Educational practices and graduate competences for 21st century challenges and sustainability in low‐income and lower‐middle‐income countries

Abstract

Since poorer countries are especially vulnerable to shocks and disruptions, examining practices within their higher education institutions is pertinent to identify those which effectively prepare graduates to address increasing challenges in their work and communities. Research on such practices is typically framed in relation to 21st century learning or education for sustainability. This article, based on a rapid evidence assessment approach, uses a five‐stage methodological framework. It provides a systematic examination of practices and education outcomes from 26 studies in 18 lower income countries, with a third from Indonesia. They reveal practices which are predominantly situated in vocational or applied disciplines, oriented to generate solutions to authentic local challenges and involve student‐centred, collaborative and intercultural learning. Many facilitated experiential learning beyond the physical confines of the classroom and community‐based learning. Some also incorporated digital and online elements or were extracurricular. Although most employed observational designs, seven quasi‐experimental studies provided promising evidence of positive impacts—even in such resource‐constrained contexts—to develop competencies across all four UNESCO pillars of relevant future‐oriented learning, with mixed outcomes where simulations were adopted. However, the practices were small scale, peripheral to prevailing norms and constrained by higher education systems which resist disruptions to traditional educational routines, bridge disciplinary boundaries or expand epistemic horizons. Wider adoption will require funding for educational development, coordinated efforts across global regions and international collaborations based on reciprocal knowledge exchange. Future rigorous and longitudinal research could evaluate the wider societal impacts on sustainable development and graduates' real‐world behaviours.

Rationale for this study: Lower income countries face increasing social, environmental and climate uncertainties making it crucial to identify effective practices adopted in higher education to prepare graduates to create sustainable, equitable futures. This REA addresses the literature's Global North bias, offering evidence from the Global South of diverse futures‐oriented educational practices.

Why new findings matter: The restricted scale of the practices reveals the distance to be travelled if international initiatives aiming to improve the quality and relevance of higher education are to be realised.

Implications for practitioners, researchers and policy‐makers: Funding, policy and academic development strategies are required that prioritise student‐centred learning, nurture understandings of key global challenges, value local wisdoms and strengthen capabilities for inclusive social action and sustainable environmental innovations. International and national responses should include supporting virtual collaborations and communities of practice to connect expertise, ensuring a two‐way flow between countries of the Global South and the Global North and equitable transnational partnerships.