Sri Rahayu, Muhammad Dimar Alam, Naif Mastoor Alsulami
Global awareness of the importance of preserving the present and future has increased, highlighting the significance of sustainable development (SD). Education for SD aims to develop critical thinking skills in individuals to consider the implications of their decisions from local and global perspectives. University education plays a crucial role in promoting SD for all people and societies. Life-Based Learning (LBL) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) share common objectives, methodologies, and educational philosophies. ESD encompasses various educational practices to promote sustainable development goals, while LBL provides a framework for achieving these goals. This study examines changes in students’ knowledge, socio-emotional development, and behaviors towards SD using the LBL framework and the Design Thinking-Based Inquiry (DTI) strategy. A one-group pretest and post-test design was used with 58 first-year university students. DTI instruction was implemented over eight 150-minute sessions, with pre- and post-tests administered before and after the intervention. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire (reliability = 0.83), and qualitative data were gathered through students’ work, observation, and field notes. The data were analyzed descriptively and statistically. The results showed significant differences in students’ knowledge, socio-emotional development, and behavior towards SD after implementing DTI with a focus on SDGs. Students were able to critically choose SDG issues in their lives and address them effectively. The selected SDGs varied (11 SDGs), with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) being the most dominant. Students reported feeling excited and experiencing new things through the instruction. Case studies illustrating the implementation of DTI and life-based learning are presented in this chapter. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia; Brawijaya University, Malang, Indonesia; University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
