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Moral Education for Sustainable Development: Comparison of University Teachers’ Perceptions in China and Pakistan

Author

Listed:
  • Tahseen Asif

    (Department of Ideological and Political Education, School of Social Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China)

  • Ouyang Guangming

    (Department of Ideological and Political Education, School of Social Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China)

  • Muhammad Asif Haider

    (Beaconhouse School System, Potohar Campus, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan)

  • Jordi Colomer

    (Department of Physics and Teaching Innovation Networks on Reflective and Cooperative Learning, Institute of Sciences Education, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain)

  • Sumaira Kayani

    (Department of Physical Education, Zhejiang University, XiXi Campus, 148 TianMuShan Road, Hangzhou 310028, China
    Department of Education, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab 46300, Pakistan)

  • Noor ul Amin

    (Faculty of Department of Education, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology, Karachi 75300, Pakistan)

Abstract

Sustainable development is promoted when the system of education provides the learners with an opportunity to equip themselves with moral values, skills, and competences that assist them in effecting personal and community positive changes. For this purpose, teachers play an important role as moral agents, and students consider the teacher a role model. Therefore, the understanding and beliefs of teachers regarding moral education play a pivotal role in grooming the personality of the learners. This comparative study aimed to assess the practices and beliefs of university teachers regarding moral education in China and Pakistan. A mixed-method approach was used and data analysis was performed by using an interactive model and ANOVA. Responses of twelve tertiary teachers were collected from Pakistan and China for qualitative analysis. Seven themes were constructed that categorized teachers’ practice in the classroom and their beliefs regarding moral education. For quantitative analysis, 300 teachers’ responses were collected using a validated questionnaire. The results showed that the majority of Pakistani teachers hold a conservative mindset. According to the Pakistani teachers’ perspective, sovereignty of divine laws, loyalty to the constitution of the state, and a sense of serving society were the ultimate aims of moral education. Chinese teachers were promoting a political ideology that stressed collectivism in a socialist approach, with family and social values being most relevant. Not a single teacher reported using a theoretical or research-based approach while teaching in the class. In the light of the dearth of literature, this study has implications for future research in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and Islamic Studies in higher education, as it is a longitudinal study that provided insight into how teachers’ beliefs and attitudes are shaped over time and from moral educational experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Tahseen Asif & Ouyang Guangming & Muhammad Asif Haider & Jordi Colomer & Sumaira Kayani & Noor ul Amin, 2020. "Moral Education for Sustainable Development: Comparison of University Teachers’ Perceptions in China and Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:3014-:d:343313
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eileen Merritt & Annie Hale & Leanna Archambault, 2018. "Changes in Pre-Service Teachers’ Values, Sense of Agency, Motivation and Consumption Practices: A Case Study of an Education for Sustainability Course," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pnina Steinberger & Yovav Eshet & Keren Grinautsky, 2021. "No Anxious Student Is Left Behind: Statistics Anxiety, Personality Traits, and Academic Dishonesty—Lessons from COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Shiyuan Gan & Xuejing Yang & Bilal Alatas, 2023. "A Multi-Module Information-Optimized Approach to English Language Teaching and Development in the Context of Smart Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-13, October.
    3. Preeta Hinduja & Razia Fakir Mohammad & Sohni Siddiqui & Shahnaz Noor & Altaf Hussain, 2023. "Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan: A Systematic Review of Progress and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-19, February.
    4. Ciprian Obrad, 2020. "Constraints and Consequences of Online Teaching," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-23, August.
    5. Odeh Al-Jayyousi & Evren Tok & Shereeza Mohamed Saniff & Wan Norhaniza Wan Hasan & Noora Abdulla Janahi & Abdurahman J. Yesuf, 2022. "Re-Thinking Sustainable Development within Islamic Worldviews: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-26, June.
    6. Eirini Leriou & Andreas Kollias & Anna Anastasopoulou, 2022. "Understanding and Measuring Child Well-Being in the Region of Attica, Greece: Round Two," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(1), pages 315-347, February.

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