THE MEANING OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT IS UNDERSTOOD BY STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITIES IN CUBA AND SPAIN

Even though the term sustainable development is currently often used in the media, it is semantically elusive and many students find it difficult to analyze. To address this problem, the 2030 Agenda has been introduced into the curriculum at two universities in Cuba and Spain. The students of both universities (n=120) took part in a learning situation, based on a sequence of teaching activities. The action research methodology obtained data to evaluate the hypothesis (H0) that the information transmitted by the educational system is not determinant in the understanding and meaning of the concept of sustainable development. In Cuba, the results establish synergies with local entrepreneurial initiatives; in Spain training activities on the environment are a priority. The main finding shows the polarization of attitudes in the students from both Cuba and Spain: normative and informational social conformity become the central axis for constructing the understanding of the meaning of sustainable development, while the zone of proximal development and the context of social belonging are agents that mobilize as much as the solid ideas consulted in the information and communication media.