By the sector, for the sector: the co-creative approach of the new Learning for Sustainability in colleges guide

In this blog, Kathrin Möbius, Senior Sustainability in Learning and Teaching Lead at EAUC, Fiona Craig, Learning for Sustainability Co-ordinator at Qualifications Scotland, and Kirsten Leask, Project Manager at Learning for Sustainability Scotland, share how various organisations and college practitioners worked in partnership to create a resource to help colleges embed Learning for Sustainability (LfS) into their everyday teaching practice and assessments. 

Gone are the days when sustainability could be treated as an isolated topic or optional seminar. Sustainability learning requires consistency across all curricula and disciplines. It also requires the fostering of real-world and place-based learning for sustainability opportunities. We understand that this can at times be overwhelming for busy college practitioners, who may not have the confidence or resources to take this forward. The new Learning for Sustainability in colleges guide is here to help.  

It brings together official and plain language definitions of sustainability and LfS, busts persistent myths, and lays out a framework and resources that help practitioners develop their practice – wherever they are on their LfS journey. 

In this blog, we want to shed more light on what makes this guide special: that it is rooted in an understanding of college practitioners’ needs and challenges. It was designed to make it easy to understand LfS and embed it meaningfully – for anyone working at a college. 

Practitioner needs at the centre: a collaborative approach to supporting LfS in colleges 

Collaboration is a key element of progressing LfS. As such, it was clear that the guide needed to be designed in partnership to be truly helpful and meaningful. 

Supported by funders and partners

The project has been financed by the Scottish Funding Council and was led by the EAUC, with critical contributions from Qualifications Scotland, Learning for Sustainability Scotland, and College Development Network. As partners, these organisations collaborated by sharing ideas and expertise on LfS and the college sector, co-creating drafts, curating case studies, supporting recruitment for the focus group, and advising on most accessible formats. Their insight and experience have ensured that the guide is relevant and aligned with the most recent developments in education. 

Co-shaped by a practitioner focus group and based on a needs analysis

Importantly, the guide was, from the first idea to the final version, shaped by a group of twelve college practitioners. The group included a tutor, lecturers, curriculum managers, sustainability leads and a senior leader to ensure we captured a breadth of roles and perspectives. The group met several times over the course of a year to discuss questions, ideas and drafts. 

Based on transcripts and notes from those conversations, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify which practitioner needs the guidance should meet. The final guide is mapped against these four needs: 

1. Provide easy-to-understand, accessible structure, standards, clarity and pathways of LfS - for teaching staff in the first instance, with connections to what this means for students and other stakeholders.
2. ...while also allowing for flexibility, avoiding a "one size fits all" approach and allowing people to find their “way in”, no matter their background or previous knowledge.
3. Provide examples, case studies, and highlight relevance to different subject areas.
4. Enable collaboration, both within institutions and beyond, including communities, employers, students, and sector bodies; enabling a whole institution and whole systems approach. 

Trialled with lecturers

A core element of the guidance, the RISE framework, was discussed and tested in presentations to teaching staff at colleges. For example, a presentation to a West Lothian College all-academics meeting helped us decide on the RISE acronym, and allowed us to test how lecturers would rate themselves against the four stages of development.

Reviewed by sectoral experts

To round it all up, experts in Education for Sustainable Development from colleges and universities fed back on later versions of the draft, drawing on their knowledge and experience to make sure the guide was both of a high standard regarding content, and felt as accessible as possible to college staff. 

"A key resource for supporting and developing our practice"

An important aim for us when co-creating this guide was to ensure the process was meaningful, valuable and enjoyable for those joining the focus group. Here’s what focus group participants shared about the experience and their views on the potential impact of the guide. 

Sarah Shea, Environmental Sustainability Manager at Glasgow Kelvin College said:

"The focus group was a welcoming and collaborative space that encouraged open discussion and the sharing of ideas. I always came away having learned something new, feeling that my perspective had been heard, and excited about the guidance we were creating together. 

The Learning for Sustainability guide for colleges provides practical, college-focused guidance that institutions can use wherever they are on their Learning for Sustainability journey. I've already been talking about it with colleagues and leaders across the College, and I know it will become a key resource for supporting and developing our practice."

David Lowe, Interim Vice Principal at Borders College said:

"Being part of the focus group was a genuinely collaborative experience, bringing together colleagues from across the sector to share perspectives and experiences. The resulting Learning for Sustainability Guidance fills an important gap, providing practical and accessible support for colleges. As a senior leader, I believe it will be an invaluable resource in helping institutions embed sustainability more deeply into curriculum, culture and practice." 

Allister Ross Smith, Lecturer and Course Tutor at Fife College said:

"I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to apply my knowledge and skills in Sustainability with other sector colleagues across Scotland and partners such as EAUC, Qualifications Scotland, Learning for Sustainability Scotland and the College Development Network. The focus group was a very well conducted experience where opinions were taken onboard from our extensive practice in the classroom. I am grateful to be able to contribute to my sector through policy and guidance in this massively important aspect of our work and future."

Next steps: get involved 

Our world and education are constantly evolving – and so will this resource. The EAUC is looking forward to continuing and enhancing collaboration with practitioners and organisations to develop further resources based on the guide. Initial plans for these include: 

• Further developing the learning pathway to include the best resources
• Constantly updating our drivers for LfS and ESD webpage – for example, to include more university and UK-wider drivers
• Offering workshops on LfS and the guide’s RISE framework 
• Creating even more accessible resources – based on practitioner needs, so let us know what you think will help the most to further embed LfS 
• Developing, in collaboration with the Education and Training Foundation, an “ESD and LfS across subject areas” resource – including case studies                                   

Keen to get involved? Have some feedback? Want to share an example or write a case study? Express your thoughts and interest in our short feedback and stories form, or email kmobius@eauc.org.uk.