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Promoting Sustainability in Institutions of Higher Education—The Perspective of University Teachers

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Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education

Part of the book series: World Sustainability Series ((WSUSE))

Abstract

Despite common agreement on the importance of integrating sustainability into universities, the level of progress made in that process varies greatly in different countries and academic institutions. At the University of Belgrade, efforts are being made to integrate sustainability issues into the curriculum of certain studies, while slow progress is seen within other areas of sustainability. Because of the importance of teachers in promoting and integrating sustainability in universities, the focus of this paper is on their perspective and the challenges they face in performing this complex role in the academic and wider community. This paper contains the results of a survey of teachers, performed at selected faculties of the University of Belgrade. The aim was to gain insight into the teachers’ own assessment of the role they play and the barriers they perceive in promoting sustainability, within the specific context of their respective academic institutions. The teachers’ perceptions and needs expressed in this research offer a foundation for further discussion of the existing situation and the potential for improvement, using lessons learnt from international experience, together with knowledge of the unique local context.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Pedagogy and Andragogy, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Cika Ljubina 18-20, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia

    Violeta Orlovic Lovren

Authors
  1. Violeta Orlovic Lovren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Violeta Orlovic Lovren .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. FTZ-ALS, HAW Hamburg , Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro , Aveiro, Portugal

    Ulisses M. Azeiteiro

  3. DCSG, CEF, Universidade de Coimbra and Universidade Aberta, PT, Porto, Portugal

    Fátima Alves

  4. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

    Petra Molthan-Hill

Appendix: Survey Questions

Appendix: Survey Questions

  1. 1.

    Gender:

    1. (1)

      Male

    2. (2)

      Female

  2. 2.

    The title of the Faculty:

  3. 3.

    Number of years of teaching experience:

  4. 4.

    Within the subjects you teach, sustainable development is included:

    1. (a)

      As one of the issues

    2. (b)

      As the key concept

    3. (c)

      Not included at all

  5. 5.

    Please estimate the degree in which the following activities are incorporated into your practice (1) never; (2) sometimes; (3) on a regular basis

    1. 5.1:
      1. (a)

        Involving students in scientific projects

      2. (b)

        Involving students in applied projects in the local community

      3. (c)

        Stimulating volunteering of students in local institutions/organizations

    2. 5.2:
      1. (a)

        Involving guest-lecturers in the teaching

      2. (b)

        Involving co-mentors from the practice

      3. (c)

        Joint action research with practitioners from the local community

    3. 5.3:
      1. (a)

        You actively participate in public advocacy for environmental, humanitarian issues of interest for your local community

      2. (b)

        You volunteer in local organization/actions of interest for your community

      3. (c)

        You personally contribute to energy saving, recycling…and other forms of sustainable behavior in your work and private life

  6. 6.

    Please mark the intensity of barriers/difficulties you face in performing the activities listed above (1) low; (2) medium; (3) high

    1. (a)

      Students are not interested/prepared for the engagement

    2. (b)

      Low interest of local community representatives

    3. (c)

      Lack of interest of local practitioners

    4. (d)

      Lack of support in the institution

    5. (e)

      Lack of time and effort that should be invested

  7. 7.

    Please select the answer that most closely describes the situation at your academic institution:

    1. 1.

      Faculty has a developed strategy and is intensively working on incorporation of sustainability in all aspects of its operation, including curricula changing

    2. 2.

      There are fragmented elements of sustainability incorporated in some aspects of faculty operation

    3. 3.

      Sustainability has not been seriously taken into consideration, neither at strategic nor at the operational level

  8. 8.

    Please select one of barriers listed below for integrating sustainability into policy and operation at your academic institution, or add a barrier not listed:

    1. 1.

      Lack of finances

    2. 2.

      Lack of strategic orientation/institutional policy

    3. 3.

      Lack of willingness and awareness of employees

    4. 4.

      Lack of external support

    5. 5.

      Other, please state:

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Lovren, V.O. (2017). Promoting Sustainability in Institutions of Higher Education—The Perspective of University Teachers. In: Leal Filho, W., Azeiteiro, U., Alves, F., Molthan-Hill, P. (eds) Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47877-7_32

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