Teacher Views on Teaching Sustainability in Higher Education Institutes in Australia

Abstract

Higher education for sustainable development (HESD) plays a key role in achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research study specifically examined HESD in terms of eLearning initiatives in Australian private higher education providers from the perspective of teachers. A qualitative structured interview method was adopted wherein 10 teachers were interviewed in order to gain an understanding of their general knowledge of HESD, their attitudes and experience towards HESD, their teaching practices related to HESD, and their understandings of strategy as well as planning initiatives for their institution. The main findings suggest that (1) teachers in private higher education providers tend to have a limited knowledge of sustainability concepts and limited experience in teaching sustainability; (2) eLearning can be a valuable approach in teaching sustainability, but this approach presents teachers with challenges such as student engagement; and (3) private higher education providers require proper resources and governance frameworks in order for any sustainability initiative to be successful. This research highlights the resourcing aspect of private higher education providers in training staff, developing learning materials, and developing practical guidelines to achieve the SDGs by 2030.