From Exposure to Competence: Embedding Sustainability in Interior Design Education

From Exposure to Competence: Embedding Sustainability in Interior Design Education | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article From Exposure to Competence: Embedding Sustainability in Interior Design Education Stelios Stefanos Drousiotis, Dora Anastasiou, Stefanos Christodoulides, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9626149/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study critically examines how sustainability is integrated and operationalised within interior design education through a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design combining a questionnaire and a focus group with 20 students (Years 1-4) at our institution. The research explored sustainability knowledge, attitudes, confidence and curriculum exposure in relation to international sustainability agendas and European competence frameworks for the green transition. Findings indicate strong student motivation and professional commitment toward sustainable practice, but uneven conceptual understanding, limited confidence in analytical sustainability skills and fragmented curriculum integration across modules. Sustainability is present within the programme yet experienced as inconsistently embedded and insufficiently scaffolded as a cumulative design competence. The study identifies a gap between policy-level sustainability ambitions and pedagogical implementation within studio-based design education. It argues that sustainability learning currently operates through exposure rather than structured competence progression, limiting students’ ability to translate awareness into applied design decision-making. By linking student experience with curriculum structures and international competence frameworks, the research provides empirical insight into how sustainability competence is formed, mediated and constrained within interior design education. The findings inform curriculum reform, assessment alignment and experiential learning strategies and offer transferable insight for design programmes operating within small-system and transnational higher-education contexts. Architecture, Design and Planning Architecture, Design and Planning Sustainability competence Interior design education Curriculum integration Studio-based learning GreenComp framework Design pedagogy Higher education Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9626149","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":635268719,"identity":"501721d3-0d6c-4788-b8d3-81b35f70725f","order_by":0,"name":"Stelios Stefanos 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