Building sustainability research competencies through scaffolded pathways for undergraduate research experience

Abstract

Addressing complex socio-ecological challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, requires collaborative co-creation and application of knowledge that bridges disciplines and diverse research communities. New models of research training are needed that emphasize these competencies and are inclusive of students from underrepresented groups in academia. This article presents learnings from a 2-year pilot project at the University of British Columbia in which we created a new course-based undergraduate interdisciplinary research experience in socio-ecological systems designed to address these twin problems. We evaluated the linkages between pedagogical design, achievement of sustainability research competencies, and overcoming barriers to research participation. We find that mentored and scaffolded learning-by-doing supported by peer group-based learning was successful in catalyzing transformative interdisciplinary learning for students. Our results emphasize the importance of scaffolding at multiple levels to remove barriers to accessing a first research experience and providing an introductory opportunity for students to build research self-efficacy and better equip students for independent research. Shifting toward pedagogies that build sustainability-related competencies and that remove barriers to access is high-reward and thus requires institutional support and investment.