Transformative Environmental Education: Pedagogical Strategies to Develop Ecological Awareness in University Students

The global environmental crisis requires strengthening environmental education in universities; however, pedagogical and curricular limitations persist that hinder the development of ecological awareness in students and reduce the transformative impact of educational processes. The objective of this research was to analyze the pedagogical strategies used by university teachers to promote transformative environmental education and develop ecological awareness in university students from different universities in the city of Quito. The study used a qualitative phenomenological-descriptive approach. Thirty-six university teachers from Quito were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis with coding and support from the Atlas.ti software. The interviews showed that teachers use active methodologies such as projects, case studies, and field experiences, these strategies promote critical reflection, student participation, and the strengthening of ecological awareness. It is concluded that university environmental education is strengthened through active and contextualized pedagogical strategies, its consolidation requires curricular integration, teacher training in sustainability, and institutional support to promote ecological awareness in university students.