Education for sustainable development in higher education: evaluating coherence between theory and praxis

Amador, Filomena; Martinho, Ana Paula; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Oliveira, Carla Padrel de; Caeiro, Sandra

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.2/9145

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Authors

Amador, Filomena

Martinho, Ana Paula

Nicolau, Paula Bacelar

Oliveira, Carla Padrel de

Caeiro, Sandra

Abstract(s)

Universities are an important part of the process of change taking place in society. However this is often overshadowed by the fact that institutions give priority to technocratic models in the relationship between science and society. In this context, according to Jϋrgen Habermas’ perspective, theories can serve to clarify practical questions and guide praxis into the right actions (social emancipation and rational autonomy). Habermas introduces the need to evaluate the particular contexts in which scientific arguments are made and assessed. The aim of this paper is to develop a set of assessment criteria for education for sustainable development in higher education curricula. These were developed in line with the Habermasian idea and introducing also further adaptions within the context of Education for Sustainable Development. These criteria were tested in a b-learning Master programme in Environmental Citizenship and Participation at the Universidade Aberta, Portugal. The following research tools were used: i) a questionnaire survey to the graduates; ii) content analysis applied to the information guide and to the abstracts of the dissertations that were produced. The application of the criteria on the case study revealed that on Higher Education curricula, an absence of theoretical frameworks could lead to inconsistencies between theory and praxis. Improvements to curricula are then drawn from this study.