Educating for sustainable development: Cultivating creativity through mindfulness

Abstract

Abstract The emotional and cognitive benefits of creativity and mindfulness on the learning process are well documented. However, research on the role of creativity and mindfulness in higher education for sustainable development (HESD) is lacking. This article narrows this research gap by examining the (mis)alignment of managerial and mechanistic educational approaches with HESD, while advocating for teaching students how to learn rather than what to learn, emphasizing the need to cultivate contemplation and creativity, and exploring the opportunities associated with divergent thinking. This article utilizes theoretical inquiry and is grounded in the field of curriculum studies. The author describes how education for sustainable development can be transformed through mindful pedagogy and curriculum. HESD requires that we promote transdisciplinary inquiry and empower students to think and act differently than required within conventional educational approaches. The author argues that infusing mindfulness into higher education curriculum and pedagogy can help students reconceive the role of humans on the planet and cultivate reflection, innovation, and integration to tackle the grand challenges associated with sustainability. Situated at the intersection of sustainability education, creativity, and mindfulness, this work distinguishes itself from other similar scholarship by drawing from autobiographical inquiry, theoretical inquiry, and the broad field of curriculum studies.