Teaching for a Better World. Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals in the Construction of a Change-Maker University

Francisco Zamora-Polo,Jesús Sánchez-Martín

doi:10.3390/su11154224

Francisco Zamora-Polo, Jesús Sánchez-Martín

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154224

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Aug 5, 2019
Citations: 131	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad de Sevilla, University of Extremadura

Abstract

Sustainability, as a key concept in the education field, has submitted a relevant change during the last years. Thus, there is a growing debate about its meaning. It has undergone a crucial merging of significances from many fields: Ecology, environmental awareness, but also from politics, ethics or even spiritual approaches. All these fields have been co-involved in the building of such subject concept. In this sense, this article addresses the different ways of understanding sustainability as a polyhedral concept and how sustainability can be understood under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Furthermore, it is proposed a conceptual framework to teach this UN Program at Higher Education, contributing to the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students from both a professional and a personal point of view. This framework is applied in a case study—in particular, in a course of Primary Teacher Degree called Didactics of Matter and Energy. This article finishes with practical consideration to build a change-maker University.

Highlights

Sustainability, SDGs and the New Paradigm of Integral EcologySustainable Development Goals (SDGs) arose in 2015 inside the United Nations Assembly [1] and were rapidly included in the particular countries’ agenda
This article addresses the different ways of understanding sustainability as a polyhedral concept and how sustainability can be understood under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Lozano et al (2017) [16] explored the relationship that should be articulated between the field of competences and the methodologies that should be used for their development in sustainability education

Summary

Introduction

Sustainability, SDGs and the New Paradigm of Integral EcologySustainable Development Goals (SDGs) arose in 2015 inside the United Nations Assembly [1] and were rapidly included in the particular countries’ agenda. In Spain, they were subsumed in the so-called España Horizonte 2030 Project [2]. The care of the planet acquires fundamental importance for the achievement of the SDGs. The agenda puts concepts, such as ecology or sustainability at the center of the debate, including topics, such as circular production, zero waste or green and sustainable economy in the vision of human development. The agenda puts concepts, such as ecology or sustainability at the center of the debate, including topics, such as circular production, zero waste or green and sustainable economy in the vision of human development It seems human beings’ future is absolutely and univocally linked to our planet’s future, and all citizens of the planet must be involved in this purpose [3]. The relevance of integral ecology, which includes environmental aspects, and sociological, economic, or ethical ones, may drive to the paradigm of Sustainable Human Development (SHD) [4]

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