Experiential learning for sustainability: a systematic review and research agenda for engineering education

In response to complex sustainability challenges, engineering education increasingly embraces experiential learning to prepare graduates for interdisciplinary problem-solving and societal impact. Yet, research on the intersection of experiential learning and sustainability education remains fragmented. Our study addresses this gap through a systematic review of 83 empirical studies, in which we analysed sustainability integration approaches, teaching and learning principles, and reported learning outcomes. Our findings highlight a dichotomy where experiential learning fosters boundary-crossing collaboration, bridges education with real-world practice, and addresses diverse learning objectives. However, current research disproportionately focuses on elective curricula, disciplinary contexts, and outcomes that emphasise cognitive, behavioural, and technical competencies. Thus, affective and socio-emotional dimensions remain underexplored. These gaps limit understanding of experiential learning’s transformative potential for sustainability education. To address this, we propose a nine-item research agenda to guide future studies and inform the design of more impactful experiential learning practices in engineering education.

面对复杂的可持续发展挑战，工程教育愈发重视体验式学习（experiential learning），以培养能够开展跨学科问题解决并产生社会影响力的毕业生。然而，目前针对体验式学习与可持续发展教育交叉领域的研究仍较为零散。本研究通过对83项实证研究开展系统综述，填补了这一研究空白，分析了可持续发展融合路径、教与学原则以及已报道的学习成果。研究结果揭示了一种二元特征：体验式学习能够促进跨边界协作，打通教育与现实实践的壁垒，并满足多样化的学习目标。然而，当前研究过度聚焦于选修课程、学科语境，以及侧重认知、行为与技术能力的学习成果。因此，情感与社会情感维度的相关研究仍有待深入挖掘。这些研究缺口限制了学界对体验式学习在可持续发展教育中变革潜力的认知。为解决这一问题，本研究提出包含九项内容的研究议程，以指导未来研究，并为工程教育中更具影响力的体验式学习实践设计提供参考。