Unmasking the Action-Oriented ESD Approach to Acting Environmentally Friendly

Since the United Nations’ declaration on education for sustainable development (ESD), countries and universities across the globe aim to enhance sustainability consciousness, knowingness, attitude, and behavior among learners. However, there is no consensus on pragmatic approaches to achieving environmental sustainability. The ESD action-oriented approach unmasks the complexities of sustainable development and develops learners’ action competence to act environmentally friendly. The present research measures the action competence outcomes of learners’ sustainability consciousness in Malaysian universities through the ESD action-oriented framework, which comprised five components: action-taking, student leadership, peer interaction, community involvement, and interdisciplinarity. A survey was carried out to examine the perception of 975 students and 458 faculty members. The findings revealed that the ESD action-based pedagogy is implemented and practiced as a key strategy in teaching methods to prepare students to understand and respond to the changing world and drive sustainable development in Malaysia. Moreover, action-based ESD demonstrated the potential to be successful. Although the classroom teaching and learning practices in Malaysian universities benefit greatly from the adoption of the ESD action approach, the action-taking and interdisciplinarity components of the action-oriented framework are shown to contribute to sustainability consciousness. The present study offered a new insight for sustainability practitioners and stakeholders on the action-oriented ESD approach to sustainability consciousness and how it can promote the action competence of learners.