Disorienting or Disoriented? Transformative Learning Experiences in Sustainable Development-Centered University Degree Programs: Empirical Insights from Swedish Universities

Faced with global sustainability challenges, higher education institutions play a key rolein cultivating transformative leaders. In recent years, sustainable development degreeprograms have surged, particularly in Nordic and Western European countries likeSweden and Germany, reflecting growing interest in sustainability. This study, set in thecontext of Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD), examines theeffectiveness of transformative learning in sustainability-focused university programs inSweden. It involved analyzing various program syllabi and conducting fourteen semistructured interviews with fourteen educators, current students, and alumni. Theresearch draws on Jack Mezirow's transformative learning theory and Meyer and Land'stheory of threshold learning to evaluate how these programs provoke critical reflectionand promote sustainable behavior. Findings reveal significant variability in howsustainability is integrated into these programs, with differences in curriculum,pedagogical approaches, and learning outcomes. While sustainable development istypically seen as a multi-dimensional concept, many programs focus on eitherenvironmental or social sustainability. Experiential learning, interdisciplinary projects,and critical pedagogy were most effective in fostering critical reflection and sustainablepractices. Programs that emphasized real-world problem-solving, collaborative learning,and reflective practices were particularly successful, whereas traditional lecture-basedapproaches were less effective. This study contributes empirical insights to the field ofHESD research. It underlines the importance of innovative pedagogical approaches thatchallenge traditional methods and advocate for dynamic program syllabi responsive toglobal sustainability challenges.