What the study found
The review found that sustainability in higher education is a conceptually active but uneven field. Curriculum and pedagogy receive the most attention, while leadership, policy coherence, transformative learning, and global citizenship are less examined.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the review identifies critical under-researched areas and offers a keyword framework to guide future inquiry. They also introduce the SHE Institutional Maturity Matrix (SHE-IMM), a conceptual model that categorises institutions as foundational, transitional, or transformative in sustainability integration.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a systematic literature review of 406 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability in higher education published between 2014 and 2025. They used the PRISMA 2020 framework and PICo criteria, manually screened the studies, and thematically coded them with a structured extraction template.
What worked and what didn't
The review identified curriculum and pedagogy as the most prominent themes. It also found enabling factors such as digital agility, collaborative governance, and community partnerships, alongside barriers including institutional inertia and fragmented policies.
What to keep in mind
Resilience and climate change education were described as underexplored, suggesting a gap between institutional strategies and sustainability goals. The review covers studies published from 2014 to 2025 and does not report external funding or competing interests.
Key points
- The review analysed 406 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability in higher education from 2014 to 2025.
- Curriculum and pedagogy dominated the literature, while leadership and policy coherence were less studied.
- Institutional inertia and fragmented policies were identified as barriers.
- Digital agility, collaborative governance, and community partnerships were noted as enabling factors.
- The authors introduced the SHE-IMM model with foundational, transitional, and transformative stages.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Review maps uneven sustainability integration in higher education
- Authors:
- Gbemisola Ogbolu, Suzanne Hague, Ayotunde Adelaja, Millicent Ifeyinwa Ohanagorom, Margaret Nana Amala, Oluwatomi Adedeji
- Institutions:
- Northern University of Malaysia, Teesside University, Teesside University, Teesside University, Teesside University, Teesside University
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-04
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Xnatedawgx, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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