Ivan Govender

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efforts of Durban University of Technology to provide a more inclusive education for the transition towards an economic and sustainable environment. The paper is centred on assessing the current general education programme implemented by Durban University of Technology by exploring the general education environmental knowledge domains. In 2009, the Durban University of Technology Senate accepted the general education guidelines for curriculum renewal and stipulated the aims of general education as building a student-centeredness experience, preparing students for the complex and changing globalized environment and to cultivate responsible citizenship. Documentary analysis was undertaken to assess the graduate attributes and its incorporation into the general education modules. The general education policy documents, thematic clustering, module descriptors and study guides were inspected to establish the scope of the knowledge that would aid students to engage in a transitional and transformational world. The study findings highlighted that while the general education modules related to environmental sustainability, there was little evidence of the green economy being included in the general education curricula. DUT needs to progress towards becoming a sustainable university to enrich the students’ experiences in education in sustainable development (ESD) through committed leadership, being lecturer focused and developing a participatory monitoring and evaluation system for ESD. The study is of value to higher education and governmental institutions engaged in transformative learning and education policy development in environmental management and green economy.

Keywords: green economy, general education, sustainable development, evaluation.
JEL Classification: Q56, Q01.

The purpose of the paper is to determine the students’ perceptions on the development management curricula in relation to education in green economy, as no previous research has been conducted to evaluate the perceptions of the students enrolled for this course. The study seeks to answer the following question: To what extent were students exposed to the skills and competencies required for engaging in green economy and its effect on their home and work environment.The study used the quantitative approach where the students were given a questionnaire to complete. The findings indicated that the sustainable development attributes were adequately covered with strong focus on global issues, time management and systems theory and thinking. Personal attribute awareness gained during the course included leadership skills, critical thinking and decision making that could enhance the understanding of the economy and environmental management. The study also highlights the students’ perceptions that they could make significant contributions towards the green economy both at work and home. The study recommends that the course be redesigned to include aspects of green economy, the assessment strategies be made more relevant at the program level to include the tenets of engaged scholarship. The study is important for curriculum developers and higher education policy developers to ensure that the course content is relevant to addressing economic relations in the area of environmental management.

Keywords: re-curriculum, student, perceptions, sustainable, development, higher education.
JEL Classification: I23, Q56