Gisela Cebrián Bernat, who has just completed her PhD under the supervision of Dr Marcus Grace and Professor Debra Humphris, has been awarded a University of Southampton Students’ Union ‘Sustainability Action Award’ (Runner-up in the ‘Outstanding Student Award’ category). Gisela’s doctoral research focused on the development of an organisational learning model to embed education for sustainability within the undergraduate curriculum at the University of Southampton. An action research approach was used, adopting a critical friend position within a community of practice, with the aim to learn from real practice through acting as a facilitator for curriculum development in education for sustainability across an interdisciplinary group of five academic staff members. An evidence-based model (the ‘I3E Model’) has been developed with four overarching components that can support the University of Southampton in its aim to embed education for sustainability within the undergraduate curriculum. These integrated components are: Inform the university community about sustainability; Engage the different university stakeholders in the change process towards sustainability; Empower individuals and groups to make change happen within their sphere of influence and action; and Embed sustainability within existing university structures.

Posted By : MSHE