Mainstreaming sustainability considerations into courses in a Kenyan university
by David Ongare; Ayub Macharia; George Ndegwa; Maushe Kidundo
International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability (IJHES), Vol. 1, No. 2, 2016

Abstract: Sustainable development is an evolving concept which requires local interpretation. Curriculum frameworks offer a unique opportunity for learning institutions to contribute to sustainability practices in their countries. This study set out to explore how sustainability principles could be incorporated in courses in a typical public university in Kenya. It took into account the potential that the higher education institutions could play in shaping the development of the country bearing in mind Kenya was an active participant in the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in line with Agenda 21 recommendations. The country has also developed a green economy strategy that it expects all sectors to contribute to. A constructivism approach was used in the study with purposive sampling used to select 100 study subjects for this exercise. A workshop model was employed. It was important to deal with the apprehensions regarding the benefits of greening university courses. Getting management support and using a whole-school approach were beneficial in facilitating the study. It is important to upscale capacity building on sustainability and course review at all levels in the university. It is also critical to link the curriculum review efforts to the university's education for sustainable development policy.

Online publication date: Wed, 07-Dec-2016

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability (IJHES):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com