Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the long-term effects of sustainability education and the lasting impact of curriculum interventions

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and recommendations and future-work section of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 23 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Bridging global megatrends and institutional education for sustainable development practice in Egyptian higher education (2026) · Discover Sustainability · doi

  This study primarily examines the intersection of global megatrends and sustainability practices within HEIs in Cairo, Egypt. Future research could extend this focus to cover the same intersection in other Egyptian governorates and various other developing countries in the MENA region, facilitating more generalizable findings that support wider actionable strategies needed for aligning institutional practices with the 2030 SDGs, especially in the Global South. The findings presented in this study, derived from both the collaborative workshop and the interviews, reflect perspectives mainly from faculty members, operational staff, and HEIs administrators. However, future studies can expand on those insights by integrating the voices of other stakeholders, such as students, local communities, industry, and government agencies. This is essential for comprehensively understanding and addressing the challenges of designing curricula and learning environments that are responsive to both local and global megatrends in sustainable education. Engaging a broader array of stakeholders will also ensure that all ARTICLE IN PRESSARTICLE IN PRESS ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT relevant voices are included in prioritizing actions based on their feasibility and potential impact. Gathering longitudinal data on the evolution and long-term impact of sustainability practices in Egyptian HEIs represents an important area for further investigation. Furthermore, exploring why certain global megatrends are prioritized but not effectively addressed can enhance HEIs’ overall impact in driving sustainable development.

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: global heis megatrends practices impact intersection sustainability future egyptian voices stakeholders local sustainable article press
• Enhancing climate change education in Egyptian higher education institutions: barriers, opportunities, and student awareness levels (2026) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi

  Based on the research findings, it is evident that an emphasis should be placed on correcting misconceptions about climate change based on basic science. Building on the momentum of those who are aware, concerned, and able to spot the changes, these students can act as focal points for climate action. Efforts to motivate students to participate more in climate change-related services or activities should be encouraged, possibly integrating these activities into their academic grading. Given the diversity of local conditions across Egyptian regions, together with uneven awareness of national strategies and cam- paigns among the surveyed students, there is a clear need for a more structured and context-sensitive framework for climate change education in higher education institutions. This could be achieved through drawing an inspiration from other frameworks such as the European GreenComp, which defines sustainability competencies for learners in different settings and focuses on building sustainability competences through interconnected actions and engagement by embodying sustainability values, embracing complexity in sustainability, envisioning sustainable futures, and acting for sustainability (Bianchi et al., 2022) How- ever, localization should be considered and content should be tailored at the community level, given that different communities have different priorities, which in turn result in different path- ways of action that require certain knowledge and skills. For example, coastal communities affected by sea level rise need a different skill set and priorities compared to those in Upper Egypt, who prioritize agricultural stress, such as water scarcity. HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS | (2026) 13:1117 | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-08215-7 13 ARTICLE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-08215-7 Additionally, it is important to educate and include all path- ways, including legal ones, to take action against violations that double the effects of global warming, such as industrial emissions or mismanaged waste. The university can start by encouraging recycling within the university community by contracting waste collection companies and spread awareness about recyclable materials and facilities in their governorate. This approach acknowledges that not all governorates recycle the same materials or have the same facilities across Egypt. Moreover, universities should incorporate multimedia in their pedagogies since the study showed that students rely on social media to get knowledge and updates in comparison to traditional methods. Finally, there is a clear need for the Ministry of Higher Edu- cation to unify, increase, and structure knowledge of climate change, including developing thinking skills, encouraging climate action, and increasing motivation. According to the study, further qualitative research is needed to explore additional determinants of

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: climate sustainability different change students action need knowledge social based building activities given across awareness
• The Impact of Integrating Sustainable Development Goals on Students’ Awareness and Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Case Study of Jordan (2025) · Sustainability · cited 23× · doi

  conduct longitudinal studies to examine the long-term effects of sustainability education and the lasting impact of curriculum interventions, - expand the investigation to explore the impact of academic disciplines as a factor shaping students' engagement with sustainability issues, - include external sources of information about SDGs that students access outside the framework of the formal curriculum, - explore effective methods of fostering sustainable awareness and pro-environmental behavioral change and the ongoing challenges of implementing comprehensive sustainability education

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: conduct longitudinal studies examine long-term effects sustainability education

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