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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 33104

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuzhuo Cai

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, 00014 Tampere, Finland
Interests: higher education policy and management; innovation studies; internationlisation of higher education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Lili-Ann Wolff

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Guest Editor

Associate Professor, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Pb 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Interests: environmental and sustainability education; transdisciplinary and phenomenon-based learning; transformative approaches; sustainable leadership; education in the Anhropocene
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on “Education and Sustainable Development Goals” for the journal of Sustainability targets papers presented and selected for publishing at the 6th Sino-Finnish Joint Learning Innovation Institute (JoLii) Annual Conference on 15–17 November 2021. Authors interested in contributing to this Special Issue are welcome to attend the conference (no registration fee) and submit paper abstracts by 31 July 2021. (See more on the conference website: https://events.tuni.fi/jolii2021/)

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, providing a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. The implementation of the blueprint is equivalent to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN’s 2030 Agenda. This blueprint has significant implications for education. In addition to SDG 4: Quality Education, education is also recognised as the key to success of the remaining SDGs (UNESCO, 2017). While the important relations between education and the SDGs are widely acknowledged, there remains ambiguity on how education can effectively contribute to the SDGs (Kioupi and Voulvoulis, 2019) as well as how education and educational institutions can transform to better adapt to the SDGs (Leal Filho et al., 2019).

The 6th JoLii conference invites education researchers from two countries, both with unique education systems. One country is China, which has the largest education system in the world, and the other is Finland, with one of the internationally best-performing education systems. We encourage researchers from (or with an interest in) these countries to share their insights and research findings related to education and sustainability. It is expected that the scholarly discussions at the conference will not only offer research-based knowledge to support education and the implementation of the SDGs in these countries but also help to address broader global challenges on the topic.

We welcome papers that contribute to the discussion from theoretical, methodological, or empirical perspectives. The papers may be relevant to educational researchers, policymakers, administrators, as well as professionals. The perspective may even be critical to the entire SDG approach. Specifically, we invite research contributions to the following tracks:

The relations between education and sustainable development;
The roles of education and educational institutions (including schools and universities) in the implementation of the SDGs;
Transformative approaches to learning, education, and institutional performance in accordance with the SDGs;
Global and comparative perspectives on education and the SDGs;
Digital learning and teaching approaches related to the SDGs;
Other SDG and education-related issues.

Dr. Yuzhuo Cai
Dr. Lili-Ann Wolff
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability education
sustainable development
sustainability
Sustainable Development Goals
SDGs
Chinese education
Finnish education

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 197 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Education and Sustainable Development Goals

by Yuzhuo Cai and Lili-Ann Wolff

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 643; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010643 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2170

Abstract

Sustainability and sustainable development have been on the global political agenda since the end of the 1980s [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 436 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Impacting the Sustainable Development of Professional Learning Communities in Interdisciplinary Subjects in Chinese K-12 Schools: A Case Study

by Yiyun Hu, Xiaoli Jing and Yaqing Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13847; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142113847 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2193

Abstract

Professional learning communities are recognized as one of the most effective approaches for promoting the professional development of teachers. In the current complex and rapidly changing era, to facilitate the implementation of interdisciplinary curricula, Chinese schools have made tremendous efforts to enhance teacher professional development, particularly by establishing professional learning communities. Aiming to understand the operation of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools and to examine factors impacting the sustainable development of these professional learning communities, we conducted a case study on professional learning communities in the interdisciplinary subject of Education for International Understanding in Chengdu Horsens Primary School. As part of this study, we interviewed the principal, course director, seed teachers and teachers participating in the selected case. The research results demonstrated that the major factors impacting the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools include school structures and policies, school leadership, teachers’ professionalism and learning capacity and their sense of community. In addition, compared to traditional subject-based professional learning communities in China, professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects highlight a sense of community, which presents three distinctive features: a conflict-inclusive atmosphere, the coexistence of individual and shared visions and an emotional bonding identity. These three features also have a considerable impact on the sustainable development of professional learning communities in interdisciplinary subjects in Chinese K-12 schools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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16 pages, 469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Education Partnership Assistance to Promote the Balanced and Sustainable Development of Higher Education: Lessons from China

by Ruichang Ding and Zheng You

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8366; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14148366 - 08 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1537

