Attitude & Practices of Higher Education Teachers about “Teaching for Sustainable Development” in the UK

Abstract

This research paper explores the views and perceptions of academics towards embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into their academic practices and presents study findings on academics’ views on ESD. This study utilized anonymous questionnaires to obtain participant opinions. Participants were encouraged to share personal practices around ESD. This study observed that academics have a diverse perception of the ESD concept, and most academics are aware of ESD to some extent. The results indicate the presence of a statistical relationship between academics’ years of experience in higher education (HE) and their awareness of ESD. Also, early career academics are more likely to be open to incorporating ESD into their teaching practices. In addition to these, this paper discussed that while academics may or may not already be incorporating ESD into their teaching practices, institutional commitment to embedding ESD into policies, staff training, curriculum development, and assessment is critical in ensuring effective integration of ESD into HE.