impact on the processes and the (perceived) quality.
Research questions can involve: 

  • What are the implications for the carbon footprint if digitalization is introduced? 
  • What are the effects on (the quality of) work processes and results?

More information
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez

Lived Experience, Narratives and Action Climate Change

Through the holistic concept 'The Lived Experience of Climate Change' a learning-action cycle is envisioned in which the abstract and global scientific knowledge of climate change is connected with other types of knowledge, such as the individual and local experiences of humans. These 'situated' knowledges result from living in a certain place at a certain time, and having a specific personal history and background. Techniques for analyzing narratives can shed a further light on how to interpret lived experiences. The combined knowledge is one of the four elements in the cycle of knowledge-reflection-engagement-action, and it can be used as an analytical tool for climate change situations and action towards change. 
Further reading: Transforming academic knowledge and the concept of Lived Experience: Intervention Competence in an international e-learning programme
Contact: Prof. Paquita Perez