Environmental issues in business education curricula at Finnish universities of applied sciences : towards a postmodern curriculum?
Penttilä, Taru (2012)
Penttilä, Taru
Turun ammattikorkeakoulu
2012
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-216-253-3
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-216-253-3
Tiivistelmä
In addition to business life, the emergence of environmental issues has taken place also in education. The objective of this research is to examine whether there are environmental issues in the curricula in each business programme at Finnish universities of applied sciences and whether the curricula have been developed according to the increasing need for environmental knowledge in businesses and organisations.
The research reveals the relatively weak position of environmental issues in business education both qualitatively and quantitatively. However, the conclusion that business education curricula have not responded to the increasing need for environmental knowledge and have not been renewed accordingly is partly misleading, because the findings also suggest that environmental issues have actually been, at least to a point, integrated or blended in curricula.
The conclusions of this research prove that curricula have to be not only appropriately interpreted but also rewritten focusing on learning outcomes from the perspective of environmental issues. This frame of reference should be taken into account in all stages of the process in order to assure a real change and improvement in business education at the universities of applied sciences. The future curricula call for flexibility as well as the ability to be rapidly modified and adapted to new circumstances.
The research reveals the relatively weak position of environmental issues in business education both qualitatively and quantitatively. However, the conclusion that business education curricula have not responded to the increasing need for environmental knowledge and have not been renewed accordingly is partly misleading, because the findings also suggest that environmental issues have actually been, at least to a point, integrated or blended in curricula.
The conclusions of this research prove that curricula have to be not only appropriately interpreted but also rewritten focusing on learning outcomes from the perspective of environmental issues. This frame of reference should be taken into account in all stages of the process in order to assure a real change and improvement in business education at the universities of applied sciences. The future curricula call for flexibility as well as the ability to be rapidly modified and adapted to new circumstances.