CHALLENGES OF INTRODUCING SUSTAINABILITY IN CURRICULA OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT COURSES IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: EVIDENCE FROM TANZANIA

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CHALLENGES OF INTRODUCING SUSTAINABILITY IN
CURRICULA OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT COURSES IN THE
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES EVIDENCE FROM TANZANIA

• Paper Presented at European Real Estate Society
  23-26 June, 2010, Milan
• Sophia Marcian Kongela
• IREBS - International Real Estate Business
  School, Regensburg University, Universitaetstrasse
  31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
• E-mails kongelasophia_at_gmail.com

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The State of Built Environment in Tanzania

• There is a concern that the built environment in
  cities and towns in Tanzania lack realities
  concerning local and climatological features,
  life style, material etc.
• Most of modern buildings in the cities and towns
  portray European architecture with the extensive
  use of glass and imported construction materials
  these seem to put pressure on the environment and
  resources as the changing of the built
  environment do not follow sustainable paths.

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Sustainable Development and Educational
Institutions

• African countries are working on the
  Mainstreaming of Environment and Sustainability
  into African Universities Partnership
• UN announced Decade of Education for Sustainable
  Development (DESD programme 2005-2014)

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Overview of Education for Sustainability in
Tanzania

• Education about sustainability and education
  for sustainability
• The growing interest has been on teaching about
  environmental sustainability (i.e. one aspect of
  sustainability)
• It focuses on understanding theoretical part
  (graduates lack the skills, attitude, motivation
  and values for practicing sustainability at the
  work place and in the normal life)
• Incorporation of environmental education in the
  curricula varies across the disciplines(some
  offer it as an independent subject
• while others treat it as a theme in various
  programmes).

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Overview of Education for Sustainability in
Tanzania (Cont)

• Review of various curricula for some of higher
  learning institutions which offer courses in the
  built environment in Tanzania clearly highlight
  the representation of environmental education
  across different disciplines.
• The findings reveal that, sustainability
  education in Tanzania is more popular with
  courses related to natural resource management
  and agriculture, rather than those related to the
  built environment

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Overview of Education for Sustainability in
Tanzania (Cont)

• There are no higher learning institutions which
  offer courses with comprehensive treatment of
  sustainability aspects in buildings.
• A few sustainability courses which are currently
  offered in the built environment are either under
  universities partnership programmes with some
  European Universities (they are short-lived or
  dwell on only few elements of sustainability)
• Generally, there is no holistic approach to the
  built environment sustainability education in the
  country.

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Sustainability Education in the Curricula

• Few subjects were seen in the curricula which
  incorporate some aspects of sustainability
• e.g. B.Sc. in Landscape Architecture and B.Sc.
  in Interior Design, some degree courses in
  physical planning, Masters degree in Renewable
  energy and Maters degree in sustainable resource
  use.

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Methodology

• Data was collected using a questionnaire which
  was administered to 50 respondents
• There were two sets of Questionnaires
• -to the deans of schools/faculties and heads of
  departments
• -members of academic staff and researchers
• -Response rate was 68 i.e. 34

Discipline of Respondents No. of Respondents
Architects 2
Land economy surveyors 5
Environmental engineers 5
Land surveyors 3
Quantity surveyors 4
Physical planners 8
Mechanical, civil and geotechnical engineers 7
TOTAL 34
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Methodology (Cont...)

• Review of curricula
• Achievement of sustainability calls for
  multi-disciplinarity, in order to capture the
  aspect of multi-disciplinarity the questionnaire
  also sought to understand the involvement of the
  stakeholders and professionals in the curriculum
  review process.

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Results

• Curriculum Review Process
• The process of curriculum review differs from one
  institution to the other (94.1 of the
  respondents have been involved in curriculum
  review in their respective institutions)
• There is mini (after every 2 years) and major
  (after every 5 years) curriculum review.
• For some institutions, all academic members of
  staff are involved in the curriculum review
  process, in others there is a curriculum review
  committee in place. In only one institution the
  ministry of education is involved in the
  curriculum review process.

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Reasons for Curriculum Review
Reason for Curriculum Review No. of Respondents
Responding to external examiners comments 8
Responding to the emerging issues in the society 12
Incorporating new research findings 3
Responding to change in science and technology 11
Responding to change in social and economic condition 8
Demand from students (Annual evaluation Forms) 2
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Involvement of Stakeholders in Curricula Reviews

• The answers given by some respondents did not
  place much weight on the importance of involving
  stakeholders in the curriculum review
• Some of the respondents were of the opinion that
  because the Government is one of the key
  stakeholders should always be involved in the
  process of curriculum review/development

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How comprehensive is the current Curriculum?

• Almost all respondents stated that it is
  comprehensive!
• There is confusion in the interpretation of the
  terms education about and education for
  sustainability. Education about sustainability is
  so far offered by almost all higher learning
  institutions in the country.
• It is clear from these findings that the current
  curriculum is not adequate in treating
  sustainability issues.

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Challenges of Incorporating Sustainability
Aspects in the Curricula

• Sustainability literacy among academicians is
  still a challenge
• Lack of current reading and teaching materials
• Misconceptions about the concept of
  sustainability
• Lack of financial and human resources
• Sustainability-oriented research
• Absence of Case Studies

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Research Interests

• It was observed that sustainability is curricula
  specific.
• Interest varied depending on the respondents
  discipline of study.

Interested Research Area No. of Respondents
Renewable energy 7
Sustainable design 10
Sustainable water 8
Sustainable site 4
Sustainable building materials 9
Environmental sustainability 1
Sustainable property development 13
Sustainable planning 7
Sustainable housing settlements 1
Sustainable procurement 1
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Conclusion

• Sustainability in the built environment requires
  a transformation in approach especially in the
  teaching and learning process.
• Addressing the challenges that built environment
  pose in the environment require diverse
  educational backgrounds to work out the solutions
  together.
• Sustainability teaching requires a
  multi-disciplinary approach, it requires the
  study on natural element, the economic system and
  the social systems

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Conclusion (Cont)

• There should be efforts to understand the local
  context to be able to identify the key aspects to
  be included in the curricula
• More courses offered in a mode of partnership
  with universities from developed countries should
  be introduced in all institutions offering
  courses in the built environment to enhance
  capacity building efforts
• Change toward sustainability is a long process
  which requires preparedness among higher learning
  institutions and all other stakeholders.

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Conclusion (Cont)

• Institutions of higher learning require deep
  understanding of the concept, human and non-human
  resources and team spirit amongst built
  environment professionals and stakeholders and
  not just the integration of sustainability
  concepts in the curricula

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• Thank you for your Attention!!!