Interdisciplinary integration of education for sustainable development into higher education institution (integrated ESP case study)

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Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University

Interdisciplinary integration of education for sustainable development into higher education institution (integrated ESP case study)

H.B. Chaikovska Candidate of Biological Sciences

(PhD in Biology), Docent

I.Yu. Levchyk Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences

(PhD in Pedagogy), Docent

Аннотация

В статье исследуется вопрос междисциплинарной интеграции образования для устойчивого развития (ОУР) в образовательный процесс вуза. Выявлены потенциальные возможности предмета «Иностранный язык» в формировании компетенций устойчивого развития. Экспериментальное исследование проводилось со студентами 1-го курса следующих программ бакалавриата: «Начальное образование», «Дошкольное образование», «Логопедия, специальная психология», «Психология» Тернопольского национального педагогического университета имени Владимира Гнатюка. Исходный уровень сформированности компетенций устойчивого развития у студентов на начало эксперимента выявил 18,75 % с высоким уровнем, 51,79 % - со средним и 29,46 % - с низким. Тем самым была установлена необходимость повышения качества исследуемого объекта.

Проведенный анализ потребностей учащихся ESP в отношении Целей устойчивого развития (ЦУР) подтвердил стремление студентов изучить их в рамках университетского курса ESP, разработанного для устранения основных недостатков, потребностей и желаний студентов относительно интегрированного изучения языка. По результатам анкетирования и в сотрудничестве с преподавателями английского языка кафедры иностранных языков были определены содержание образования, цели обучения, методы и средства, способствующие развитию выбранных компетенций в ЦУР посредством английского языка как средства обучения.

Экспериментальное исследование предполагало применение рамок содержательно-языкового интегрированного обучения (CLIL) в интегрированной ESP посредством работы с англоязычными текстами об устойчивом развитии, обсуждения актуальных вопросов, изучения англоязычных нормативных документов, научно-методических работ по устойчивое развитие, просмотр видеофрагментов с дальнейшим их обсуждением. Методика предполагала групповую работу учащихся, проектную деятельность, методы фасилитации и интерактивные технологии обучения. Установлено, что изучение иностранного языка с акцентом на устойчивость способствует повышению уровня компетенций устойчивого развития: на контрольном этапе экспериментального исследования высокий уровень мотивация продемонстрировали в два раза больше студентов, чем на контрольном изучения языка в соответствии с улучшением качества изучаемого явления.

Ключевые слова: образование для устойчивого развития, цели устойчивого развития, компетенции устойчивого развития, изучение иностранных языков, уровень владения английским языком, студенты вузов, высшие учебные заведения.

Abstract

The article explores the issue of the interdisciplinary integration of education for sustainable development (ESD) into the educational process of a higher education institution (HEI). The potential possibilities of the subject "Foreign language" in formation of sustainable development competences have been revealed. The experimental study was conducted with first-year students of the following undergraduate programs: "Primary Education", "Preschool Education", "Speech Therapy, Special Psychology", "Psychology" at Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. The initial level of formation of sustainable development competencies in students at the beginning of the experiment revealed 18.75% with high level, 51.79% - average and 29.46% - low. Hereby, the need to improve the quality of the researched object was established.

The conducted ESP learner needs analysis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) confirmed students' eagerness to learn them in the university ESP course, designed in order to address students' main lacks, needs and wants relatively the integrated language learning. In accordance with the questionnaire findings and in cooperation with the Foreign Languages Department English teachers there were outlined the content of education, goals of learning, methods and means that contribute to the development of the chosen competences in SDGs by means of English as a medium of instruction.

The experimental study implied application of the framework of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the integrated ESP by means of working with English-language texts about sustainable development, discussing acute issues, studying English-language normative documents, scientific and methodical works on sustainable development, watching video fragments with their further discussion. The methodology presupposed learners' group work, project activities, facilitation methods and interactive learning technologies. It was established that learning foreign language with an emphasis on sustainability contributes to increasing the level of sustainable development competencies: at the control stage of the experimental study, twice as many students demonstrated high level, as compared to the language learning motivation in accordance with improvement of the quality of the studied phenomenon.

Key words: education for sustainable development, sustainable development goals, sustainable development competences, foreign language learning, English proficiency level, higher education students, higher education institutions.

Introduction of the issue

Education for sustainable development (ESD) at the level of interdisciplinary methodology of teaching covers integrated social, environmental, and economic components in the aspect of formal, non-formal and informal education. ESD is rightly considered the most important tool for changing the worldview of humanity, which "encourages changes in knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, with the aim of creation of a sustainable society" [6: 6].

