Co-operatives for learning in higher education: experiences of undergraduate students from environmental sciences.

SUSTAINABILITY; HIGHER education; UNDERGRADUATES; ENVIRONMENTAL sciences; COLLEGE teaching

Non-hegemonic perspectives on sustainability are grounded in environmental sustainability based on justice. We argue about the potential of co-operatives for learning framed through degrowth epistemological visions promoting pedagogical changes in Higher Education. The context is a public university in Catalonia (Spain) implementing an innovative teaching methodology merging service learning and co-operatives for learning in an Environmental Sciences degree. The research question was: What are the experiences of undergraduate students participating in co-operatives for learning about environmental education? Data collection used focus group interviews and individual reflective narratives. Based on the construct of dialectical tensions, we identify three breaking points for the transition to teaching justice-based environmental sustainability using co-operatives for learning: (a) decommodification of work (tradition/innovation; theory/practice); (b) reconstruction of relationships with 'the other' (individual/collective); and (c) with nature (capitalism/degrowth). We conclude that students' environmental praxis is promoted when addressing new perspectives of development and sustainability in university teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les perspectives de la sostenibilitat no hegemòniques es troben fonamentades en la sostenibilitat ambiental basada en la justícia. En aquest article defensem el potencial que tenen les co-operatives per a l'aprenentatge recolzades en visions epistemològiques decreixentistes per promoure canvis pedagògics a l'ensenyament universitari. El context de la recerca es situa en una universitat pública de Catalunya (Espanya), on un grup de docents implementen una innovació metodològica que fusiona l'aprenentatge servei amb les co-operatives per aprendre en el Grau de Ciències Ambientals. La pregunta que va orientar la recerca es: Quines son les experiències dels estudiants que participen en les co-operatives per aprendre sobre educació ambiental?. Es varen utilitzar els grups focals i les narratives reflexives individuals com a estratègies de recollida de dades. A partir del constructe de tensió dialèctica hem identificat tres punts de ruptura per a la transició cap a l'ensenyament de la sostenibilitat ambiental basada en la justícia a partir de les co-operatives per aprendre: (a) decomodificació (tradició/innovació, teoria/pràctica); (b) reconstrucció de les relacions amb l'altre (individual/col·lectiu); i (c) reconstrucció de les relacions amb la natura (capitalisme/decreixement). Concloem que la praxis ambiental dels estudiants es veu mobilitzada quan s'introdueixen noves perspectives de desenvolupament i sostenibilitat a l'ensenyament universitari. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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