Pedagogy and Professional Development

Shaping Future Textile and Apparel Professionals: The Role of Cotton Sustainability in Curriculum Development

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Abstract

Integrating sustainability education into textiles and apparel (TA) curricula is crucial, as it equips students with the requisite knowledge and skills to address the environmental and social challenges facing the TA industry. A cross-class collaborative project was developed focusing on cotton sustainability. Drawing on Rands’ (2009) matrix, this study aims to advance applied understanding, skills, and confidence in knowledge of cotton sustainability among emerging professionals preparing for TA industry careers. Each course instructor facilitated the collaborative, experiential learning process among students in the three courses through Microsoft Teams. Pre- and post-surveys assessed students’ skills, confidence in knowledge, cotton sustainability and pro-environmental attitudes, and socially responsible consumption behavior. The findings indicate that the collaborative project effectively enhanced students’ skills, confidence in their knowledge, pro-environmental attitude, ethical consideration, and intention of eco-conscious and sustainable consumption. 

Keywords: coton sustainability, knowledge, confidence, skills, curriculum

How to Cite:

Cho, E., Kim, K. & Hixson, S. W., (2025) “Shaping Future Textile and Apparel Professionals: The Role of Cotton Sustainability in Curriculum Development”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 1(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.22122