Abstract:

Education for Sustainability (EfS) demands pedagogical models that integrate technical Education for Sustainability challenges higher education institutions to move beyond awareness-raising and towards structurally embedding sustainability within disciplinary learning. In engineering education, this implies integrating environmental, social, and ethical dimensions directly into technical decision-making processes. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for this integration, but their effective incorporation requires pedagogical coherence and long-term curricular commitment.

This contribution presents the evolution and consolidation of a competency-based educational model that integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL), flipped classroom methodology, and SDG alignment within a Chemical Process Design course in a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering (Bilbao, Spain). Rather than treating sustainability as contextual content, the model positions it as a design constraint guiding project development and assessment.

Over ten academic years, approximately 175 students per year, organized into four groups, engaged in the simulation and design of real industrial chemical processes using Aspen Plus. The curriculum was structured to require the explicit incorporation of sustainability criteria, including resource efficiency, environmental impact reduction, and broader socio-economic implications. Competency dimensions were evaluated through clearly defined tasks and assessment criteria, ensuring alignment between learning outcomes, methodology, and sustainability objectives.

The longitudinal implementation allowed progressive refinement of the model, resulting in increased methodological coherence and stronger student engagement. Active participation in complex, real-world projects enhanced motivation and academic performance. The flipped classroom structure supported deeper preparation and more productive in-class interaction, while face-to-face sessions remained essential for critical discussion and integrative learning.

Sustainability awareness improved significantly throughout the process: the proportion of students reporting limited knowledge of the SDGs decreased from 47.3 % to 6.5%. Moreover, the explicit integration of sustainability considerations into technical design improved the quality of projects and strengthened transversal competencies such as critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and social commitment. Academic outcomes also improved, with a higher percentage of top grades compared to previous cohorts.

The results indicate that sustained and competency-aligned integration of PBL, flipped learning, and the SDGs can move engineering education towards a mature Education for Sustainability model. By embedding sustainability as a structural element of project design and assessment, the approach fosters systemic thinking and prepares future engineers to address complex global challenges responsibly. This experience highlights the importance of long-term pedagogical consistency in transforming sustainability from a thematic reference into a core dimension of professional formation.

Acknowledgements:
The authors would like to thank the teaching staff of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) for their collaboration in data collection and methodological implementation.

Keywords:

Education for Sustanability, Sustainable Development Goals, Engineering, Project-Based Learning, flipped classroom, Chemical Process Design.