TTL-WIA | Transforming Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Whole of Institution Approaches Towards Sustainability

The TTL-WIA research project, conducted in collaboration between the Leadership & Learning for Sustainability (LL4S) Lab at McGill University and the University of Lethbridge in Canada and the Sustainabiliy Education Research Group (SERG) at Leuphana University, investigates whole institution approaches (WIA) to sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs) across Canada and internationally, with a focus on transforming teaching and learning for sustainability. The project seeks to understand how WIA initiatives are conceived, implemented, and sustained within diverse institutional contexts, and to identify the conditions (both enabling and constraining) that shape their impact and continuity.

The research is grounded in a comparative, case-based approach, drawing on qualitative and documentary data from HEIs that have developed comprehensive strategies integrating sustainability across curricula, campus operations, governance, and community engagement. By analyzing the design, evolution, and outcomes of these initiatives, the project aims to generate a nuanced understanding of what makes institutional transformation possible, particularly in the face of structural inertia, resource limitations, and differing stakeholder expectations.

A central objective is to move beyond descriptive accounts and develop actionable insights into the social, political, and epistemic conditions that support or hinder transformative sustainability education. This includes examining leadership models, institutional cultures, funding mechanisms, and the role of student and staff activism. The findings will be co-developed with practitioners and researchers through participatory processes and dialogues, ensuring relevance and applicability for real-world transformation.

This project is funded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Coucil (SSHRC)’s Insight Development Grant and implemented by McGill University (project lead) and the University of Lethbridge (co-lead) in collaboration with Leuphana University.