Cultivating Sustainability Consciousness: A Review of Transformative Pedagogical Innovations in Asian Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt20252337Keywords:
transformative pedagogy, Education for Sustainable Development, higher education, Asia, culturally responsive teaching, experiential learning, inter-university collaborationAbstract
Introduction: This review examines how transformative pedagogy advances Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Asian higher education. Framed by SDG 4, it explores how universities mobilise pedagogy to cultivate sustainability mindsets, align global agendas with local needs, and integrate culturally responsive approaches across diverse contexts.
Method: A general review was conducted of peer-reviewed studies (2015–2025) indexed in Scopus, ERIC, and DOAJ. Inclusion criteria targeted higher-education research on transformative/critical pedagogy and ESD in Asian countries. Evidence was synthesised through narrative thematic analysis, inductively clustering findings around four dimensions: pedagogical models, institutional supports, cultural adaptations, and implementation challenges.
Results: Institutions across Asia show strengthening commitment to ESD, embedding sustainability in curricula, research, and engagement. Effective pedagogies include experiential and community-based learning, critical dialogue, reflective practices, and design-thinking projects, often supported by ICT. Culturally responsive approaches—integrating indigenous knowledge and place-based inquiry—enhance relevance and student identity formation. Strategic mechanisms (faculty training, sustainability centres, curriculum reform) and cross-sector collaborations expand reach, while inter-university networks enable knowledge co-creation. Reported student outcomes include perspective shifts, empathy, systems thinking, leadership, and social-emotional competencies. Key barriers persist: rigid curricula, teacher-centred methods, limited staff preparedness, misaligned assessment, policy incoherence, and weak incentives for pedagogical innovation.
Conclusions: Transformative pedagogy resonates with Asian values of interdependence and moral cultivation and is pivotal for ESD when implemented through culturally grounded, participatory, and reflective practices. Scaling impact requires institutional reforms (flexible curricula, assessment redesign, staff development), stronger policy alignment, and sustained inter-university collaboration to bridge global aims with local realities.
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