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 suggest the findings help identify under-researched areas and refine a keyword framework for future inquiry. They also present a conceptual model, the Sustainability in Higher Education (SHE) Institutional Maturity Matrix (SHE-IMM), to categorize institutions as foundational, transitional, or transformative in sustainability integration.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a systematic literature review of 406 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability in higher education published between 2014 and 2025. They followed PRISMA 2020 and PICo criteria, manually screened the studies, and coded them thematically using a structured extraction template.
What worked and what didn't
The review found enabling factors such as digital agility, collaborative governance, and community partnerships attracting attention. It also identified barriers including institutional inertia and fragmented policies. Resilience and climate change education were described as underexplored, suggesting a gap between institutional strategies and sustainability goals.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not provide detailed study-level limitations beyond the review's scope and methods. The findings are based on the peer-reviewed studies included in the review and on the authors' conceptual framework.
Key points
- The review analyzed 406 peer-reviewed studies on sustainability in higher education published from 2014 to 2025.
- Curriculum and pedagogy were emphasized more than leadership, policy coherence, transformative learning, and global citizenship.
- 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 Institutional Maturity Matrix (SHE-IMM) with foundational, transitional, and transformative stages.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Higher education sustainability research is uneven and conceptually active
- Authors:
- Gbemisola Ogbolu, Suzanne Hague, Ayotunde Adelaja, Millicent Ifeyinwa Ohanagorom, Margaret Nana Amala, Oluwatomi Adedeji
- Institutions:
- Teesside University, Northern University of Malaysia
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-04
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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