Students' Influences on Sustainability Education : Going Beyond Listening to Students' Voices

Sammanfattning: While many actors agree that higher education plays a key role for a sustainability trans- formation of our society, there is no consensus on how higher sustainability education should look like. In this discourse, the students’ perspectives are currently underrepre- sented and their participation rarely goes beyond passive consultation, which means that they cannot have any real influence. Although some authors emphasize the importance of students’ active participation in shaping higher education, little in-depth insights on their perspectives and wishes exist.  This study draws on participatory action research and invited students from around dif- ferent universities and different parts of the world to a collective exchange in online focus groups. Primary data was gathered in the form of audio and video recordings, students’ notes on a digital whiteboard and the provided answers in the registration form. A subsequent thematic analysis and relevance classification of the identified themes yielded valuable insights that can enrich the entire sustainability education discourse with diverse student perspectives. In addition, the relations made to industrial ecology and industrial ecology education throughout the study demonstrate, how the findings can be applied to a specific discipline. Lastly, the study provides some methodological contributions to conducting online focus groups.  The key findings include that sustainability education is often treated as a side topic which is rarely connected to existing subjects of study. However, the students noted that sustainability topics are gaining importance at their universities. They also pointed out that the engagement of the higher education institutions, their leaders and their teachers plays a key role and can either enable or stand in the way of student oriented higher sustainability education.  In addition, students collected thoughts on the importance and manifold ways of student engagement, as well as hurdles and possible enablers for a lively student engagement. The students further discussed about current hegemonies at higher education institutions and the need to share power equally among students, staff and university leaders. Finally, sev- eral suggestions were collected on how higher sustainability education should be shaped in the future. The qualitative nature of the study allows for an in-depth understanding of the students’ perspectives as an antithesis to the superficial evaluation forms commonly used and offers a critical basis for a shift of paradigms in higher education.