Abstract

The Education Partnership Assistance (EPA) is an institutional arrangement that has played an important role in the balanced and sustainable development of higher education in China, in which universities of East China provide the paired universities in West China with various assistance. EPA is part of the political commitment made by the Chinese government to fulfil sustainable and balanced development. By applying a policy process framework and qualitative text analysis to the government and universities’ official documents, we find EPA is primarily based on the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s ideological cornerstones of “common prosperity”. Over the past two decades, by conducting leadership secondment, faculty and student training, and ICT and library development, EPA has improved the development of universities in West China, and the central government’s current emphasis remains on the continuation of EPA. However, this paper argues that EPA cannot be going on indefinitely and that true sustainability is contingent on the capacity building of the recipient universities, rather than on the endless assistance from supporting universities. EPA is a localized action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in China. It sheds light on the connections between domestic aid and the SDGs from a supplementary perspective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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16 pages, 508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting K-12 Students to Learn Social-Emotional and Self-Management Skills for Their Sustainable Growth with the Solution-Focused Kids’Skills Method

by Shuanghong Jenny Niu, Hannele Niemi and Ben Furman

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7947; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137947 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2366

Abstract

There is an increasing need in schools and/or at home, as well as in society at large, to find ways to help students develop social-emotional and self-management skills, particularly in cases when they exhibit emotional or behavioral problems. This study aims at exploring how Kids’Skills (KS), a method based on solution-focused psychology, can be used to help students overcome emotional or behavioral problems through learning relevant skills. We collected 23 case descriptions during a two-year period (2017 to 2019) from KS practitioners who had used the method in their workplace, at school, at a kindergarten, or at home. We used content analysis for the qualitative data analysis. The analysis results demonstrate how the KS method can be used to support students in learning social-emotional and self-management skills to overcome their difficulties. This study found four key components of the KS method that appear to be critical for producing desired changes in children. These are (1) helping students to identify specific social-emotional and/or self-management skills that they need to learn to overcome their difficulties; (2) supporting students in learning their identified skills by helping them understand what the skill entails and become aware of their strengths and resources; (3) assisting students in acquiring their identified skills; and (4) reinforcing the learned skills to ensure sustainable effects. We conclude that the KS method offers support for students in learning self-management and social-emotional skills to ensure their sustainable growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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17 pages, 595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Urban Residents Perceive Nature Education: A Survey from Eight Metropolises in China

by Yu Huang, Rui Shi, Jin Zhou, Zhiqiang Chen and Peng Liang

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7820; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137820 - 27 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1643

Abstract

“Nature education” has become a striking trend in the field of environmental and sustainable development education in mainland China in recent years, which is considered to be a powerful force to realize the 11th goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, namely, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”. Chinese urban residents’ perceptions of “nature education” are fundamental to the success of “nature education” but we still know very little about it. This study aims to gather insights on the awareness, attitudes, and behaviors towards nature and nature education. In this paper, online questionnaires and random sampling methods were used. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among urban residents in eight representative cities in China, namely, Beijing (n = 313), Shanghai (n = 314), Guangzhou (n = 307), Shenzhen (n = 308), Chengdu (n = 206), Xiamen (n = 207), Hangzhou (n = 203), and Wuhan (n = 206). This study implied that Chinese urban residents are willing to accept nature education. There is a strong sense among the Chinese public in cities that living in harmony with nature, improving wellbeing through healthy and sustainable actions, and enjoying and protecting nature are desirable actions. However, respondents were slightly less likely to consider the emotional benefits and the development of social and functional (technical) skills as important elements of participating in nature education. The results also confirm that Chinese urban residents’ perceptions of nature education can be positively predicted by the individual’s relationship with nature and the individual’s experience related to nature education. These are important key messages for nature education organizations to communicate. The results of the study put forward some questions worthy of in-depth consideration for the development of China’s nature education, which can provide a foundation and direction for the further development of nature education in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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16 pages, 2087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Higher Education to Support Sustainable Development: The Influence of Information Literacy and Online Learning Process on Chinese Postgraduates’ Innovation Performance

by Chiyao Sun, Ji’an Liu, Liana Razmerita, Yanru Xu and Jia Qi

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7789; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137789 - 26 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2538

