Higher education for sustainable development in South Africa and Brazil : a comparative study

Abstract

Countries globally are grappling with challenges such as food insecurity, poverty, inequality, economic growth, and climate change. The emergence of Covid-19 has exacerbated the aforesaid challenges and revealed the true nature of inequality in developing countries such as South Africa and Brazil. Now, more than ever, citizens globally require a type of education instilling knowledge, skills, behaviours and values that will enable them to take actions towards sustainable development. In other words, education for sustainable development (ESD) is necessary if the world is to mitigate current environmental, economic and social challenges. Higher educational institutions (HEIs) play a pivotal role in the quest for sustainable development, as these institutions develop future leaders, policymakers, business owners, and community leaders. The curriculum, research, extension activities and strategic planning of HEIs should be geared towards ESD, which has the potential to create a humane and fair world. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the effectiveness of HEIs in South Africa and Brazil in implementing ESD. In order to address the research objectives of this study, qualitative document analysis, following the principles of grounded theory, was employed, grounded in a postmodern research paradigm. The purpose of this study was distinctive, as scholarly literature is calling for more studies on the implementation of ESD in HEIs and in developing countries. In addition, the limited available research focuses on the environmental dimension of sustainability and sustainability in primary and secondary education, whereas less attention is devoted to higher education. This study addressed the latter. The findings reveal that South African and Brazilian HEIs have made considerable progress towards the implementation of ESD in their mission and vision statements, research, and extension activities. However, for improved implementation, ESD should be better inserted into the curricula and teaching practices of South African and Brazilian HEIs. In addition, there is an urgent need to provide training for educators and prospective teachers on sustainability-related pedagogical knowledge and competencies. The findings lead to the conclusion that the effective implementation of ESD will require a holistic approach of HEIs. This means that sustainability principles, knowledge and actions are clear in all academic activities and practices. Support from HEIs’ leaders is imperative in this regard.