Sustainability: Perspectives of Students as Stakeholders in the Curriculum Krista Hiser, PhD Associate Professor Kapi’olani Community College

Purpose of the Study This study will aid faculty and administrators in understanding exactly what students, as a group, know about sustainability and global environmental issues, as well as what habits they have developed in response, and what their attitudes are toward sustainable practices and the future.

Research Questions What knowledge, habits, and attitudes about sustainability do current community college students have? LEARNERS Where have they learned their current knowledge, habits, and attitudes about sustainability? INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES and PROCESSES What do internal, non-student stakeholders think students should learn about global environmental issues and sustainability in the academic curriculum? PURPOSE

Theoretical Framework: Lattuca & Stark (2009)

“Community College of the Pacific” FTE 7174 in 2004, 9102 in Fall AA/AS and transfer programs 89% state residents, 3% non-res, 5.8 Intl Seven “feeder” high schools Fall 2009: 475 students from feeder schools

Data Collection 3 groups of Student Stakeholders

Student Focus Group Protocol Union of Concerned Scientists (2011): Energy, global warming, biodiversity, Global Warming, Transportation, Global Security, Food & Agriculture, Invasive Species, Water, Waste Management 9 focus groups; 40 students total

So What? Students see themselves as knowledgeable about global warming…. But they aren’t interested in talking about it. = knowledge without engagement

So What? within-case comparison of student knowledge First year students have a more abstract understanding of the issues. First year students interpret issues (correctly or not) through direct sensory experience. (ie: “it’s getting hotter.”) Second year students understand real consequences and perceive more solutions. Nonresident students perceive political and economic disparity and are more critical of the United States.

Visualizing the Data: engagement Low engagementhigh engagement Detached attitude interested attitude

Visualizing the Data: practices “dark green” (strong) “light green” (weak)

Quadrants of Analysis Q 1 Sociocultural practices Q2 Sustainability habitus Q3 Karmic Retribution Q4 Dissonance

Implications: Physical Environment Use Campus and Community as laboratory for sustainability Subsidize and assess learning interactions with campus facilities Integrate student families and homes with academic curricula Strategize faculty service Know that behavior change comes from context, not classrooms

Implications Curriculum the k-12 sustainability curriculum is not sticking. support service-learning and civic engagement promote travel abroad and world-centric perspectives

Implications Pedagogy Incorporate multisensory, somatic learning Stop Teaching Problems leverage collaboration and communication technology

Further Research Case study of college graduates exhibiting sustainability habitus Ethnographic research on sustainability practices in the home Quantitative Analysis of current MTF data