Education for sustainable development in the university curriculum: cooperative action research with teachers

Abstract

This article presents a case of cooperative action research, carried out at the University of Southampton
(uk), with the aim of promoting curriculum and professional development in education for sustainable
development (esd) and learning from the day-to-day practices of academic staff. An interdisciplinary
working group of five university teachers from different disciplines (Education, Archaeology, Computer
engineering, Biology and Health sciences) was established to support the group's critical reflection and
action to incorporate esd into their teaching practice. Results in curriculum development and innovation
are presented, as well as evidence showing the positive impact of the facilitator role. As the results show,
this role allowed for reflection and action, along with the identification of the specific needs of the participating university faculty and the factors that influence their participation and action.