Engaging Students-as-Partners (SaP) to Explore Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in STEM

Across the UK, universities pledge alignment with education legislation and global strategies such as NET2030. This case study evaluates a workshop exploring Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in STEM curriculum. Grounded in a Students-as-Partners (SaP) framework, the workshop employed Mural and Mentimeter to examine the relationship between educational inequalities and how ESD principles can be applied to promote equity. Analysis of the data revealed key insights into barriers and effective learning methods. A recurring theme was disproportionate access to educational experiences, identified by 45% of students (n=23). Suggested improvements included participatory workshops and concept-based learning (CBL). While students recognised a wide range of sustainable resources, a common barrier was “too much noise from the university.” Participants’ understanding of sustainability, which includes social factors, highlights the need for a holistic ESD approach in curriculum design, moving beyond passive delivery toward transparent, co-created pedagogical models.