At the same time, the review of the scientific literature on the research problem and the experience of work in higher educational institutions allow us to conclude that the principle of interdisciplinarity in terms of ESD has not been sufficiently implemented in the realities of the Ukrainian universities. Mostly, it has been restricted to the fragmented inclusion of sustainable development issues in the academic disciplines. Also, the system of intercultural relations has not been established (there is no experience of credit mobility - teaching and learning exchange with foreign universities on the issues of sustainable development), there are practically no long-term intercultural projects on issues of sustainable development for students and scientists from different countries of the world. Among the many barriers to solving the afore mentioned problems, we identify the most significant one - the insufficient level of foreign language proficiency in the Ukrainian students. student integrated language competencie

We believe that students' interest in the topics of sustainable development will serve as an additional language learning motivation, and an integrated approach to learning content and language will contribute to the assimilation of knowledge on social, financial, and environmental literacy in English, as well as the interrelated formation of sustainable development and English competencies languages in tertiary education.

Current state of the issue. University education plays a leading role in the process of achievement of the goals of sustainable development. Institutions of higher education around the world help societies find the right solutions. The paradigm of sustainable development provides a particular context for the university's mission and vision regarding the language policy, which declares/marks a new stage in achieving the quality of education. The concept of sustainable development has a four-dimensional structure (economic, ecological, social, institutional). It should be noted that the institutional component has been singled out quite recently [10], it involves a close interaction between all the social institutions both on the state and international levels of the entire world community. No doubts, to achieve the global goals of sustainable development international interaction requires constant communication, which demands from the participants of the interaction a perfect command of lingua franca - the language of international communication.

Taking to consideration that English is the language of the 21st century, it can be used as a challenge to change the worldview of humanity to achieve sustainable development goals. According to scientists, a foreign language affects the development of society through the skills of perception, critical thinking, creativity, self- expression, etc. [13]. These skills are a component of the competence framework for sustainable development, which again emphasizes the role of the relationship between learning English and ESD.

Emphasizing the importance of the English language as a means of achieving sustainable development of society, scientists note that "it is important to understand what is the role, language and culture play in establishment of the ecological, social, economic, institutional, cultural and religious systems of sustainable development." Understanding these processes, in scientists' opinion, is a motivation to study English to increase the level of sustainable development competences [4].

Scientists believe that teaching the goals of sustainable development at English classes contributes to the full socialization of the educational process, creates better opportunities for achieving the goals of sustainable development in an intercultural environment [3]. In the Ukrainian and foreign scientific literature, we found worth attention approaches to the formation of values and principles of SD at English classes. Thus, Y. Lavrysh and I. Litovchenko apply eco- composition, local-lore studies, interdisciplinary project learning, etc. in the education of engineering students [5]. I. Litovchenko et al. use interactive presentation platforms "Thinglink" and "Padlet" in combination with multimedia English-language resources (text, images, sound, animation, video) [7]. Japanese scientists suggest using project activities, problem tasks, field work, debates, reflective pedagogical techniques [12]. As the authors note, such foreign language learning is interactive and highly motivating for students, besides, it stimulates them to active research on issues of sustainable development.

Despite the considerable number of scientific works on the research problem, scientists' and practitioners' beliefs regarding the importance of the interdisciplinary integration of ESD in the educational space of higher education institutions, the real implementation of the idea of teaching sustainable development at foreign language classes has not found its proper reflection in the comprehensive systematic approach to resolution of the discussed problem.

Aim of research. Taking to account the conducted review of literature and learning context in tertiary education in Ukraine, the purpose of the article is to study the range of growth in the level of sustainable development competences among students of higher education (future primary school teachers, preschool teachers, psychologists, speech therapists), achieved in the process of learning sustainability by the means of the English language.

Results and discussion

Competencies of sustainable development mean the ability of an individual to know, understand and implement the strategy of sustainable development of humanity within the limits of individual and collective responsibility [11]. In the scientific literature, we found many approaches to the classification of sustainable development competencies. We will begin with an approach according to which scientists distinguish the following competencies of sustainable development: communicative (ability to communicate in native and foreign languages), intercultural (knowledge of different cultures and skills of intercultural interaction), personal (ability to manage internal and external needs), methodological-instrumental (knowledge and skills of a specific profession), social (ability to protect the environment), transformational (ability to make positive changes in the direction of sustainability), etc. [11].

