A Study on the Cognition and Behaviour of Indonesian Academic Staff Towards the Concept of The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

3.3.1 Documentary Analysis

Document analysis is a systematic technique for assessing or analysing documents including paper and digital content. Similar to other analytical procedures in qualitative study, document analysis demands that data be reviewed and evaluated in order to elicit meaning, acquire insight, and generate empirical knowledge (Corbin & Strauss, 2008; Rapley, 2018).

The purpose of this Documentary Analysis was to identify the important topics and dimensions specified in the degree reports of vocational universities, as encouraged by UNESCO in the DESD. The 2005 priority areas are directly connected to the SDGs of the present. The categories that were chosen for investigation were justification, objectives, general capabilities, and particular competencies. In the cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural domains, learning goals are outlined for each SDG (UNESCO. Division for Inclusion Education Sector, 2017).

Documentary analysis is used to determine the research objectives on priority programmes from the third annual report of the latest technical and vocational education institutions, both from the socio-cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions. Each higher education institution has published an annual report outlining the implementation of the SDGs, enabling visitors to easily understand the university’s initiatives for each goal. This constitutes sufficient evidence since their institution validated and published it on the university’s website. This documentary analysis will also answer the first research question, namely the mission statement launched by the technical and vocational education institutions through the annual report they have published. With MAXQDA software, it is beneficial for authors to code the three documents downloaded simultaneously. After uploading the document into the system, the author creates a coding system that includes the socio-cultural dimension, environmental dimension, and economic dimension. The three codes continued by creating a subcode for each dimension. In each subcode, the authors include projects or programmes that they have or are still doing, both internally and outside the campus.

3.3.2 Qualitative Interview Analysis

The list of interview questions for the dean/vice dean and head of the department was modified from Tiana & Villarreal (2016); this case study aims to explore the principles and practises of SDGs in the university curriculum. And the list of interview questions for the lecturers was adapted from Karlsson (2016), where the goal is to examine the perceptions of university teachers teaching sustainable development in order to analyse and determine how they perceive and apply the sustainable development concept in their teaching.

After receiving confirmation of their willingness to conduct interviews, the author and each participant determined free time to conduct a question-and-answer session. Each interview was conducted using Zoom, and consent was obtained to be recorded. The interview has a different time for each participant, ranging between 40 and 70 min. The transcript was written in Indonesian first and then translated into English by the author. These interviews have been coded using MAXQDA 2020 to find the keywords in knowing the second research objective about SDGs have been incorporated into the curriculum and to answer the second question about the SDGs actions they have taken and suggested. Moving on to the third objective and research questions related to SWOT analysis, the code is divided into four, namely SWOT. Finally, the results will be described visually.

4.2.1 Academic Staff’ Cognition Regarding the SDGs

According to UN programmes, all interviewees in this study had a fundamental understanding of the SDGs. In addition, nearly all academic personnel (Dean/Vice Dean, Chairman, and Lecturers) are able to recall the debut date and number of items for this programme. It is unsurprised that their institutions, particularly their department, have SDG requirements for some activities, such as research and community service.

PD-3, was the most mentioned 18 times, including language, imagination, perception, and planning regarding SDGs, followed by PL-4 with 16 times, and the third one placed by PC-1, and PL-3 with 14 times (Figure 10). Here is the defining concept of SDGs by PD-3;

“Concerning the SDGs, it must humanize humans; why? Because humans are the main actors, and infrastructure is only a supporting factor. The main factor will be able to affect the environment and society, innovation and adaptation to developments in today’s world”

This statement is supported by numerous researchers in their research focused on the environment (Adger, Huq, Brown, Conway, & Hulme, 2003; Coccia, 2015), Society (Cars & West, 2015; Urry, 2015), Innovation (Bircan & Gencler, 2015; Omri, 2020), and adaptation (Valencia et al., 2019). These four primary aspects, which must be enhanced as human beings, also bequeath for our new generation; as a result, in the future, they will be able to take part in resolving challenges that affect the entire world.

Meanwhile, PL-4 answered confidently, by mentioning the government agency assigned to the success of this UN programme.

