SDGs Integration’s Impact On Chinese College Students’ Cognitive And Action Transformation In English Classrooms

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Beyond Language: Educating for Belonging and Global Citizenship

Abstract

This study explores the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into college English teaching, focusing on how this pedagogical approach may influence cognitive development, address action obstacles, and stimulate educational imagination in the context amid contemporary global crises. Using a mixed-methods approach with pre-course and post-course questionnaires (n=30) and in-depth student interviews (n=16), it focuses on student-led SDGs-themed presentations, examining the challenges and learning outcomes associated. Results reveal that this integration enhances students’ critical understanding and emotional engagement with global issues. However, institutional and personal challenges limit students’ ability to convert awareness into concrete actions. The study concludes with recommendations for fostering educational practices that support student agency and the imagination of sustainable futures through critical pedagogy.

Author

• Yirui Xiang, Shanghai International Studies University