Engaging head, heart and hands: Holistic learning approach for education for sustainable development

Abstract

Abstract

Sustainable development requires simultaneous and balanced progress in four dimensions i.e; social, economic, ecological and political, those are totally interdependent. Sustainability issues often regarded as complex and difficult to be understood through single discipline. Therefore education for sustainability learning requires integration of various teaching and learning approaches. With this concern in mind, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the holistic learning approach which engaging the head, heart and hands, for Education for Sustainable Development in one higher education institutions in Malaysia. By using the multiple case study design, three sustainability related courses which are from various disciplines was selected as cases. The findings from the semi-structured interview with the lecturers, focus group with students, class observations and course outline analysis showed the unifying framework of head, heart and hands learning and teaching approach. This unifying learning approaches that engage and develops the "whole person": affective, cognitive and practical dimensions and abilities, and in relation to "real-world" issues and concerns, seems provide better opportunity for learning for education for sustainability.

Keywords: Education for sustainable development, higher education, transformative learning, systemic learning.