Beyond the concepts: what faculty need to feel ready to teach sustainability in the classroom | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Seneca Polytechnic

In Beyond the Concepts, primary investigators, Carmen Schlamb, Professor, School of English & Liberal Studies, and Nadia Kelton, Professor, School of Environmental & Civil Engineering Techonlogy, investigated how faculty exploration of diverse modes of inquiry (e.g., arts-based, narrative, land-based, etc.) supports faculty understanding of sustainability and helps inform their thinking on how to teach sustainability in the classroom. The project measures participants’  understanding of sustainability and their feelings of readiness to teach sustainability concepts.  

Project findings indicate,  

• A substantial increase in faculty feelings regarding their understanding of sustainability after engagement with diverse modes of inquiry;  
• A substantial increase in faculty feelings regarding their readiness to teach sustainability in their classrooms;  
• Faculty may benefit from (a) management support, (b) access to content, materials and professional development associated with sustainability, (c) a clear understanding of how their work is connecting to a larger vision, and (d) regular opportunities to connect and collaborate with others.  

This project offers insight into how faculty are navigating the challenge of infusing sustainability into their curriculum. As faculty become more aware of their thoughts and feelings regarding their readiness to teach sustainability, students will benefit from this awareness when faculty develop course curriculum. Students may also benefit if faculty choose to adopt diverse modes of inquiry when exploring sustainability in their courses, which may support EDI within the classroom.