Work

Impact of geospatial training on key planning sustainability competencies

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Education is a central pillar for achieving all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; yet universities have not made transformative changes to improve students’ sustainability competencies. Integrating geospatial technology into sustainability education has the potential to foster sustainability competencies; however, current empirical evidence is limited to support this assertion. This study evaluated the effectiveness of integrating geospatial technology in improving students’ planning-focused sustainability competencies, namely systems-, strategies-, values-, and futures-thinking, as well as changing students’ attitudes toward sustainability. Thirty-six students from multiple disciplines participated in a geospatial training, and changes in competencies and attitudes were measured using pre- and post-surveys. Results show that students demonstrated enhanced strategies-thinking post-intervention, reported feeling more competent in all areas of sustainability planning, and expressed an increased interest in learning sustainability. This study also explored the factors, challenges, and opportunities of integrating geospatial technology into sustainability education, providing a novel approach to develop sustainability competencies through interdisciplinary education.

Source: Sustainable Futures

DOI: 10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101934

Authors: Ishita Joshi, Haoxuan Ge, Tingting Zhu, Yuhong He, Soo Min Toh

Institution: University of Toronto

Language: English

Topic: Sustainability in Higher Education

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,340