Teaching in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world

This study explored the perceptions of a purposive sample of experienced educators teaching sustainable development at an Australian university, on the building of socio-emotional competencies in their students. Educators responded to a series of in-depth interview questions concerning their observations of their students’ reactions to the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) nature of sustainable development, how they manage these reactions, and the benefits and barriers to teaching socio-emotional competencies to prepare students for sustainability challenges. An interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to provide a concise exploration of educators’ lived 'classroom' experiences, and to add methodological diversity to the field. This analysis revealed observed inequities in learning and coping amongst students in response to VUCA, and the need for educators to manage these responses, often spontaneously, by drawing predominantly on personal experiences from their diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Importantly, educators report a lack of confidence in adequately preparing students for VUCA. The research lays a foundation for future inquiry into the actual experiences of students learning sustainable development, and highlights the need for the professional development of in-service educators, to equip them with tools to effectively integrate sustainability pedagogies into their teaching practice.