Sustainable teacher training in higher education at a Mexican public university: opportunities for improvement in the north-central region of Sinaloa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4151/07189729-Vol.65-Iss.2-Art.1711Keywords:
Sustainability environment agents of change 2030 Agenda teachingAbstract
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are communities of people that must seek and promote global sustainable development through knowledge generation and teaching with an emphasis on sustainability.
Education and sustainability are two key tools for achieving actions toward ideal sustainable development across all spheres of society. This research examines the teaching environment through a sustainability lens within public higher education institutions; this required analyzing the work and practices of faculty members regarding sustainability-focused education in order to identify opportunities for improvement. Thus, the study analyzes sustainability training among higher education faculty to identify areas where HEIs can empower professors to act as agents of change.
The study employs a quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional approach. A Likert-scale survey was used, divided into three subcategories: 1) individual knowledge of sustainability, 2) sustainability and society, and 3) teacher training in sustainability. The survey was administered via Google Forms to 133 of the 171 professors across three faculties/schools at the main public university in Sinaloa, Mexico. To ensure high-quality, accurate, and timely results, the instrument’s internal consistency was measured using McDonald’s Omega coefficient [ω] via JASP 0.16.1 software; the resulting ω of 0.883 indicated that the proposed items were appropriate.
The study results reveal deficiencies suggesting a need for a more comprehensive approach. Various opportunities for improvement were identified regarding faculty training in sustainability; while professors feel prepared to promote certain sustainability topics, the subject is rarely addressed inside or outside the classroom, and they receive limited institutional support for training. Higher education institutions must embrace their role as agents of change and promoters of sustainable policies; training on sustainability issues will always be a crucial tool in social development, and education will help shape personalities and behaviors, as well as correct courses of action, address and resolve social problems or phenomena, provide guidance, and achieve diverse objectives that generate a positive impact.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Esteban Otoniel Moreno López, Aldo Alan Cuadras Berrelleza, Adrián Cuevas López, Victor Manuel Peinado Guevara, Héctor José Peinado Guevara, José Isidoro Rodríguez Espinosa, Maricruz Sánchez Alcalde
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