The role of human agency in dealing with challenges in transdisciplinary learning for sustainability in higher education: A scoping literature review

Transdisciplinary learning is increasingly recognized as a critical educational approach for preparing future change agents in sustainability higher education. However, existing research remains fragmented, particularly regarding the subjectively experienced learning challenges and the mediating role of agency in addressing them. This scoping literature review addressed this gap by mapping the learning challenges encountered and managed by three key participant groups - students, educational staff, and societal partners - in transdisciplinary sustainability education. Analyzing 36 studies published between 2006 and 2024, the review highlights a notable underrepresentation of the learning experiences of educational staff and societal partners. It identified challenges based on the four aspects of transdisciplinary learning for sustainability - responding to sustainability issues, engaging non-academic partners, integrating disciplinary knowledge and capacity, and incorporating multiple perspectives - as well as three general challenges: navigating uneven relationships, managing high time demands, and adapting to unfamiliarity with transdisciplinarity. These challenges encompass both emotional and cognitive dimensions, with uncertainty emerging as a central feature stemming from the complexity of sustainability issues and the unfamiliarity of the transdisciplinary learning process. In response to these challenges, participants demonstrate agency through actions aimed at personal development (toward the self), empowering other (through others) and building intersubjectivity (toward groups). These actions demonstrate participants’ capacity to foster intrapersonal changes and interpersonal relationships. The findings offer valuable insights for instructors and course designers seeking to cultivate agency among all categories of participants in transdisciplinary sustainability education. • The scoping review method maps of both empirical trends and gaps. • Transdisciplinary learning environment is a collaborative and ecological system. • Seven challenges are identified, spanning individual and relational dimensions. • Agency is both exercised and developed within transdisciplinary learning environments. • Findings support the design of agency-enhancing transdisciplinary education.