As we can see, the ability to communicate in a foreign language, according to the authors, is included in the competencies of sustainable development. Thus, learning a foreign language increases the level of sustainable development competencies. At the same time, scientists also proved that knowledge of a foreign language contributes to the formation of all the other competences of SD, therefore, it acts as a means in the process of their formation [2] in the integrated learning of the subject content and the English language.

The analysis of the considered sources allows us to draw a conclusion about the interdependence and interrelated precondition of two important processes: the formation of sustainable development competencies and foreign language learning. These conclusions made it necessary to verify them in practice. The study was conducted with first-year students of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University. The survey participants included 112 undergraduates of the following four educational programs at the bachelor's degree: "Primary Education", "Preschool Education", "Speech Therapy. Special psychology", "Psychology". The respondents' age varied from 17 to 18 years. Most of the respondents were females (n=98) and, except for 2 Russian-speaking students, all the rest respondents indicated Ukrainian as their native language. The purpose of the ascertainment stage of the experimental study (conducted in December 2021) was to diagnose the level of formation of sustainable development competencies and to determine the level of foreign (English) language proficiency of the students. To determine the level of formation of sustainable development competences, the author's questionnaire was used, previously presented in the scientific work "Formation of sustainable development competences in the process of professional training of future primary school teachers" [1: 75-77]. The assessment of the prognostic, legal and strategic competences, competences of systematic and critical thinking, competence of self-awareness, collective work, complex problem resolution allowed us to establish that 18.75% of respondents have a high level of sustainable development competences; 51.79% - average; and 29.46% - low.

The diagnosis of students' level of proficiency in a foreign (English) language was made by correlating the actual academic achievements of students for the 2021-2022 academic year in a foreign (English) language and the results of the online English level test [8]. The following data have been obtained: 55.31% of the first-year students reported about an A2 or lower level of English proficiency; 42.9% - B1, and the least group of respondents (1.79%) insisted they have B2 level of English. According to the obtained results, there was an urgent need to find efficient ways to increase the level of sustainable development competences among students, considering their level of English language proficiency. At the formative stage of the experiment, we identified several areas of work aimed at achievement of the defined task. First, the programme and syllabus of the "Foreign Language (English)" course were changed with an emphasis on enrichment with content related to sustainable development. The selection of the topics on sustainable development to be taught at foreign language classes was determined with necessity to consider the interests of students, because we believe that there should be a balance between what students are taught, what they want to be taught, and what they need to be taught. We agree with the scientists' opinion that "the topics of sustainable development should be accessible and interesting for students so that they can analyze various information from various perspectives" [9: 59].

In accordance with this provision, we conducted a survey of learner needs among the respondents of our study, in particular, their wants, interests, gaps in knowledge in the problem of sustainable development. The designed questionnaire and online diagnostics made it possible to get answers to the following questions:

1. Would you like to study the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at foreign language classes?

2. Which SDGs, in your opinion, are the most important for Ukraine (choose 5 options).

3. Which SDGs do you want to consider at foreign language classes (choose 5 options). Findings of the survey revealed that 74% of first-year students want to study the goals of sustainable development at foreign language classes. Positive answers indicated that students understand the importance of sustainable development issues for the modern society, they are aware of individual responsibility for sustainable development and consider it to be a basis of collective progress towards sustainable development. Statistical analysis of students' answers to question No. 2 made it possible to determine the Top 5 SDGs for every educational programme and present them in the Table 1.

Table 1.

Sustainable Development Goals Relevant to Ukraine in Opinion of the First Year Students

The tabular data show that Ukrainian students consider Goal 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions to be the most important goal of sustainable development. It was favored by the majority of students of all educational programmes. The survey was conducted in December 2021, the time when the possibility of a full-scale invasion of Russia into the territory of Ukraine was actively discussed in the domestic and foreign media. Today, this goal is even much more relevant for every Ukrainian because we need to restore peace to our state for the sake of justice. Undoubtedly, strong international institutions are supposed to play an important role in this process.

