IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i4p1155-d140709.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exercise on Transdisciplinarity: Lessons from a Field-Based Course on Rural Sustainability in an Aging Society

Author

Listed:
  • Shogo Kudo

    (Graduate Program in Sustainability Science—Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS), The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8563, Japan)

  • Huma Mursaleen

    (Graduate Program in Sustainability Science—Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), Graduate School of Frontier Sciences (GSFS), The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8563, Japan)

  • Barry Ness

    (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS), Lund University, SE-222 70 Lund, Sweden)

  • Masafumi Nagao

    (United Nations University—Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), United Nations University, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan)

Abstract

Sustainability science emerged as a new academic field to address complex sustainability challenges. To train sustainability experts, sustainability science programs and sustainability-focused courses are offered in higher education, especially at the graduate level. Given the diverse topics and the complex structures of sustainability challenges, what are the required knowledge and skills needed for sustainability experts? Although the earlier literature identified key features and competencies, empirical studies on how educational programs in sustainability science provide the necessary training are still scarce. This study addresses this gap by illustrating how a field-based course can contribute in developing core skills for fostering sustainability experts through a case study of field-based course called Global Field Exercise (GFE) in the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science-Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI) at The University of Tokyo. Literature review on the competencies in sustainability science suggests a three-way typology of descriptive-analytical skills, solution-oriented skills, and attitudinal skills. A group of students joined a GFE unit in Akita, Japan, and set “local food and place attachment” as the topic for their fieldwork. The participants conducted semi-structured interviews to three generational groups to illustrate the different perceptions of local food and places. The alternative mechanism of knowledge transmission across generations by local festivals and school events was found. The authors observed the implemented field-based course provided unique learning opportunities to acquire: (i) the ability to perform key competencies collectively instead of individually; (ii) an interdisciplinary-mindset to acknowledge multiple views to topics during group discussions among researchers; (iii) a transdisciplinary-mindset to communicate research outputs with local residents in a communicable way; (iv) the ability to be empathetic to people’s experiences when addressing normative dimensions of sustainability. Although different sets of competencies and approaches for fostering sustainability experts have been studied widely, the field-based approach plays an important role in developing transdisciplinary, interpersonal, and normative competences.

Suggested Citation

  • Shogo Kudo & Huma Mursaleen & Barry Ness & Masafumi Nagao, 2018. "Exercise on Transdisciplinarity: Lessons from a Field-Based Course on Rural Sustainability in an Aging Society," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1155-:d:140709
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/1155/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/1155/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Katja Brundiers & Arnim Wiek, 2013. "Do We Teach What We Preach? An International Comparison of Problem- and Project-Based Learning Courses in Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Tom Dedeurwaerdere, 2013. "Transdisciplinary Sustainability Science at Higher Education Institutions: Science Policy Tools for Incremental Institutional Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-19, September.
    3. Paul Stock & Rob J.F. Burton, 2011. "Defining Terms for Integrated (Multi-Inter-Trans-Disciplinary) Sustainability Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(8), pages 1-24, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schneidewind, Uwe & Singer-Brodowski, Mandy & Augenstein, Karoline & Stelzer, Franziska, 2016. "Pledge for a transformative science: A conceptual framework," Wuppertal Papers 191, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy.
    2. Jung Eon Kwon & Hyung Rok Woo, 2017. "The Impact of Flipped Learning on Cooperative and Competitive Mindsets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Xiaodan Zhou & Ling-Hsiu Chen & Chin-Ling Chen, 2019. "Collaborative Learning by Teaching: A Pedagogy between Learner-Centered and Learner-Driven," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Ming Tang & Huchang Liao & Zhengjun Wan & Enrique Herrera-Viedma & Marc A. Rosen, 2018. "Ten Years of Sustainability (2009 to 2018): A Bibliometric Overview," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    5. O’Connor John, 2022. "Strengthening the science–policy interface in Ireland," Administration, Sciendo, vol. 70(4), pages 29-52, December.
    6. Julia Jouan & Mireille De Graeuwe & Matthieu Carof & Rim Baccar & Nathalie Bareille & Suzanne Bastian & Delphine Brogna & Giovanni Burgio & Sébastien Couvreur & Michał Cupiał & Benjamin Dumont & Anne-, 2020. "Learning Interdisciplinarity and Systems Approaches in Agroecology: Experience with the Serious Game SEGAE," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, May.
    7. Dellaportas, Steven & Xu, Lina & Yang, Zhiqiang, 2022. "The level of cross-disciplinarity in cross-disciplinary accounting research: analysis and suggestions for improvement," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    8. Kranz, Johann & Zeiss, Roman & Beck, Roman & Gholami, Roya & Sarker, Saonee & Watson, Richard T. & Whitley, Edgar A., 2022. "Practicing what we preach? Reflections on more sustainable and responsible IS research and teaching practices," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 116677, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Lineback, Caitlinn B. & McKendree, Melissa G.S. & Schweihofer, Jeannine P. & Buskirk, Daniel D., 2021. "Obtaining Extension Stakeholder Input to Influence Extension Education Programming and Staff Needs," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 3(1), March.
    10. Wyness, Lynne & Dalton, Fiona, 2018. "The value of problem-based learning in learning for sustainability: Undergraduate accounting student perspectives," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-19.
    11. Silvia Albareda-Tiana & Salvador Vidal-Raméntol & Maria Pujol-Valls & Mónica Fernández-Morilla, 2018. "Holistic Approaches to Develop Sustainability and Research Competencies in Pre-Service Teacher Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    12. Emilia Conte, 2018. "The Era of Sustainability: Promises, Pitfalls and Prospects for Sustainable Buildings and the Built Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    13. Matthias Barth & Simon Burandt, 2013. "Adding the “e-” to Learning for Sustainable Development: Challenges and Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(6), pages 1-14, June.
    14. Mercedes Barrachina Fernández & Maria del Carmen García-Centeno & Carmen Calderón Patier, 2021. "Women Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-12, October.
    15. Bailey, Jennifer, 2016. "Adventures in cross-disciplinary studies: Grand strategy and fisheries management," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 18-27.
    16. Jan Činčera & Grzegorz Mikusiński & Bohuslav Binka & Luis Calafate & Cristina Calheiros & Alexandra Cardoso & Marcus Hedblom & Michael Jones & Alex Koutsouris & Clara Vasconcelos & Katarzyna Iwińska, 2019. "Managing Diversity: The Challenges of Inter-University Cooperation in Sustainability Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-16, October.
    17. Theres Konrad & Arnim Wiek & Matthias Barth, 2021. "Learning to Collaborate from Diverse Interactions in Project-Based Sustainability Courses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, September.
    18. Melissa Robson-Williams & Bruce Small & Roger Robson-Williams & Nick Kirk, 2021. "Handrails through the Swamp? A Pilot to Test the Integration and Implementation Science Framework in Complex Real-World Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
    19. Flurina Schneider & Zarina Patel & Katsia Paulavets & Tobias Buser & Jacqueline Kado & Stefanie Burkhart, 2023. "Fostering transdisciplinary research for sustainability in the Global South: Pathways to impact for funding programmes," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Aurelio Tommasetti & Riccardo Mussari & Gennaro Maione & Daniela Sorrentino, 2020. "Sustainability Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector: Towards Public Value Co-Creation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1155-:d:140709. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.