Ink for Impact: Literature as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development Education

Abstract

In an interconnected world, sustainable development has become a crucial focus across various disciplines, including education. Literature, as a powerful medium for storytelling and expression, provides a unique platform for exploring the multifaceted challenges faced by our global society. Integrating sustainable development concepts into literature courses has the potential to enrich the curriculum and enhance students’ understanding of pressing global issues such as climate change, social inequality, and environmental degradation. This article explored the intersection of literature and the United Nations Sustainable Goals by examining themes in literature relevant to sustainable development in works such as Maya Angelou’s poetry, Margaret Atwood’s short stories, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, and Naomi Shihab Nye’s poetry. This study employed a mixed-methods research approach to investigate the impact of this interdisciplinary framework on students at the École Normale Supérieure, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes. The findings revealed that immersing students in narratives that reflect sustainable development themes fosters greater awareness, empathy, and motivation to engage with sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4, which concerns quality education. Students are encouraged to think critically and reflect on their roles as global citizens by delving into stories illuminating these issues’ increasing complexities.