According to UNESCO (2023), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) "gives learners of all ages the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality. It empowers learners of all ages to make informed decisions and take individual and collective action to change society and care for the planet. ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education. It enhances the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral dimensions of learning and encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment itself.” 

ESD is grounded in cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioral dimensions of learning that lead to changes in understanding, perspectives, attitudes, and actions. Experiential learning that transforms learners in ways that lead to changes in behavior is at the core both ESD and transformative learning more broadly. See Michel et al. (2020) for an in-depth discussion of transformative sustainability learning and its relationship to transformative learning theory.  

How are transformative learning and sustainability learning connected? 

Transformative Teaching and Learning “generates new mindsets, new perspectives, and new behaviors. Thus, inherent in the purpose of good [Education for Sustainability] is transformative learning” (Michel et al., 2020, p. 185). 

How do High-Impact Practices (HIPs) fit in? 

Key elements of transformative learning experiences include collaborative group work, substantive interactions with diverse groups of people, reflection, and the integration of scholarly and practical experiences. These key elements can be found within what are referred to as High-Impact Practices, or HIPs—teaching and learning practices that decades of research in higher education has demonstrated offer significant educational benefits for students. The eleven HIPs described by AAC&U represent specific strategies for experiential learning with transformative potential. For example, Service or Community-Based Learning offers students opportunities to challenge their assumptions and preconceived ideas by learning within the context of “real world” initiatives. Students often describe well-designed community-engaged learning as “life-changing” and can articulate changes in attitudes, perspectives, and understanding that resulted. 

Learn more about Georgia Tech’s Transformative Teaching and Learning Initiatives.

Learn more about Georgia Tech’s Sustainability Education initiatives.