What is needed to act as a professional change agent for sustainability? A scoping review

Bibliographic Data

ID14201246
AuthorsMandy Singer-Brodowski (0000-0002-9176-318X, University of Regensburg, corresponding author), Gianna-Maria Henkel (Deutsche Energy Agency (Germany)), Alexandra Reith (0009-0007-0193-2757, University of Vechta), Pascal Frank (0000-0001-6130-0099, Wageningen University & Research), Marco Rieckmann (0000-0002-1212-7346, University of Vechta)
Year2025
Volume72
Issue1
Pages11-35
Publication date2025-02-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Review of Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-8566 • E-ISSN: 1573-0638
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s11159-024-10092-8
OpenAlexW4407132757
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited59

Professionals across diverse work environments play a crucial role in facilitating and accelerating essential transformations towards sustainability. Recognising the urgent need to avert severe, irreversible harm to vital Earth systems, professional actors have been increasingly identified as a key target group for sustainability-related training programmes. While Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) scholarship has significantly contributed to identifying key competences of higher education programmes, there is a noticeable gap in research dedicated to competences needed from a professional perspective. This gap makes it challenging to design training programmes to foster such competences. To address this research gap, the authors of this article conducted a scoping review on SCOPUS, Web of Science and ERIC to identify professional sustainability competences outlined in the literature. Furthermore, they examined training activities designed to cultivate these competences and corresponding evaluation practices. By evaluating the abstracts of 475 identified articles, a sample of 37 papers was generated, which were then coded based on a qualitative content analysis. The results show that, consistent with higher education learning outcomes, systems thinking competence, interpersonal competence and strategic competence are particularly relevant. Anticipatory competence, however, assumes a secondary role, while intrapersonal competence and implementation competence – contrary to the higher education context – are considered as not emerging but pivotal. In addition, leadership competence emerges as particularly relevant in the professional field. Finally, this review indicates that intentional competence development in professional training is often not thoroughly evaluated

Business · Engineering ethics · Knowledge management · Political science · Process management · Public relations · Sociology · Sustainability · Computer Science · Engineering · Higher Education and Employability · Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration · Sustainability in Higher Education

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