Teaching in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous World

Abstract

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' e..