Educator Agency in Regenerative Transitions

This research explores how educators navigate regenerative education and collaborate with students and communities to contribute to social and environmental well-being.

Centre of Expertise Mission Zero

Regeneratieve Transities

Understanding Educator-Led Change

This research explores how educators, students and communities collaborate on real-world challenges to improve social and environmental well-being. The project seeks to understand how educators navigate the complex work of regenerative education.

Advancing Regenerative Education in the Netherlands

Focusing on Dutch higher education, the study investigates how educators use their influence and skills, or "agency", to ensure the success of regenerative initiatives. This understanding helps THUAS and other institutions contribute effectively to a just and sustainable future.

Developing Useful Insights

By studying the management of complex collaborations, this research provides practical insights for teacher training and course design. The project supports locally driven solutions to societal issues by strengthening university-community partnerships.

Objective

The research supports higher education educators in leading regenerative education for societal transitions. The primary focus includes lecturers and curriculum designers in the Masters Sustainable Transitions. Many educators seek to lead transitions, but they require better support for innovative regenerative education. This project explores successful navigation strategies to provide that support.

Target Group

The primary target group consists of lecturers and curriculum designers within the Masters Sustainable Transitions at THUAS, as well as higher education educators seeking to implement regenerative approaches to education.

Method

This project follows a qualitative research design, combining a literature review, semi-structured interviews, ethnography and collective autoethnography to capture both individual and shared perspectives.

The research project is planned for five years, from mid-2025 until the end of 2029.

  • 2025–2026, Phase 1: Focus on scoping regenerative education practices and interviewing MST coordinators at THUAS, starting in June 2025.
  • 2026–2028, Phase 2: A longitudinal case study within the Master in Sustainable Transitions at THUAS. This provides ethnographic depth over 24 months, using methods such as semi-structured interviews, participatory focus groups and autoethnography.
  • 2028–2029, Phase 3: Collective autoethnography sessions, analysis, synthesis and writing the findings into a cohesive PhD thesis.

Results

  • The project is expected to result in 4 to 5 academic publications in sustainability education journals.
  • Practical resources will be developed for educators on implementing regenerative education.
  • The project will contribute to curriculum development and the professional development of educators.
  • The project findings and interviews will also be shared as episodes of The Regenerative Lab Podcast Series, an established podcast series available online.

Impact

The project contributes to the development of regenerative education by generating practical knowledge that educators can use in teaching and curriculum development. By strengthening the capacity of educators to navigate complex collaborations, the research supports stronger partnerships between higher education institutions and communities and contributes to locally driven responses to societal and environmental challenges.

Duration

Mid-2025 – End of 2029

Funding

Institutional funding from The Hague University of Applied Sciences through the Multilevel Regulation research group, Centre of Expertise Global and Inclusive Learning.

Collaboration

  • The coordinators and teaching team of the Masters Sustainable Transitions at THUAS. 
  • Students of the Masters Sustainable Transitions participating in regenerative initiatives. 
  • University of Amsterdam – Governance and Inclusive Development (GID) programme group. 
  • Local community organisations and initiatives engaged in transition challenges. 
  • The Regenerative Lab Podcast Series (for dissemination of findings and as a platform for co-creation). 

Team

  • Jonas Carinhas
  •  Bas van den Berg
  •  Sylvia Bergh
  • Mieke Lopes Cardozo

Contact

Jonas Carinhas
[email protected]
+31 643 159 550