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Sustainability: Perspectives of Students as Stakeholders in the Curriculum Krista Hiser, PhD Associate Professor Kapi’olani Community College hiser@hawaii.edu. Purpose of the Study.
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Sustainability: Perspectives of Students as Stakeholders in the Curriculum Krista Hiser, PhD Associate Professor Kapi’olani Community College hiser@hawaii.edu
Purpose of the Study • This study will aid faculty and administrators in understanding exactly what students, as a group, know about sustainability and global environmental issues, as well as what habits they have developed in response, and what their attitudes are toward sustainable practices and the future.
Research Questions • What knowledge, habits, and attitudes about sustainability do current community college students have? LEARNERS • Where have they learned their current knowledge, habits, and attitudes about sustainability? INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES and PROCESSES • What do internal, non-student stakeholders think students should learn about global environmental issues and sustainability in the academic curriculum? PURPOSE
“Community College of the Pacific” • FTE 7174 in 2004, 9102 in Fall 2009 • 22 AA/AS and transfer programs • 89% state residents, 3% non-res, 5.8 Intl • Seven “feeder” high schools • Fall 2009: 475 students from feeder schools
Data Collection • 3 groups of Student Stakeholders
Student Focus Group Protocol • Union of Concerned Scientists (2011): • Energy, global warming, biodiversity, Global Warming, Transportation, Global Security, Food & Agriculture, Invasive Species, Water, Waste Management • 9 focus groups; 40 students total
So What? • Students see themselves as knowledgeable about global warming…. • But they aren’t interested in talking about it. • = knowledge without engagement
So What? within-case comparison of student knowledge • First year students have a more abstract understanding of the issues. • First year students interpret issues (correctly or not) through direct sensory experience. (ie: “it’s getting hotter.”) • Second year students understand real consequences and perceive more solutions. • Nonresident students perceive political and economic disparity and are more critical of the United States.
Visualizing the Data: engagement Low engagement high engagement Detached attitude interested attitude
Visualizing the Data: practices “dark green” (strong) “light green” (weak)
Implications: Physical Environment • Use Campus and Community as laboratory for sustainability • Subsidize and assess learning interactions with campus facilities • Integrate student families and homes with academic curricula • Strategize faculty service • Know that behavior change comes from context, not classrooms
Implications Curriculum • the k-12 sustainability curriculum is not sticking. • support service-learning and civic engagement • promote travel abroad and world-centric perspectives
Implications Pedagogy • Incorporate multisensory, somatic learning • Stop Teaching Problems • leverage collaboration and communication technology
Further Research • Case study of college graduates exhibiting sustainability habitus • Ethnographic research on sustainability practices in the home • Quantitative Analysis of current MTF data