Towards a coherent framework of sustainability learning outcomes in engineering education

Abstract

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Defining clear and coherent Sustainability Learning Outcomes (SustLOs) is the first step toward empowering engineers to create effective and sustainable solutions. Despite their importance, there is still a lack of consensus and clarity about what SustLOs are and what they should encompass. This study aims to identify, analyze and synthesize SustLOs in engineering education in order to provide a clear, structured and measurable framework. A literature review was conducted to understand which specific SustLOs are emphasized in engineering education. These outcomes were then grouped by similarity and aligned with three learning levels: “Know”, “Know How” and “Does”. A clustering and refinement process followed to eliminate redundancy and improve conceptual coherence. The literature review revealed 154 diverse and overlapping SustLOs, reflecting the fragmented way in which sustainability is often addressed. Nearly half were transversal, highlighting the inherently multidimensional nature of sustainability. Most fell into the “Does” level, reflecting the emphasis placed on applied, action-oriented learning. However, categories such as “Ethical/Social Responsibilities and Values” and “Personal and Professional Growth” had fewer sustainable development and engineering outcomes at this level, highlighting the challenge of assessing long-term or behavioral outcomes. Through clustering and refinement, 23 SustLOs were established, offering a coherent foundation for curriculum design and assessment in engineering for sustainable development.

Peer Reviewed

4 - Educació de Qualitat

Postprint (published version)