Sustainability in management education: a Biggs’ 3P model application Patricia Kanashiro Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and Edson Sadao Iizuka, Caio Sousa and Suzi Elen FeRReira Dias Centro Universitário da FEI, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the main factors that contribute to teaching and learning sustainability in management education (SiME), which is defined as a body of knowledge that meets the needs of both current and future generations of students. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt the Biggs’ Presage–Process–Product (3P) learning model to guide and categorize the findings from the literature review on SiME. This study provides an overview of journal articles published between 2002 and 2017. Findings – In the context of SiME, Biggs’ 3P model shows how teaching context and students’ background (presage factors) influence students’ approaches to learning, which can range from surface to deep learning (process) and result in various learning outcomes (products). Research limitations/implications – The literature review may have excluded important and relevant work from the sample. Practical implications – This review highlights that personal and institutional commitments are necessary to promote effective learning of sustainability. Social implications – Effective learning outcomes (deep learning) in sustainability should encourage students to reflect on their personal values and behaviors and to acquire analytical skills aimed at promoting conservation and remediation of social, environmental and economic problems. Originality/value – This paper provides an application of Biggs’ 3P learning model in the context of sustainability, which highlights the conditions for deep learning as critical given the complexity and urgency of addressing sustainability crises. Keywords Biggs’ 3P model, Sustainability in management education, Deep learning Paper type Literature review 1. The importance of learning sustainability in management education The topic of sustainability in management education (SiME) has gained importance and visibility since the United Nations declared 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO, 2005). SiME is generally defined as a body of knowledge that meets the needs of current and future generations of students (Benn and Martin, 2010; Bradfield, 2009; Rusinko, 2010). Learning sustainability differs significantly from learning other management subjects. First, sustainability is a multi-dimensional subject that implies integration and interdependence of complex and global sustainability systems (Brundiers et al., 2010; Porter and C ordoba, 2009; Sherman and Burns, 2015; Sun et al., 2018), including organizations, societies and biomes. Second, sustainability is concerned with solutions that use resources with the least adverse impact on the environment, generate no or low waste and protect and Biggs’ 3P model application 671 Received 31 May 2019 Revised 16 December 2019 4 March 2020 11 March 2020 Accepted 18 March 2020 International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education Vol. 21 No. 4, 2020 pp. 671-684 © Emerald Publishing Limited 1467-6370 DOI 10.1108/IJSHE-05-2019-0176 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1467-6370.htm