Evaluating student perceptions on the development management curricula to promote green economy

The purpose of the paper is to determine the students’ perceptions on the development management curricula in relation to education in green economy, as no previous research has been conducted to evaluate the perceptions of the students enrolled for this course. The study seeks to answer the following question: To what extent were students exposed to the skills and competencies required for engaging in green economy and its effect on their home and work environment.The study used the quantitative approach where the students were given a questionnaire to complete. The findings indicated that the sustainable development attributes were adequately covered with strong focus on global issues, time management and systems theory and thinking. Personal attribute awareness gained during the course included leadership skills, critical thinking and decision making that could enhance the understanding of the economy and environmental management. The study also highlights the students’ perceptions that they could make significant contributions towards the green economy both at work and home. The study recommends that the course be redesigned to include aspects of green economy, the assessment strategies be made more relevant at the program level to include the tenets of engaged scholarship. The study is important for curriculum developers and higher education policy developers to ensure that the course content is relevant to addressing economic relations in the area of environmental management.

Keywords: re-curriculum, student, perceptions, sustainable, development, higher education.
JEL Classification: I23, Q56