Explaining and Validating the Green Curriculum’s Characteristics Based on the Critical Competencies of Education for the 21st Century

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Maryam Hosseini Largani 1
Hossein Taimour 2
Mahsa Saadvandi 2
1 Educational and Curricular Innovations Group, Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract
This study aimed to explain and validate the characteristics of a Green Curriculum (GC) based on critical competencies required for the 21st-century education. A mixed-methods approach was employed. In the qualitative phase, experts with experience in sustainability within Iran’s higher education system were selected through snowball sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The identified GC characteristics were then quantitatively validated using the Lawshe method. For this purpose, 40 faculty members and doctoral students in educational sciences were randomly selected to evaluate the appropriateness of these characteristics on a three-level scale. The results identified 50 characteristics from interviews and documents, with 48 being validated through the Lawshe method. Additionally, the study found that each of the five competencies for the 21st-century education (learning to know, learning to be, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to transform oneself and society) aligns with several GC characteristics. Recommendations for operationalizing these competencies within a GC include integrating environmental management into various academic curricula, defining practical projects for students, and encouraging engagement with the environmental organizations and global research communities.

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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 27, Issue 6
November and December 2025
Pages 1269-1283