“This term is very familiar; many have conveyed it, especially from officials such as Bappenas (National Development Planning Agency), who have a development agenda…this is a development agenda in all sectors for human welfare, both now and in the future. So, there are 17 crucial agendas that we must strive to achieve.” (PL-4)

He also refers to unideal conditions in implementing SDGs as follows:

“[…] published by the United Nations and recommended to be applied to countries; what has been scheduled is ideally done, but there are still many implementations that are actually not ideal. So, there are still many regional disparities, including the degree of education in each region different. This limitation is also one of them is influenced by resources as well[…]” (PL-4)

The unequal economic and human resources in each region will deviate the goals from the target. This is a condition experienced a lot by developing and the third countries, lead Implementation of SDGs not optimal (Adshead, Thacker, Fuldauer, & Hall, 2019; Dasgupta, Managi, & Kumar, 2022). Indonesia is the best example; some islands are able to implement the SDG programme because it is supported by good infrastructure and adequate human resources, but not others (Morita, Okitasari, & Masuda, 2020).

Horan (2022) noted that the SDGs provide a comprehensive, interconnected framework of financial, cultural, and environmental concerns to facilitate collaborative and integrated methods for their realization. More specifically Vazquez-Brust, Piao, de Melo, Yaryd, and Carvalho (2020) emphasized the many forms of cooperation that may be used as a governance mechanism to advance the SDGs and suggested that varied governance structures have to be blended in order to achieve optimal results. Additionally, discovered that the success of cooperation is not only dependent on governance-specific characteristics, but also on the type of SDGs and the type of partners that are participating.

4.2.2 Academic Staff’ Behaviour Regarding the SDGs

Increasing staff academics’ understanding of the 17 items on SDGs could promote behaviour pro-sustainable. Caiado, Leal Filho, Quelhas, de Mattos Nascimento, and Ávila (2018) highlighted that the SDGs require worldwide collaborative action from many parties, including governments, multinational businesses (MNEs), and even more educational institutions. Personal views and cognition regarding the SDGs influence organizational behaviour; consequently, it is advantageous to comprehend the effects of human traits on Corporate social responsibility (SR) (Ivanaj, Da Costa, Ivanova, Ivanaj, & Kar, 2013).

Staff Academics’ behaviour toward SDGs divided to be three parts, the first one for Dean/Vice Dean (Table 2), Chairman (Table 3), and Lecturers (Table 4). The sorting of SDGs’ priority items is influenced by academic staff behaviours that lead to certain items. As a result, some objects are standalone, while others are followed by additional items. For description, in PL-3, one of the priority items is quality education but also includes reduced inequalities, climate action, and gender equality because she has the behaviour to teach against climate change, tolerance, and gender equality.

As the educational provider’s leaders, PD-3, PD-1, and PD-2 have contributed to monitoring the quality. The educational environment covers many fundamental aspects that significantly affect future human resources. Creating potential graduates for the following challenges with innovation capability is insufficient; they must prepare to solve the complex global issues attached to SDGs. The vital education stakeholders (employers, scholars, and learners) have broadly comparable assessments of the essential capabilities to meet the SDGs and believe they need to be better integrated into the curriculum (Beagon et al., 2022; Garcia, da Silva, Carvalho, & de Andrade Guerra, 2017).

Although all heads of department explicitly reference goal 4 in SDGs, (Mader & Rammel, 2015) recommended that higher education institutions have a broader scale to achieve SDGs. In order for students in every nation to fulfil the requirements for employability and solve the social, environmental, cultural, economic, and health concerns that the globe is currently facing, educational programmes in all nations need to become significantly more internationally relevant (Hall & Tandon, 2021).

In contrast to the deans and heads of departments who participate, lecturers are given the autonomy to integrate aspects of the SDGs into their teaching, their research, and their involvement in community service. Seeing that the SDGs have not been fully included in the curriculum, every instructor is permitted to modify their lessons to align with one or more of the SDGs. The goals themselves do not provide adequate direction, and there is little information provided to explain how the goals are connected to one another (Costanza et al., 2016).

