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Education for Sustainable Development—The Case of Massive Open Online Courses

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  • Agnieszka Hajdukiewicz

    (Department of International Trade, Cracow University of Economics, 31-510 Kraków, Poland)

  • Bożena Pera

    (Department of International Trade, Cracow University of Economics, 31-510 Kraków, Poland)

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a key instrument in transforming societies towards sustainable development, which can play a crucial role in the achievement of Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the current status and problems of implementation of Education for Sustainable Development by examining the sustainability-related knowledge content included in the higher education curriculum, with a special focus on the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). We used both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, including keyword analysis of selected MOOCs’ syllabuses, to capture the nature of the studied phenomenon and enable assessment of the degree to which the sustainable development goals are integrated into the learning content. We found that most of 17 SDGs are reflected in the MOOCs learning content, but in case of some learning topics, such as “Zero hunger” and “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions”, a bigger effort should be made to include them more broadly in the curricula. The research results can support educators’ efforts in identifying and incorporating challenging issues within the processes of curriculum development, indicating the need for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, in which sustainability should be mainstreamed into all aspects of education.

Suggested Citation

  • Agnieszka Hajdukiewicz & Bożena Pera, 2020. "Education for Sustainable Development—The Case of Massive Open Online Courses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-20, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8542-:d:428721
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zinette Bergman & Manfred Max Bergman & Kiran Fernandes & Daphne Grossrieder & Lea Schneider, 2018. "The Contribution of UNESCO Chairs toward Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Marialuisa Saviano & Primiano Di Nauta & Marta Maria Montella & Fabiana Sciarelli, 2018. "The Cultural Value of Protected Areas as Models of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    3. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Guido Schmidt-Traub & Mariana Mazzucato & Dirk Messner & Nebojsa Nakicenovic & Johan Rockström, 2019. "Six Transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(9), pages 805-814, September.
    4. Zehui Zhan & Patrick S.W. Fong & Hu Mei & Xuhua Chang & Ting Liang & Zicheng Ma, 2015. "Sustainability Education in Massive Open Online Courses: A Content Analysis Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-27, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marta Cholewa-Wiktor, 2021. "The Concept of Sustainable Development in the Curriculum of the Medical Universities in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 72-86.
    2. Cristina Tripon & Iulia Gonța & Aurelia Bulgac, 2023. "Nurturing Minds and Sustainability: An Exploration of Educational Interactions and Their Impact on Student Well-Being and Assessment in a Sustainable University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-18, June.
    3. Pera Bożena & Hajdukiewicz Agnieszka & Hodak Danijela Ferjanić, 2022. "Digital Competencies among Higher Education Professors and High-School Teachers: Does Teaching Experience matter?," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 72-95, December.
    4. Krystian Bigos & Adam Michalik, 2020. "Do Emotional Competencies Influence Students’ Entrepreneurial Intentions?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-18, December.

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