The Change Project Approach as an Action Research Strategy to Nurture Professional and Curriculum Development in Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education

Shepherd Urenje

Summary:  There is an ever-increasing demand for a different educational approach to address the challenges of sustainable and equitable development that matches the pace of global change. This paper will highlight the urgency for quality and relevance in education as a response to the current global dysfunction. It will show why and how the role of education needs to change to confront 21st-century global challenges by integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into higher education. Findings emerging from cycles of participatory action research surveys and interviews established that the Baltic University Programme (BUP) ESD Course has complemented efforts to meet these challenges in three areas: access to an emerging ESD community of practice, upholding the quality of work and supporting continuing professional development. However, despite making an important contribution, the course still falls short of the ultimate ESD aim: to transform transmission education into lifelong learning experiences.