Developing, articulating and evidencing sustainability knowledge and skills

Our student research co-creation group is pursuing a LITE research project focused on enabling diverse student and staff voices in sustainability competences definition, articulation and development. The group is made up of Angela, Fraser, Isabel, Amani and Alok from the student sustainability society, and Vasiliki and Clare, University staff members from the School of Earth and Environment and the Sustainability Service.

We are co-creating research questions, methods and tools for the project so that we can include diverse, creative and challenging views from the start. In our first meeting, we acknowledged that sustainability can be a fuzzy concept, meaning different things to different people, and that university educators may view it as an add on to what they teach their students rather than a core principle. Students want more meaningful connections and opportunities for engaging with sustainability both through their programmes of study and through extra-curricular roles that can help them engage with the University’s Climate Plan or broader sustainability activity beyond campus. There is also the view that university educators, particularly staff who do not teach sustainability degrees, should be empowered to embed sustainability in their modules, programmes or other activities, through appropriate teaching and learning methods so that all students can benefit.

The university has a role to play in enabling embedding of sustainability and the Sustainable Curriculum principle is helping to achieve this. Student co-creators deem knowledge and skills for sustainability crucial, not only for their practical application in making personal decisions and pursuing sustainability-related careers, but also for enabling long lasting and systemic change in society.

Our student co-creators told us what contributing to the research project has meant for them:

I wanted to participate in this research project for two main reasons. First, I am very passionate about sustainability and feel like I should be doing more on my own part in regards to the climate crisis. I believe this is a good stepping stone to get me more engaged with sustainability. Also, I have very limited experience with research projects and wanted the opportunity to take part in one. - Fraser

I found it interesting that there was an opportunity to be a co-creator within this research project rather than a participant. I think it’s important for students to have a voice representing them on a topic that is focused on them. I also haven’t came across this area much in my studies so was interested to find out more by participating. - Angela

I have been looking for an opportunity to contribute to the University's sustainability efforts for a few months now and to be in a group of like-minded peers working together. I have also been researching Net Zero plans by corporate companies in my modules and this was an opportunity for me to find out what happens behind the scenes and contribute to it at the same time. - Isabel

I wanted to participate in this research project as the focus is sustainability which resonates with my degree. I hope that this research project develops my own skills and knowledge of sustainability and provides some experience that I can showcase in future professional roles. - Amani

I wanted to take part in this research project because I think environmental degrees need to do more to equip students with the skills they’ll actually use in sustainability careers.  I am interested in exploring how sustainability competences can be better defined, developed, and assessed in ways that are more practical and inclusive. This project is a great opportunity to contribute to shaping how universities embed sustainability into education in a way that prepares students for the future. - Alok

The next step for the project is to bring together students and staff from the University of Leeds to share their views on what sustainability competences are, and how students and staff can be best supported to teach, learn, develop, articulate and evidence these competences.