Episode 3 - Kerry Shephard

Sustainability Education Podcast

Biography Kerry Shephard

Kerry is a professor at the Higher Education Development Centre at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Kerry’s academic journey began in biology, where he spent 25 years in research and teaching.

For the last 20 years he has been researching in higher education, focusing on the questions of how universities function and how learning happens in this domain. His research interest include policy and practice in higher education, environmental and sustainability education, and the affective domain of learning.

He is author of numerous journal articles, book chapters and author and editor of various books such as Higher Education for Sustainability or Universities with a Social Purpose. He is also a regular reviewer for a wide range of higher education journals. Kerry has extensive experience as a university teacher and offers courses on academic leadership, critical thinking, and intellectual independence. https://www.otago.ac.nz/hedc/people/professor-kerry-shephard

Short Summary of the Interview

In this episode of the Sustainability Education Podcast, Professor Kerry Shephard from the University of Otago discusses the complexities and nuances of sustainability education. With a rich background in biology and now deeply embedded in higher education research, Professor Shephard shares insights on the challenges of education for sustainability in higher education.

He opens the interview by differentiating between education about sustainability and education for sustainability. He emphasizes the misconceptions and interdisciplinary conflicts that often arise when concepts of sustainability are taught across various academic fields. Furthermore, he argues that sustainability education is frequently misunderstood due to disciplinary and cultural differences, highlighting the specific example of the term “competence” which is variably interpreted across languages and national contexts.

A significant point Shephard makes is about the ineffectiveness of trying to change behavior through knowledge alone. He critiques the assumption that imparting knowledge will lead to behavioral change, advocating instead for a measurable approach to education that focuses on clear outcomes and the ability to track changes.

Throughout the interview, Shephard is critical of the traditional ways universities approach sustainability, suggesting that many current efforts are repackaged ideas that do not fundamentally alter teaching or learning processes. He stresses the importance of measuring educational outcomes to genuinely improve and innovate sustainability education.

Shephard also touches on the concept of intellectual independence as a core aim of higher education, suggesting that fostering critical thinking and questioning is more valuable than merely transmitting knowledge. He calls for a deeper evaluation of how universities are impacting students and society, particularly through their sustainability education efforts.

In conclusion, Professor Shephard advocates for a more critical and evidence-based approach to sustainability education, one that challenges existing pedagogies and promotes a transformative educational experience that is truly capable of fostering sustainable development.

(Selected) References, Resources, and Persons Mentioned During the Episode

• Kerry Shephard: https://www.otago.ac.nz/profiles/professor-kerry-shephard
• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Stanford): https://www.carnegiefoundation.org/our-work/measuring-what-matters/
• Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Masia, B. B. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook II: Affective Domain. David McKay Company, Inc.
• Mounk, Y. (2023). The identity trap: A story of ideas and power in our time. Penguin Press.
• Shephard, K. (2023). Student experiences of higher education for sustainability and for intellectual independence. In C. Baik & E. R. Kahu (Eds.), Research Handbook on the Student Experience in Higher Education (pp. 524–537). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802204193.00047
• Shephard, K. (2023). Academic identity and “education for sustainable development”: a grounded theory. Frontiers in Education, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1257119
• Shephard, K., & Furnari, M. (2013). Exploring what university teachers think about education for sustainability. Studies in Higher Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03075079.2011.644784
• Shephard, K., & Santhakumar, V. (2023). Universities with a Social Purpose: Intentions, Achievements and Challenges. Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8960-7

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