Abstract

Digitalization provides opportunities for sustainable development. Cultivating postgraduates’ digital skills is an important task of higher education to support sustainable development (HESD). As a crucial way of cultivating digital skills, high-quality online learning processes are of great significance to achieve “Quality Education”, in line with the 2030 sustainable development agenda. Based on Biggs’s 3P (Presage-Process-Product) learning model, this study focused on the whole learning process and explored the relationship among postgraduates’ information literacy, online platforms, online knowledge-sharing processes and their innovation performance. The analysis of a questionnaire survey of 501 Chinese postgraduates showed that (1) information literacy has a positively predictive effect on postgraduates’ innovation performance; (2) different online learning processes lead to different learning results. Compared to the quantity-oriented online knowledge sharing process (Qty-KSP), the quality-oriented online knowledge sharing process (Qlty-KSP) is related to better innovation performance, which opens onto this study’s third finding: (3) Qty-KSP and Qlty-KSP play a parallel mediating effect between postgraduates’ information literacy and their innovation performance. Compared to Qty-KSP, Qlty-KSP is a more powerful intermediary variable, which leads to this study’s fourth finding; (4) an efficient online learning environment can contribute to higher-quality online learning process, thus improving postgraduates’ innovative performance. This study suggests that policy makers should develop postgraduates’ digital skills for sustainable development in the digital age. This can be achieved by (1) cultivating postgraduates’ information literacy; (2) encouraging them to practice high-quality online learning processes; and (3) providing an efficient sharing platform for sustainability, resilience, and digitalization in higher education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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22 pages, 411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustaining Higher Education Quality by Building an Educational Innovation Ecosystem in China—Policies, Implementations and Effects

by Tengteng Zhuang and Baocun Liu

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7568; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14137568 - 21 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2269

Abstract

This article analyzes how China has worked to develop and build a higher education innovation ecosystem in the past decade. Binding its analysis to three types of data, namely clusters of national policies issued by important Chinese government bodies, dozens of articles in an internal journal of the Ministry of Education, and various Chinese media accounts, the article unravels how resources are mobilized and the direction chartered for unprecedented engagement between different stakeholders for education purposes. The findings reveal that the establishment of a higher education innovation ecosystem derives from the need to improve the overall higher education quality in full swing and has been realized as a strategic consensus among the government, enterprises, higher education, and social forces. The ecosystem is underpinned by the assigning of different roles to different stakeholders based on collaboration and division of labor. At the same time, there is also substantive capital, resource mobility, and the infusion of industrial technological expertise underpinning such an innovation ecosystem that involves six categories of collaboration at macro and micro levels. The impact of the higher education innovation ecosystem thus far includes deepened and extensive participation in higher education quality improvement by multiple types of stakeholders and the same type of stakeholders across different tiers. Instructors’ teaching and students’ learning have experienced changes due to the ecosystem’s impact at a micro level, and many institutions have increased shared governance practices to better cater to the synergy among different sides. At the same time, there is an unevenness in the innovation ecosystem in terms of participating higher education institutions and enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

20 pages, 1358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education Rankings: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Internationally Comparable Indicators

by Anete Veidemane

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5102; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14095102 - 23 Apr 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4041

Abstract

As more higher education institutions strive to embed sustainable development principles in their teaching, it becomes increasingly important to identify indicators that can measure institutional contribution in a meaningful and internationally comparable manner. This paper shows that existing sustainability rankings, such as the UI Green Metric and THE Impact ranking, have paid relatively little attention to indicators on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). In a quest to develop such indicators for U-Multirank—the multi-dimensional transparency and ranking tool—we reviewed the literature, consulted experts, and ran a survey amongst practitioners. This article summarises opportunities and challenges for developing internationally comparable ESD indicators in the higher education sector, discussing indicator relevance, validity, and feasibility. The results suggest that (i) ESD indicators are considered highly relevant by diverse stakeholders; (ii) the majority of HEIs surveyed are planning to collect ESD data within 3 years, signalling good prospects for data feasibility; (iii) the ESD indicators proposed so far still lack criteria that would allow one to sufficiently identify and compare these indicators across countries, inhibiting indicator validity. At least three potential definitions are used by HEIs. The results of this paper can contribute to the discussion on identifying appropriate criteria for the development of ESD indicators and their use in international rankings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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13 pages, 844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Reception of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in China: A Historical Review

by Ronghui (Kevin) Zhou and Nick Lee

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4333; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14074333 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2484