First-year students also considered Goal 3. Good Health and Well-being to be a priority for our state. This choice can be explained by the awareness of the importance of the problem of health and its protection in our country (this was especially noticeable in the conditions of the coronavirus epidemic). Goal 4. Quality Education (students are participants of the educational process, so they understand well all the shortcomings of the domestic education) and Goal 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth (young people set ambitious goals for themselves, strive for economic well-being) received a significant percentage. It is interesting, that top 5 SDGs, in opinion of future primary school teachers and psychologists, includes Goal 5. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and Goal 1. No Poverty, specially favored by future educators and speech therapists. Possible reasons of these choices are a subject of further research.It should be noted that the respondents of our survey did not prioritize environmental goals (clean water and proper sanitation, affordable and clean energy, climate change, conservation of marine resources, protection, and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems). We believe that it can be explained with the social character of the future profession, as well as the content of educational programs for training specialists in higher education institutions. This can serve as a reason to further improvement of the content of the educational programs of the specialties, involved in the research, with ecological content matter.

The answers to the research question "Which sustainable development goals would you like to learn at English classes?" are in many ways consistent with previous results. The percentages presented in Table 2 indicate that the most relevant topics refer to Goal 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Goal 3. Good Health and Well- being, and Goal 4. Quality Education. We assume that students transfer their own interests to the state level, and individual responsibility to the collective one.

Table 2.

Sustainable development Goals the First Year Students Eager to Study at Foreign Language (English) Classes

However, there were observed some discrepancies. Students do not consider the problem of gender inequality to be relevant for Ukraine, but they are interested in this topic and want to study it in English. We see the opposite trend related to Goal 1. No poverty.

According to our respondents, this problem is relevant for our country, but they do not want to study it. Students of the educational program "Preschool Education" expressed a desire to research in English the Goal 12. Responsible Consumption and Production.

According to the obtained results regarding the interests, declared by the applicants in specific issues of sustainable development, and taking into account students' level of English language proficiency, we selected the teaching methods and in cooperation with the English teachers from the Foreign Languages Department designed an experimental manual English for SDGs for students of the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology (Pre- Intermediate).

Formation of sustainable development competencies in the first-year students implied application of the framework of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in the integrated model of ESP at the department of Pedagogy and Psychology. The methodology provided necessary integration in learning English for special purposes with the educational content of sustainable development goals. Students worked with English-language texts about sustainable development, discussing current topics, studying normative documents, scientific and methodical works on sustainable development, listening to video and audio recordings about the goals of sustainable development, took part in the international webinars, forums, and discussions on sustainable development issues. Group work implied project activities and using interactive tools like Google Presentations and Padlet. These methods and tools were used during group work of students, project activities, with the help of facilitation methods and interactive learning technologies. We agree with the opinion of scientists that "combined methods of teaching a foreign language and ESD should be innovative and become a challenge for students (and teachers), encourage them to act, and also add freshness and creativity to the educational process" [2: 46].

The specified forms and methods of work contributed to formation of active learner position, individual responsibility for the issues of SD, awareness, and strong life position in resolution of the issues of sustainable development in the Ukrainian society and all around the world. In the context of the content of the SDGs in the integrated learning of ESP, students had the opportunity to analyze the acute topics from social, economic and environmental themes, discuss urgent problems in the Ukrainian and global aspects, share personal emotions and experiences using the English language to completing a number of cognitive tasks and intercultural surveys. Therefore, taking into account the content, communicative, cultural and cognitive aspects of the integrated ESP, the implemented experimental training was built in accordance with the key concept of content- language integrated learning. It should be noted that at this stage of the research we encountered certain difficulties that are typical for the development of integrated English language courses.

They consisted in the selection of learning material according to the level of students' foreign language proficiency, the constant enrichment of ESP materials with the content of questions about sustainable development, the selection of innovative methods of learning English for ESD, etc. This is a difficult time-consuming work that requires a lot of efforts and time. We believe that the development of methodical manuals would contribute to the solution of these difficulties and encourage many teachers to use the innovative methods in the training of higher education students. At the control stage of the experimental study, a final check of the level of formation of sustainable development competencies was conducted among the participants of the experimental study at the end of the academic semester. The obtained data are presented in fig. 1. and fig. 2. The quantitative analysis of the obtained results confirms the growth of the level of formation of sustainable development competencies among the respondents of our study at the end of the experiment. In all studied groups, there is a noticeable increase in the high level of sustainable development competencies on the background of a decrease in the low level. The generalized results are as follows: at the end of the experiment, a high level of sustainable development competencies was found in 37.5% of the surveyed respondents, as compared to 18.75% at the beginning of the experiment; a medium level increased from 51,79% to 53,57% and a low level dropped to 9.6% as compared to 28.7% at the control stage. The best results were demonstrated by students of the "Preschool Education" specialty.

Fig. 1. Levels of Formation of Sustainable Development Competencies before the Experimental Study