Education For Sustainability (EFS) as a lived experience at a land grant university (MSU): a case study of MSU teaching faculty

Abstract

Sustainability is a contentious and awkward topic to teach. Increasing concern and awareness of sustainability issues drives a need to study sustainability through an education lens. Education, specifically Higher Education (HE), is a vital source in understanding and ultimately addressing sustainability issues. However, HE institutions continue to promote unsustainable patterns on a local, regional, and global scale. There is an alignment between MSU's mission as a land grant institution and that of Educations for Sustainability (EfS). The shared mission is to serve local regions and citizens by addressing local, regional, and global issues through education, research, and service. This exploratory qualitative study aims to examine and describe the lived experiences of educators at MSU who teach 'fundamental' EfS courses. Data collected is from Interviews, course artifacts, a survey, and observations from the sample of four (n=4) MSU faculty and their courses. The research used a collective case study methodology. A central finding of this study is the faculty's dedication to accurately representing the complexities of sustainability to their students. The faculty's beliefs and experiences manifest in their courses by promoting inclusive scholarship and adaptable course design. This study offers a reflection of a small sample of MSU faculty teaching EfS to promote further research into EfS at MSU.