Cathy d’Abreu

SFHEA, MSc Education for Sustainability (EfS), DELTA, DELE superior, BA (Joint Hons) English & Drama

Senior Lecturer, Education for Sustainability

Oxford Brookes Business School

Role

I module lead INFO3013 Global Issues and INFO3009 Culture & Communication on Pathways and PREM6005 Managing Yourself on the Pre-Masters programme. I teach and lecture on Environmentally Sustainable Business BMGT5007.

I also lead the Future Pathways ESD Project and curate the ESD 'Learning Lunches' professional development series.

The core focus of my role is embedding education for sustainability pedagogy and practice into Higher Education.

Teaching and supervision

Courses

Modules taught

INFO3013 Global Issues
INFO3009 Culture and Communication
INFO3029 Critical Thinking & Problem Based Learning
PREM6005 Managing Yourself
BMGT5007 Environmentally Sustainable Business
MOFL5001 Professional Communication

I also develop and write teaching materials. I have written a series of ELT course books and pedagogical guides for Younger Leaners of English, as well as Teacher Training materials for OUDCE Online Teaching Academy (OTA) teacher training courses for Oxford University.

Research

My particular area of interest involves looking at how to embed sustainability into HE teaching and learning and the barriers to doing so. This focuses on the role of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) pedagogy and transformative learning.

Education for Sustainability looks at the philosophy and psychology of learning and teaching and how this supports or undermines social and ecological sustainability across and beyond disciplines.

I also work on digital innovations in assessment for ESD.

Projects as Co-investigator

Collaborative Community for Sustainability Mindset Education (led by Université de Neuchâtel)(01/10/2023 - 30/09/2025), funded by: Movetia, funding amount received by Brookes: £8,759, funded by: Movetia

Publications

Other

Other publications

d'Abreu, C. (2022) ‘Educators as Changemakers: Teach the change you want to see’, Brookes Learning and Teaching Conference, 15 June 2022, (Accessed on 20/12/2022)
d'Abreu, C. (2022) 'Learning and Change', Sustainability and Environmental Education SEEd, 20 May. (Accessed: 20/05/2022).
d’Abreu, C. (2022) ‘Future Pathways; Engaging HE with ESD’, Advance HE Sustainability Symposium. (Accessed on 23/04/2022)
d'Abreu, C. (2022) 'Pedagogies of Purpose: Education for a fairer, fitter future', InForm, Issue 21, pp. 7-11. (Accessed on 23/05/2022)
d’Abreu, C. (2021) ‘Pedagogies of Purpose; Sustainability for everyone’, Advance HE Sustainability Symposium. (Accessed on 14/05/2021)
d'Abreu, C. (2021). ‘Speed Research Pods: A flexible tool for collaborative and authentic learning experiences’. Teaching Insights, Issue 1, October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021, from
d'Abreu, C. and Bogdanova, V. (2021). ‘Space to breathe, allowing students to think outside the box’. Teaching Insights, Issue 2. (Student collaboration paper).
d’Abreu, C. (2014) Oxford Teachers Academy, Oxford University Department of Continuing Education, OUDCE, Oxford University Press.

Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

Chair SEEd, Sustainability and Environmental Education
EAUC: Sustainability Senior Leadership Alumni 2021
Advance HE: SFHEA mentor
UN UK&I PRME, Principles of Responsible Management Education: Sustainability Mindset
working group, LEAP member
BALEAP, British Association of Lecturers for English for Academic Purposes: BALEAP PIM 'EAP for a more Sustainable World' Organising Committee 2023
Our Shared World: SEEd co-chairs this coalition
Wellington Festival of Education, Sustainability Strand: Organising Committee with Wellington College and WWF
I have completed courses in Carbon Literacy, the Sustainability Mindset Principles (SMP) and Values 101 with The Common Cause Foundation.

Conferences

d'Abreu, C. (2022) ‘Moving from Safe to Brave Spaces’ University of Glasgow, Centre for Educational Development and Innovation Sustainability in Teaching and Learning seminar series, Advance HE Connect.
d’Abreu, C. (2021) ‘Creative coursework: student-centred learning’, Digital pedagogies and innovative teaching, Brookes Learning and Teaching Exhibition and Conference (BTLEC), The art of the possible: reimagining learning and teaching in Covid shaped times. Accessed on 08/08/2021)
d’Abreu, C. and Nukui, C. (2021) ‘Pedagogies of purpose: education for a better future’.
Inform Conference, Student Support and Experience: In and outside the Classroom, University of Reading.

Consultancy

I mentor and lead transformative ESD learning sessions for SEEd's Sustainability Leadership Changemakers course and contribute widely to their consultancy work.

Further details

I am Chair of SEEd, a charitable organisation working to embed sustainability at all levels of education. SEEd is a key partner in UNESCO’s Global Action Plan and Co-chairs the coalition Our Shared World.