How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? The findings of an international survey and possible implications for the engineering curriculum

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of engineering education for sustainable development. In an attempt to facilitate a better integration of sustainability teaching into the engineering curriculum, it seeks to provide answers to the following fundamental questions: (1) How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? (2) What are the knowledge gaps? (3) What could be the best approach to educating engineering students for sustainable development? Some answers to the first two questions have been provided by carrying out a world-wide survey of engineering students on their level of knowledge and understanding of sustainable development. The survey results suggest that, overall, the level of knowledge is not satisfactory and that significant knowledge gaps exist. However, an encouraging result is that students believe that sustainable development is important for engineers, although they often have difficulties in making a direct link between the theory of sustainable development and engineering practice. To address the third question, the paper then discusses the implications of these findings for the engineering curriculum. It also illustrates an approach to teaching sustainability that could help to stimulate students' interest in this subject during their studies and to ensure their commitment to practising sustainable engineering later as professionals.

Keywords:

• Sustainable development
• Sustainability education
• Engineering education
• Engineering curriculum
• International survey

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the IChemE and the Royal Academy of Engineering for their financial support for the Sustainable Development Survey. We are also grateful to the universities, academics and students who took part in the survey.

Notes

For the purposes of this survey, the combined degree includes study programmes that combine engineering with other disciplines, e.g. environmental engineering, chemical engineering and science, etc. These types of degree are common, for example, in Australia.