A Mixed Methods Longitudinal Study On Learning Results In An Innovative Sustainability Study Model – Qualitative And Quantitative Research Design

Author(s):

Simon Burandt(submitting)Anna Sundermann(presenting)Gerd Michelsen

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

30. Environmental and Sustainability Education Research (ESER)

Format:

Poster

Session Information

30 SES 05.5 PS, General Poster Session

General Poster Session

Time:

2014-09-03

12:30-14:00

Room:

Poster Area E (in front of B001-B003)

Chair:

Jonas Lysgaard

Contribution

Evaluation/Measurement of learning outcomes of ESD gains momentum. Evaluation methods are becoming more sophisticated and ESD research integrates more and more traditional educational and psychological research – especially in the field of competence measurement (Rode, 2013).

Research focusses on evaluation of single courses (Barth & Rieckmann, 2013; Shephard et al., 2013), but so far there is only little research done on direct and long-term effects on learning outcomes of HESD in a higher education curriculum (Shephard, Mann, Smith, & Deaker, 2009). One reason might be that only a few cases worldwide exist which can be studied. See Shephard et al. (2013) for further reasons.

In recent years, the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany) has carried out the necessary restructuring of the existing higher education curriculum within the framework of the Bologna process as an opportunity to fundamentally change its courses of study. Within this process, the consideration of sustainable development as a guiding principle played a crucial role. The reorientation of university curricula under the framework of the Bologna Process was used to implement previous experiences in HESD. Since the winter semester of 2007/08, all Bachelor programmes at Leuphana University have followed a single study model, which consists of a Major, a Minor, complementary studies and the Leuphana Semester as the first study semester (Barth & Timm, 2011). This Leuphana Bachelor is characterised by a compulsory module on sustainability (called ‘Science bears Responsibility’) for all students, which embraces one third of the whole study load in the first semester, and also sustainability related modules within the so called complementary studies (three additional modules) during the following semesters.

In October 2012 we started a longitudinal study using a mixed method approach to examine the impacts of the complete study model on students’ affective attributes for example attitudes, values, and interests during the six semesters of study. At the end we would like to evaluate how students learn and develop themselves through the Leuphana study model and also if students from different subjects (within Leuphana) or different higher education institutions have different learning outcomes especially in terms of affective attributes in context of sustainability competencies.

The poster illustrates the design of the longitudinal study with both quantitative and qualitative elements. Selected items, questions and results are taken to illustrate how to triangulate qualitative and quantitative results.

Method

The longitudinal study was started in October 2012. A mixed method approach was chosen und developed to examine different affective attributes of competencies which are relevant in the discourse on key competencies or shaping competence. Construct for the quantitative survey have been adapted from existing psychological or educational studies, some have been developed by us; e.g. environmental attitudes, coping with uncertainty and complexity, values, perception of self-efficacy or options to act. Since October 2013 a revised methodological set was applied to the new cohort, also the study was extended to control groups in German higher education institutions. Now two cohorts are in the quantitative part of the longitudinal study. Data is collected at least each two semesters in each cohort. The cohorts consist of ~ 1600 students and we have reached a response rate of ~50%. We firstly needed to benchmark the cohorts in October 2012 and October 2013 in their first semester, because we believe that various groups have been formed before they start at university. Now we are starting to monitor changes over time during their following semesters at Leuphana University. The questionnaires are accompanied by qualitative group interviews with focus for example on learning processes, types of learning and barriers for learning. These qualitative results will be analysed based on qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2010). Finally we are going to compare and triangulate all data to monitor changes over time within and between student´s affective attributes. As a result we try to maximize our understanding of the effects of the full integration of sustainability in higher education

Expected Outcomes

The results of the quantitative survey of the longitudinal study show that climate change, poverty and justice are top priority topics for the first semester students. Already at the beginning of the first semester, differences in attitudes and behaviour can be observed between students from different Major courses (disciplines). After the first semester individual changes have occurred, e.g. voluntary participation in initiatives has strongly increased. Qualitative results explore needs, thoughts and learning processes of students especially in terms of learning outcomes and learning. Different types of students in terms of different learning processes and understanding of sustainability can be identified and described. So far it seems that different types of “sustainability-learners” do not correlate with different subjects of study, but with attitudes and previous knowledge and (previous) interest in sustainability. Also barriers and motivation for learning, different teaching and learning types are identified in relation to “sustainable” outcomes. This poster shall not put too much into focus the results of the study as we want to present our results in a paper session. The design of the study, different constructs and ideas and options for triangulation shall be presented and be used as basis for discussion and exchange for a further development of our study and inspiration of new studies.

References

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Author Information

Simon Burandt (submitting)

Leuphana University Lueneburg

UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development

Lueneburg

Anna Sundermann (presenting)

Leuphana University Lueneburg, Germany

Gerd Michelsen