Abstract

This article reveals the changes that have taken place in the under-researched Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) discourse in China over the past three decades and presents new findings. The authors conducted discourse analysis to examine the changes of ESD discourse in official policy documents and compared them with the concept of ESD as it appears in the UNESCO framework. Findings suggest that ESD in China has been redefined by domestic discourse and interests. The concept of ‘Ecological Civilisation’ replaces the identity and function of ESD as it appears in China’s education policies, while ESD primarily targets the environmental sector. This redefining of ESD weakens the interconnection between ESD and sustainable development (SD) that exists within the UNESCO framework and presents an unstable approach to ESD in China. This research contributes to ESD development in China and updates its potential education challenges considering China’s 2030 Agenda. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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21 pages, 1204 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Characterises an Effective Mindset Intervention in Enhancing Students’ Learning? A Systematic Literature Review

by Junfeng Zhang

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 3811; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14073811 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3305

Abstract

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to interventions designed to enhance individuals’ sustainable development in learning by priming a growth mindset. The current study systematically explored the characteristics of message transformation in growth mindset interventions from the perspective of teaching and learning. According to a three-phase literature search (database, prominent researchers, and backtracking references), thirty-eight empirical studies investigating the efficacy of mindset interventions for adolescents of school age constitute the sample for the current literature review. The results indicate that a supportive but not-completely-saturated learning environment paves the way to implementing a mindset intervention. The three pedagogical characteristics that ensure successful interventions are: (1) Mutual interaction among the person, the context, and the theory to generate the message; (2) Iterative processes to ensure the message is delivered; and (3) a persuasive yet stealthy approach to facilitating its internalization. The findings inspire educators to design effective mindset interventions to enhance students’ learning. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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23 pages, 1384 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Sustainability Lens on the Paradox of Chinese Learners: Four Studies on Chinese Students’ Learning Concepts under Li’s “Virtue–Mind” Framework

by Ruixiang Gao, Jiayin Zhang, Yirao Liu, Jielin Zeng, Danying Wu, Xiaoxiao Huang, Xiaoqing Liu, Lei Mo, Zehui Zhan and Huang Zuo

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3334; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063334 - 12 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4335

Abstract

The paradox of Chinese learners refers to a contrast between poor learning approaches and high achievement in China, which reveals a lack of sustainability in Chinese education. In addressing this paradox, Jin Li stood out by studying culture-based learning concepts and providing a comprehensive theoretical framework of the Eastern virtue model versus the Western mind model. However, this framework has not been thoroughly tested in the age of global cultural exchange, and the best learning model for learners has not been determined. This paper used both qualitative (replicating Li’s word association test) and quantitative methods to retest and enrich Li’s theory in present-day China, using four empirical studies. Studies 1 and 2 revealed the influence of global cultural exchange in narrowing the gap between the two models, with appropriate modifications made to Li’s theory. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrated that both of the two models were conducive to students’ academic achievement and creativity, greatly enriching Li’s theory. The implications of achieving a dynamic balance between the virtue model and the mind model to improve the sustainability of Chinese student development are discussed, which contributes to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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15 pages, 580 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Bridging Academics’ Roles in Knowledge Diffusion in Sustainability-Driven Public–Private Partnerships: A Case Study of the SDGs Workshop in Central Japan

by Hoe Chin Goi, Muhammad Mohsin Hakeem and Frendy

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2378; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14042378 - 18 Feb 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1897

Abstract

This article discusses the role of academics in knowledge diffusion among various stakeholders using a case study of a sustainability-oriented workshop to address issues of a local forest in central Japan. This research employs thematic analysis through interpreted data from documents, minutes of meetings, workshop interactions among stakeholders, debriefing sessions, questionnaires, and fieldwork findings of participants in a regional business school. The findings show that Bridging Academics (BAs) have effectively facilitated knowledge diffusion amongst global, national and local stakeholder clusters. The interactions among workshop stakeholders resulted in outcomes that enhanced awareness of knowledge gaps, fostered effective communication, enabled knowledge extension, and created shared values. The study contributes towards the understanding of academics’ roles in collaborative settings for sustainability and suggests a multi-node knowledge link model as a collaborative mechanism for knowledge diffusion. The study suggests implications for stakeholders and provides a use case relevant to sustainability-based regional development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Sustainable Development Goals)

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