Developing a framework for sustainable engineering education through transformative learning principles

Abstract Engineering education must evolve to prepare graduates as ethical, socially responsible, and sustainable designers responding to climate, resource, urbanization, and equity challenges, not just technical specifications. This paper examines sustainability in engineering education through the integrated lenses of transformative learning theory (TLT), triple bottom line (TBL), and education for sustainable development (ESD) to link pedagogy with measurable learning and impact. The research question guiding this study is stated once and consistently: In what ways do distinctive pedagogical approaches and curricular changes within engineering education facilitate transformative learning processes that develop students’ sustainability competencies?. Using a mixed‑methods design, the study analyzes fifteen qualitative case studies (curricular, co‑curricular, outreach, industry/research) for evidence of disorienting dilemmas, critical reflection, and perspective transformation, and synthesizes quantitative indicators (participation, tangible outputs, composite Sustainability Impact Score) across five representative cases. Findings show that experiential, interdisciplinary, and community‑engaged formats catalyze holistic TBL reasoning, ethics and stewardship, systems and critical thinking, and theory‑to‑practice application; technically intensive projects yield clearer measurable outcomes, while community initiatives benefit from stronger pre/post assessment. The integrated TLT–TBL–ESD model and the Sustainability Impact Score offer practical guidance for course design, faculty development, and institutional change aligned to WFEO 2030 competencies, supporting scalable, evidence‑based transformation in engineering education.