Pedagogical Innovation for Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Transforming Curriculum, Practice, and Institutional Culture

Given the significant roles that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can play in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), there is growing interest and practice of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in educational institutions globally. Integrating environmental sustainability, social justice, and economic equity dimensions into higher education teaching, learning, and practice has been on the agenda for nearly two decades. However, the practice of ESD has been mainly in isolation; undertaken within specific disciplines or departments in selected institutions and countries. Despite the abundance of “best practices” and “innovations” related to competency-based ESD frameworks and sustainability-oriented curricula and pedagogies, there is a lack of translation into meaningful practice and institutional change. This Research Topic seeks contributions that present empirical research or practical insights on how pedagogies aim to develop sustainability competencies, how institutions create conditions supportive of ESD, and how such approaches can reach underserved student populations. We are particularly interested in studies and practical insights that illustrate how such pedagogical innovations translate into learning for sustainability and institutional transformation at the level of higher education systems.

While there is some evidence on the effectiveness of innovations in pedagogy for enhancing sustainability competencies and on strategies for cultural transformation of institutions to support ESD integration, there is a particular need for more evidence on these issues. There is also a need for more research on equity and inclusion issues within both the practice and theory of sustainability education. This research topic provides a platform for sharing best practices and theory development among research groups at universities worldwide who are focused on the research and practice of ESD.

We invite contributions for this special issue of Sustainability Science to move beyond descriptive analyzes of practices, programs, and initiatives for SD and ESD, and to examine theoretically or empirically best practice for teaching and learning for SD and ESD, as well as institutional enabling for scaling up. Analysis of the institutional conditions, including policy, leadership, culture, and resources, that either impede or enable the scaling up of good practice is also invited. Of particular interest are studies that address how sustainability education can be made fair and how sustainability education can be contextualized for the learning needs of different student populations from diverse backgrounds. We are seeking contributions that explain the relationships and intersections between pedagogical innovations, institutional transformation, and equity. Contributions are sought to delineate the integration of these apparently separate factors, thereby fostering practice-oriented insights for educators, institutional leaders, and policymakers dedicated to SD and ESD.

This research topic, focusing on pedagogical innovations, institutional transformation, and equity-oriented approaches within higher education via the lens of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), welcomes submissions that explore sustainability concerns from environmental, social, and economic viewpoints.

The call for papers invites the submission of original research, systematic reviews, conceptual contributions, and practice-oriented studies that explore areas such as competency-based and systems thinking curricula, experiential and community-engaged learning, digital pedagogies, and the institutional implementation of ESD. A structural focus on addressing equity and inclusion will also be a priority. Submissions related to interdisciplinary design and innovation for ESD, as well as ESD in the Global South, are especially encouraged.

Existing research largely focuses on improving ESD integration in university syllabi and measuring student learning outcomes. However, there remains a notable deficiency in the literature concerning the connection between ESD innovations implemented at the classroom level, the wider institutional ecosystem that supports such initiatives, and the resulting effects on fair educational opportunities. This study investigates this gap, observing that innovative approaches to teaching ESD require complementary changes within institutions to be sustainable; that initiatives for institutional change focused on equity will further marginalize certain groups unless addressed directly; and that approaches to ESD that prioritize equity also need pedagogical evidence to be effective.

Submissions should be related to Higher Education. Perspectives from the research community, practitioners and those working in policy are all welcome.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Sustainability education, Higher Education, Curriculum Design, Experiential Learning, Institutional Change, Equity and Inclusion, Digital Learning

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.