4.3.1 Weaknesses

Weaknesses in the internal sector were 28 times mentioned by participants, quality education still in the top position mentioned with total frequency ten times, followed by climate action six times and reduced inequalities with five times commented. Indonesia still has issues in the education sector; underdeveloped regions suffer from a lack of teachers, inadequate school buildings, and inadequate school equipment; an example of educational inequality that is common in developing countries. Even more, PL-3 stated there is limited access for disabled students in her workplace; it could be said ironically for the best public university in central Java and number 3rd on the national scale. She commented,

“ […].So, what is really lacking is access for people with disabilities for the building behind this (Background Wallpaper Zoom: Teaching Industry Learning Center) is already friendly for people with disabilities, but overall, the buildings have not taken sides with them” (PL-3)

The description represented by PL-3 is the smallest issue faced by educational institutions. Numerous researches have identified the work environment of teachers as one of the primary predictors of high-quality education (Okyere-Kwakye, 2013). There have been several concerns voiced about the influence of educational elements on academic achievement; psychologists, educators, architects, and engineers have investigated optimum environments for learning from prekindergarten to higher education (Corgnati, Filippi, & Viazzo, 2007; Higgins, Hall, Wall, Woolner, & Mccaughey, 2005; Hill & Epps, 2009).

4.3.2 Opportunities

“[…] I’m also helping the Ministry of Education and Culture related with vocational programs for matching funds; this is an effort from the government to collaborate between universities and industry, especially industry” (PD-2)

As stated by PD-2, the government’s roles are crucial for implementing projects to achieve the 2030 agenda; embracing education institutions and industry, both public and private, may be highly promising to help implement SDGs. She is in ring one in the Ministry of Education, which indicates having full authority and trust in running the projects, particularly SDGs. Nevertheless, the parameters between public as well as private, technology and science, and academics and business are in change. In addition, the government’s problems have reached startling levels of complicatedness and pervasiveness, necessitating fresh applied research (Apfel & Worthley, 1979).

The objective of this applied research stimulus is to conduct a detailed, methodical, and continuing analysis of a topic in order to rapidly use the findings for specific industrial applications or communities (Balconi & Laboranti, 2006; Grossman, Reid, & Morgan, 2001). As practitioners and scholars from a variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research areas, which include A.I. technology, political science, social science, personal integrity, graduate schools, regional geography, and organisational behaviour, attend Triple Helix studies (Partnership for the goals) or have their viewpoints incorporated, the field is becoming increasingly integrative.

4.3.3 Threats

The implementation of SDGs, especially in climate action, is difficult to execute. Each country has different problems, developed countries mostly focus on the renewal of energy (Chung, 2021; Hu, Huang, & Chang, 2016), climate action (Bichler-Robertson, Potchak, & Tibbetts, 2003; Howarth & Parsons, 2021), and reducing inequalities (Cojocaru et al., 2022; Tyagi, Vishwakarma, Rishi, & Rajiah, 2021), while developing countries more to build infrastructure for economic development, and this tends to sacrifice the surrounding environment (Li et al., 2021; MK, 2020; Nasrollahi, Hashemi, Bameri, & Mohamad Taghvaee, 2020).

Growth in the economy, by its mere definition, inevitably results in a depletion of natural resources and a decline in the quality of environmental services (Pearce & Atkinson, 1993; Repetto, Magrath, Wells, Beer, & Rossini, 1989). The natural world is given a lower priority than other goals, like expanding economic growth and improving standards of living (Arrow, Dasgupta, Goulder, Mumford, & Oleson, 2012). Sustainable development itself reflects the fundamental contradiction between human and environmental systems (Dasgupta, 2013). The Indonesian government’s commitment is still biased regarding Climate action that is 30 times mentioned by academic staff. For instances, PL-2, PL-3 and PL-4;

“[…].it will be complicated because each country has different problems. For example, India needs clean water, Brazil suffers from barren forest, and developed countries, they tend towards availability. The issues of energy and climate change are not easy. the weakness is in the implementation.” (PL-2)

“[…], there are those who disagree with the statement of Minister xxxx, which tends to sacrifice our forests for economic growth; even though we can find other ways for economic growth, we don’t have to sacrifice forests. Repairing a forest that has been denuded to become the lungs of the world also cannot be done in a short period” (PL-3)

“I think in this interpretation of the development of the SDGs, I look more at the reaction factors to the consequences of each agenda. For example, there is an agenda in the industry. We want to raise the industry in an area. This can be said to be good, but the reaction consequences will inevitably arise. For instance, environmental effects must be carefully calculated” (PL-4)