Learning in Paradox

Gabriela Gliga; Noor Alsayed; Ana-Maria Bores; George Onofrei

doi:10.2991/978-94-6239-760-6_3

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Learning in Paradox

Student Engagement with Sustainability in Higher Education

Authors

Gabriela Gliga¹^{, *}, Noor Alsayed², Ana-Maria Bores³, George Onofrei¹

¹Atlantic Technological University, Letterkenny, Ireland

²Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain

³Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava, Romania

^*Corresponding author. Email: gabriela.gliga@atu.ie

Corresponding Author

Gabriela Gliga

Available Online 23 August 2026.

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-760-6_3 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development; Value-Behaviour Gap; Paradox Theory; Sustainability Learning
Abstract: Despite institutional commitments to sustainability, higher education continues to struggle with engaging students in ways that translate values into consistent behaviours. Many students express pro-sustainability values, yet act in ways that contradict them, a persistent “value–behaviour gap” that highlights un-resolved tensions in sustainability education. This paper develops a conceptual argument for understanding these contradictions as enduring paradoxes rather than deficits. Building on the widely adopted ESD competence framework, the paper proposes the integration of “paradox literacy” as an overarching competence that equips students to recognise, articulate and work with tensions. This reconceptualisation challenges linear awareness-to-action models and can offer practical implications for curriculum design, pedagogy and assessment in higher education.
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of the Conference of Growing up the Future: Education for Sustainability (GROUFES 2026)
Series: Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities
Publication Date: 23 August 2026
ISBN: 978-94-6239-760-6
ISSN: 2667-128X
DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-760-6_3 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - Gabriela Gliga
AU  - Noor Alsayed
AU  - Ana-Maria Bores
AU  - George Onofrei
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/23
TI  - Learning in Paradox
BT  - Proceedings of the Conference of Growing up the Future: Education for Sustainability (GROUFES 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 19
EP  - 29
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-760-6_3
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-760-6_3
ID  - Gliga2026
ER  -

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