Towards Transformative Education: A Framework of Sustainability Competences for Latin American Higher Education

• In Event: Higher Education supporting Global Partnership: Sustainability, Capacity Building, and International Cooperation

Proposal

This paper reexamines education and peace in a divided world by acknowledging the transformative potential of higher education institutions (HEIs), specifically in addressing sustainability as a core precondition for peace. The study advances the development of a sustainability competence framework tailored for HEIs educators in Latin America, addressing a critical gap in regionally grounded approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). While global models of sustainability competences largely emerge from European contexts (Rieckmann, 2012; Wiek et al., 2011; UNESCO, 2017), Latin American universities face unique socio-cultural, institutional, and environmental realities that influence how sustainability is taught and understood (Álvarez-Vanegas and Volante, 2024; Sáenz, 2019). Rooted in long standing traditions of Environmental Education, discourse on ESD and competence-based approaches to teaching and learning are met with some resistance in Latin America (Gómez Caride, Barrenechea and Sabbatini, 2023). This research contributes to operationalizing SDG 4.7, despite its contested status in the region, which calls for learners to acquire competences for sustainable development, by specifying measurable educator competences and performance indicators contextualized for the Latin American higher education landscape (United Nations, 2015; Inter-American Development Bank, 2023).

A participatory six-round Delphi process was employed with eighteen experts from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Spain, selected for their expertise in ESD, pedagogy, and curriculum design. The Delphi method, combining asynchronous and synchronous rounds, facilitated structured, iterative dialogue to identify barriers to SDG integration, prioritize competence areas, and co-develop performance indicators. Initial rounds highlighted key challenges, including limited knowledge of the SDGs, fragmented understanding of socio-environmental problems, reliance on traditional pedagogical practices, time constraints, and institutional resistance to change. Subsequent rounds focused on synthesizing expert input into five interrelated competence areas, each articulated through knowledge, skills, and attitudes, with performance indicators at four proficiency levels: Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert (Molera et al., 2021; Hsu and Sandford, 2007).

The resulting framework comprises: (1) SDGs and Sustainability Challenges, emphasizing educators’ ability to critically interpret global sustainability agendas and contextualize them locally; (2) Teacher Identity and Professional Development, fostering self-awareness, ethical engagement, and professional growth to align personal values with sustainability mandates (Lozano et al., 2017; Valencia-Grijalva, 2020; Yañez et al., 2025); (3) Teaching and Learning, linking competences to inclusive, student-centered pedagogy that cultivates critical thinking and transformative learning; (4) Inter- and Transdisciplinarity, encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration of multiple knowledge systems, including Indigenous and community perspectives, to foster systemic understanding and applied problem-solving (Tejedor, 2019; Rekalde Rodríguez et al., 2023; Di Giulio and Defila, 2017); and (5) Adaptability and Relationship to the Environment, promoting responsiveness to local socio-environmental contexts, sensitivity to cultural diversity, and engagement in institutional and community transformation (Avilés et al., 2022; Wals and Corcoran, 2012; Albuquerque et al., 2021).

Each competence area addresses specific barriers identified in the Delphi process, ensuring the framework is rooted in the realities of Latin American HEIs. For instance, SDGs and Sustainability Challenges respond to knowledge gaps and disciplinary silos, positioning educators as critical interpreters of the 2030 Agenda and enabling them to embed sustainability perspectives in their teaching (Monroe et al., 2017; Rotondo and Giovanelli, 2024; Jiménez-García et al., 2023). Teacher Identity and Professional Development targets resistance to change and disconnection between professional identity and sustainability mandates by promoting reflective practice, ethical engagement, and continuous learning. Teaching and Learning links pedagogical innovation to competence development, supporting active, participatory, and culturally responsive approaches that empower students as sustainability change agents (Álvarez-Vanegas and Volante, 2024; Corres et al., 2024). Inter- and Transdisciplinarity addresses fragmentation and limited collaboration, emphasizing epistemic plurality and systemic thinking to foster collaborative problem-solving across disciplines and societal sectors (Lozano et al., 2017). Adaptability and Relationship to the Environment encourages educators to integrate local knowledge, traditions, and socio-environmental realities into curricula and institutional practices, strengthening the connection between HEIs and community priorities (Avilés et al., 2022; Wals and Corcoran, 2012; Albuquerque et al., 2021).

The framework seeks to advance inclusive, transformative education by strengthening curricula and teacher education while equipping faculty with knowledge, critical perspectives, and values necessary to foster students’ holistic understanding, critical thinking, and action competence. It also promotes professional development and international cooperation to enhance educator capacity for sustainability integration, while fostering equity-oriented approaches ensuring ESD is accessible to diverse learners. By linking professional identity, pedagogy, cooperation, and adaptability, the framework situates HEIs as agents of systemic social transformation, extending their impact beyond campus boundaries to broader contributions to Sustainable Development and world peace.

The study underscores the importance of regional adaptation of global ESD models, demonstrating that European-based frameworks, while influential, do not fully account for Latin America’s socio-cultural diversity, colonial legacies, and institutional particularities (Freire dos Santos et al., 2024; Leal Filho et al., 2021). The participatory approach ensured that the framework reflects the lived realities of educators while promoting dialogue, collaboration, and context-sensitive innovation. It also foregrounds epistemic diversity and curriculum decolonization, integrating Indigenous, youth, and community perspectives to foster inclusive sustainability education.

Despite its contributions, the study acknowledges limitations. The Delphi panel, while regionally diverse, was relatively small, potentially limiting sectoral representation. Consensus-driven processes may also obscure minority perspectives (Hsu and Sandford, 2007). Empirical validation of the framework in diverse Latin American higher education contexts is needed to assess implementation, pedagogical impact, and adaptability across disciplines and institutions. Structural barriers, such as limited institutional capacity, resistance to competence-based education, and skepticism towards externally driven agendas, may affect adoption (UNESCO, 2021; Rieckmann, 2020).

In conclusion, this research provides a contextually grounded, practical, and adaptable framework for fostering sustainability competences among Latin American HEI educators. By defining five core competence areas, each with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance indicators, the framework supports institutional diagnostics, curriculum development, educator self-assessment, and targeted professional development. It encourages HEIs to move beyond knowledge transmission, fostering educators as agents of transformative change, capable of preparing students for sustainable and peaceful futures while strengthening the alignment of regional practice with global sustainability goals. This model exemplifies how culturally attuned, participatory approaches can reinforce higher education’s potential to drive equitable, inclusive, and sustainable social transformation.

Author

• Carla Andrea Sabbatini, Universidad De San Andrés