Assessing competency development in transformative teaching – a real-world lab case study on sustainability self-experiments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21720785 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helena Trenks (0000-0002-7015-6911, University of Vechta), Richard Beecroft (0000-0002-3170-5201, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) , Karlsruhe) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 362-379 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1467-6370 • E-ISSN: 1758-6739 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/ijshe-11-2024-0824 |
| OpenAlex | W7163665882 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 46 |
Purpose The “Framework of Key Competencies in Sustainability” (KCS framework) is a central concept in higher education for sustainable development (HESD) studies. It describes a set of competencies to contribute to sustainability transitions. Its applicability has, however, not sufficiently been tested in real-life settings or fully operationalised. In particular, this study aims to focus on the under-explored link between competency development and teaching practice in transformative settings such as real-world labs. It addresses this gap by capturing the learning impacts in the case of a transformative teaching format applying the KCS framework. Design/methodology/approach To foster sustainability competencies in students, HESD must move towards transformative, problem-based and experiential learning, for example, using real-world labs (RWLs) as transformative learning environments. This case study therefore uses the transformative teaching format “Sustainability Self-Experiment”, developed in the RWL “District Future – Urban Lab” to test and refine the KCS-framework. Competency development was assessed using a qualitative content analysis of students’ research journals (n = 27). Findings Competency development in transformative teaching can be assessed using the KCS framework. However, gaps were identified, indicating that “action competence” requires refinement. In addition, this paper proposes adding “reflection competence” to capture experiential and reflexive learning mechanisms and introduces a “Circular Competency Model for Transformative Teaching” that aligns with an experiential learning cycle. Originality/value This research addresses the need to test the KCS framework empirically, both to develop it further and to bridge the only loosely connected discourses on sustainability competencies and transformative learning and teaching. Sustainability self-experiments serve as an innovative case study with a high potential for transfer. The resulting circular competency model supports transformative teaching formats in HESD through operationalising their educational impacts, as well as enhancing the discourse on RWL impacts
Education for sustainable development · Experiential education · Experiential learning · Qualitative research · Reflexivity · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Transformative learning · Adult and Continuing Education Topics · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Sustainability in Higher Education
Real-World Lab
Do We Teach What We Preach? An International Comparison of Problem- and Project-Based Learning Courses in Sustainability
Education for Sustainable Development
Connecting Competences and Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Higher Education
Critical Thinking, Transformative Learning, Sustainable Education, and Problem-Based Learning in Universities
The Evolution of John Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory
Real‐world learning opportunities in sustainability
Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability
World Inequality Report 2022
Current practice of assessing students’ sustainability competencies
Reallabor versus Realexperiment
Learning in Real-World Laboratories
Wie entfalten Reallabore Wirkung für die Transformation? Eine embedded-agency perspective zur Analyse von Wirkmechanismen in Reallaboren
Labs in the Real World
Impacts of real-world labs in sustainability transformations
Design principles for advancing higher education sustainability learning through transformative research
Transforming sustainability education through transdisciplinary practice
The potential of transformative learning for sustainability transitions
An update of transformative learning theory
Transdisciplinary learning as a key leverage for sustainability transformations
Teaching and learning sustainability
Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework
Key competencies in sustainability
The action competence approach and the ‘new’ discourses of education for sustainable development, competence and quality criteria
Developing key competencies for sustainable development in higher education
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |