Professionalisation of Undergraduate Academic Teaching in Multiple Disciplines to Address SDGs Erasmus Project

Project Title

Professionalisation of Undergraduate Academic Teaching in Multiple Disciplines to Address SDGs

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Capacity Building in higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics:

Project Summary

South Africa is committed to aligning itself with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The Council on Higher Education (CHE) has pointed that South African aspirations for SDGs are vested in the work and roles of academic staff. The CHE (2014) also pointed that the subject content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge of most South African university staff is poor and that this is a major cause of inadequate learner achievement and mismatch with employability needs. There is no systematic attempt to infuse SDGs in HEIs so far and most of teaching methodology applied in the partner institutions, as well as in South Africa in general, focuses on lecturing and limited use of: i) problem-based learning strategies; ii) placed-based pedagogy; ii) utilization of ICTs as enabling pedagogical tools, and other innovative teaching/learning tools suitable to address SDGs challenges. This mismatch should be bridged through the professionalisation of undergraduate academic teaching to address SDGs in multiple disciplines. HEIs in South Africa should introduce and promote cross/interdisciplinary approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, helping students develop their breadth of understanding and building knowledge and practice on SDGs. The proposed project addresses the modernization of curricula in multiple academic disciplines to infuse SDGs through capacity building of academic staff in innovative teaching and learning tools, methodologies, ICT-enabling pedagogical approaches in nationally prioritized subjects, such as biology, agricultural, environment, engineering, health. By the end of the project, there will be a significant cohort of academic teaching champions, who will drive wider changes in their HEIs and society by implementing SDGs in line with the South Africa’s National Development Plan and in alignment with the 2030 Agenda for SDGs.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 795552 Eur

Project Coordinator

FREDERICK UNIVERSITY FU & Country: CY

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL
• PERIFERIAKO KENTRO EMPIROGNOMOSINISSTIN EKPAIDEFSI KAI TI VIOSIMI ANAPTIKSI
• HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING AND TEACHING ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
• PANEPISTIMIO KRITIS
• RHODES UNIVERSITY
• UNIVERSITY OF VENDA