Discovering dynamic durability: beyond sustainability in an English language curriculum project

This thesis examines the deeper nature of sustainability, through the study of an English language curriculum development project for the creation of a self-access language learning resource centre at a Mexican public university.

The research methodology follows broadly qualitative and ethnographic research principles and was influenced by post modern, heuristic and interpretative thought. The overall process has been heuristic, involving extended self-search, self-dialogue and self-discovery through on-going interaction with the context, the collaborators and other types of data. Some aspects of my own journey towards becoming a qualitative researcher arealso described, since this also formed an integral part of the research process.

I aimed to create a thick description, through the collection and interrelation of a range of data types. During the interpretation process, numerous concepts and categories emerged as apparently having been closely interconnected during the evolution of the respective project processes, states, behaviours and artefacts. With frequent reference to the data, I will attempt to show that the deeper nature of project sustainability is perhaps more complex than existing descriptions may imply and that therefore existing definitions may be limited.

I conclude by suggesting new ways of conceptualizing factors involved in the achievement of project sustainability and some approaches to implementing research in the area. I also suggest that the term “sustainability” may need to be redefined in the discourse of development project managers. Dynamic durability is suggested as a possible alternative, since it includes the attribute of being able to adapt to changing circumstances (Dynamic) yet can still embrace concepts and categories commonly associated with sustainability (Durability).

The overall aims of this study are: to push forward the boundaries of existing knowledge and understanding of project sustainability, to stimulate further research and discussion among project managers and collaborators and to support more context-sensitive and Dynamically durable English language curriculum projects (and other development projects) in the future.