Sustainability Education and Global Competence Development: An Integrated Conceptual Framework

Abstract

As sustainability challenges and globalization continue to reshape higher education, cultivating students’ global competence has become increasingly important. Although sustainability education is widely recognized as a key pathway for developing globally competent graduates, the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently explored, limiting its effectiveness in practice. This study develops an integrated conceptual framework linking sustainability consciousness, sustainability thinking, and global competence among undergraduate students. Drawing on Transformative Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the framework conceptualizes sustainability consciousness as a value-oriented foundation and sustainability thinking as a cognitive mechanism supporting global competence development, with gender and academic major considered as contextual factors. By clarifying these relationships, this study provides a deeper understanding of how sustainability education contributes to students’ competence development. The findings offer both theoretical and practical value by informing curriculum design, sustainability integration, and talent development strategies in higher education, thereby supporting educators, policymakers, and institutions in cultivating globally competent graduates.