Engagement of stakeholders in action-oriented education for sustainability: a study of motivations and benefits and development of a process model

PurposeEngagement of non-academic stakeholders is an important element of education for sustainability, but is rarely mentioned in contemporary agricultural education literature. This article investigates the process of engagement of non-academic stakeholders into higher education programs on agriculture. Non-academic stakeholders refer to private firms that are focused on the acquisition of knowledge with the objective of achieving a competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachEleven cases of agricultural education at the undergraduate (Bachelor’s degree) and graduate (Master’s degree) levels in three different countries (Italy, Greece, Norway) were analysed through interviews with teachers and stakeholders and in-situ observations.FindingsQualitative analysis revealed three categories of motivation (inspiration, marketing, sharing experience), two benefits (energy, problem-solving) and four combined categories (exchange, new knowledge, new workers, practical contribution). A conceptual model, developed in the study, provides guidelines for the engagement process, enabling more collaborative education approaches in agriculture and food.Practical implicationsThe proposed model provides educational institutions with a tool for assessing stakeholder engagement process in new/existing education initiatives, enabling transformation of education from narrow individual disciplines to integration of knowledge sources and a variety of learning arenas in education.Theoretical implicationsWithin the framework of university-industry collaboration in combination with action-oriented education for sustainability, findings provide unique insights into the engagement of stakeholders in education.Originality/valueThis study contributes to knowledge by applying principles of action learning and focusing on the education side of engagement. The results demonstrated that engagement in action-oriented collaborative education offers several benefits to non-academic stakeholders. This was found to have real effects on farm businesses, manifested as changes in production processes and discovery of new marketing opportunities.