IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i3p1243-d1331545.html

Nurturing Sustainability Changemakers through Transformative Learning Using Design Thinking: Evidence from an Exploratory Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Macagno

    (Innovation Academy, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Anh Nguyen-Quoc

    (Innovation Academy, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
    University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

  • Suzi P. Jarvis

    (Innovation Academy, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

Globally, society faces significant problems, from climate crisis to persistent poverty. Education for Sustainable Development offers an approach to achieving a sustainable society. The challenge is creating changemakers with the knowledge, mindset, and competencies to innovate. Teaching sustainability tends to be discipline-specific, taught content-heavy via “spoon-feeding” and neglecting student agency changes. To overcome these challenges, we developed a programme to “teach” innovation for sustainability that combines transformative learning and design thinking as the pedagogy. Classes were anchored by solving a real-world sustainability challenge, facilitating experience transformation into new knowledge. Design Thinking is a transdisciplinary methodology that helps different disciplines collaborate on addressing complex problems. However, there is limited empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of this transformative pedagogy in sustainability education. What is the value of combining Design Thinking and Transformative Learning as a pedagogy in sustainability education? Based on the University College Dublin Innovation Academy’s Professional Diploma of Innovation for Sustainability, we address this research question by exploring the impacts of the programme design. Data were collected during and after the programme through students’ reflections and observation field notes of teaching sections. Findings show that the programme design supported developing a sustainability mindset, sustainability literacy, and creative confidence. All characteristics support becoming a changemaker.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Macagno & Anh Nguyen-Quoc & Suzi P. Jarvis, 2024. "Nurturing Sustainability Changemakers through Transformative Learning Using Design Thinking: Evidence from an Exploratory Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1243-:d:1331545
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1243/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/3/1243/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Niki Frantzeskaki & Derk Loorbach & James Meadowcroft, 2012. "Governing societal transitions to sustainability," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 15(1/2), pages 19-36.
    2. Wyness, Lynne & Dalton, Fiona, 2018. "The value of problem-based learning in learning for sustainability: Undergraduate accounting student perspectives," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-19.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Gemma O’Sullivan, 2025. "U-shaped learning: a new model for transdisciplinary education," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Grace Ximena Villanueva-Paredes & Camila Rosario Juarez-Alvarez & Carla Cuya-Zevallos & Elizabeth Susan Mamani-Machaca & Jose David Esquicha-Tejada, 2024. "Enhancing Social Innovation Through Design Thinking, Challenge-Based Learning, and Collaboration in University Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-23, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reichardt, Kristin & Rogge, Karoline S. & Negro, Simona, 2015. "Unpacking the policy processes for addressing systemic problems: The case of the technological innovation system of offshore wind in Germany," Working Papers "Sustainability and Innovation" S2/2015, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
    2. Sampsa Hyysalo & Jani Lukkarinen & Paula Kivimaa & Raimo Lovio & Armi Temmes & Mikael Hildén & Tatu Marttila & Karoliina Auvinen & Sofi Perikangas & Allu Pyhälammi & Janne Peljo & Kaisa Savolainen & L, 2019. "Developing Policy Pathways: Redesigning Transition Arenas for Mid-range Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Ballantine, Joan & Boyce, Gordon & Stoner, Greg, 2024. "A critical review of AI in accounting education: Threat and opportunity," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    4. Valeria Superti & Cynthia Houmani & Ralph Hansmann & Ivo Baur & Claudia R. Binder, 2021. "Strategies for a Circular Economy in the Construction and Demolition Sector: Identifying the Factors Affecting the Recommendation of Recycled Concrete," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-32, April.
    5. Kervall, Mikael & Pålsson, Henrik & Khan, Jamil, 2026. "Sustainable urban freight transition governance in small and medium-sized cities," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    6. Paula Kivimaa & Karoline S. Rogge, 2020. "Interplay of Policy Experimentation and Institutional Change in Transformative Policy Mixes: The Case of Mobility as a Service in Finland," SPRU Working Paper Series 2020-17, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.
    7. Hanna Salmenperä, 2023. "Governing the Transition to Circularity of Textiles – Finnish Companies’ Expectations of Interventions for Change," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 1747-1767, December.
    8. Bettini, Yvette & Brown, Rebekah R. & de Haan, Fjalar J. & Farrelly, Megan, 2015. "Understanding institutional capacity for urban water transitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 65-79.
    9. Bill Slee, 2024. "Collaborative Action, Policy Support and Rural Sustainability Transitions in Advanced Western Economies: The Case of Scotland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-17, January.
    10. Maria Tomai & Shyama V. Ramani & George Papachristos, 2024. "How Can We Design Policy Better? Frameworks and Approaches for Sustainability Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-22, January.
    11. Olsson E. Gunilla Almered, 2018. "Urban food systems as vehicles for sustainability transitions," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 40(40), pages 133-144, June.
    12. Jan Janosch Förster & Linda Downsborough & Lisa Biber-Freudenberger & Girma Kelboro Mensuro & Jan Börner, 2021. "Exploring criteria for transformative policy capacity in the context of South Africa’s biodiversity economy," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 54(1), pages 209-237, March.
    13. Christoph Görg & Ulrich Brand & Helmut Haberl & Diana Hummel & Thomas Jahn & Stefan Liehr, 2017. "Challenges for Social-Ecological Transformations: Contributions from Social and Political Ecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-21, June.
    14. Käsbohrer, Andrea & Rogge, Karoline S. & Zademach, Hans-Martin, 2025. "Regulatory state capacity for accelerating net-zero transitions: Lessons learned from governing electricity storage in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    15. Schäpke, Niko & Omann, Ines & Wittmayer, Julia & van Steenbergen, Frank & Mock, Mirijam, 2016. "Linking transitions and sustainability: A study into social effects of transition management," UFZ Discussion Papers 11/2016, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    16. Apostolou, Barbara & Dorminey, Jack W. & Hassell, John M. & Hickey, Anna, 2019. "Accounting education literature review (2018)," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-27.
    17. Nosihle Veronica Sithole & Matsolo Claurina Mokhampanyane, 2025. "Problem-Based Learning: Enhancing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Accounting Education," Social Sciences and Education Research Review, Department of Communication, Journalism and Education Sciences, University of Craiova, vol. 12(1), pages 362-370, July.
    18. Koens, Ko & Smit, Bert & Melissen, Frans, 2021. "Designing destinations for good: Using design roadmapping to support pro-active destination development," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    19. Ivo Baselt & Sabine Erber & Laurence Monnet & Frédéric Berger & Fabio Carnelli & Lydia Pedoth & Andrea Moro & Elena Bazzan & Rogelio Bonilla, 2025. "From Denial to Acceptance—Leveraging the Five Stages of Grief to Unlock Climate Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-30, October.
    20. Annet Kempenaar, 2021. "Learning to Design with Stakeholders: Participatory, Collaborative, and Transdisciplinary Design in Postgraduate Landscape Architecture Education in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:1243-:d:1331545. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.