Sustainability in Information Systems’ Education: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Mostafa Hamadi; Umera Imtinan; Florence Mwagwabi; Despoina Giannakaki; Fatuma Namisango

doi:10.1145/3831668

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Sustainability in Information Systems’ Education: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Sustainability in Information Systems’ Education: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Mostafa Hamadi, Umera Imtinan, Florence Mwagwabi, Despoina Giannakaki and Fatuma Namisango

ACM Transactions on Computing Education, Vol.27(1), pp.1-39

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3831668

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Abstract

General and reference

General and reference / Document types

General and reference / Document types / Surveys and overviews

Social and professional topics

Social and professional topics / Professional topics

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education / Computing education programs

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education / Computing education programs / Computer engineering education

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education / Computing education programs / Information technology education

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education / Model curricula

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing education / Student assessment

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing industry

Social and professional topics / Professional topics / Computing industry / Sustainability

The integration of sustainability in Information Systems (IS) education has emerged as a strategic priority in Higher Education, driven by the urgent need to tackle environmental challenges and foster responsible digital transformation. Despite growing scholarly and institutional interest, the literature on this topic remains fragmented, lacking a unified pedagogical and theoretical foundation to guide effective integration processes. This study presents a Systematic Literature Review of peer-reviewed research published between 2019 and 2025, guided by PRISMA 2020 standards and employing Gioia et al. [2013] to Gioia’s thematic analysis framework. The review synthesises current approaches to embedding sustainability within IS education, identifying key thematic pillars and curricular strategies. The review identifies ongoing gaps in educator preparedness, conceptual clarity and empirical validation. To address these challenges, a novel framework for integrating sustainability into IS programs is proposed, offering actionable guidance for curriculum designers, academic policymakers and computing education researchers. This work contributes to the emerging discourse on sustainability-driven computing education and supports the development of pedagogical models aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals.

Details

Title: Sustainability in Information Systems’ Education: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda
Authors/Creators: Mostafa Hamadi - Murdoch University
Umera Imtinan - Murdoch University
Florence Mwagwabi - Murdoch University
Despoina Giannakaki - Murdoch University
Fatuma Namisango - Murdoch University
Publication Details: ACM Transactions on Computing Education, Vol.27(1), pp.1-39
Publisher: ACM
Identifiers: 991005912987407891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Information Technology; Centre for Healthy Ageing; College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: SDGs in the Output

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