Eppinga, Maarten

Position / Title

Guest lecturer

Department

Academic Foundation Year and SISSTEM (Faculty of Arts and Science)

ORCID

0000-0002-1954-6324

Fields of Specialization

Environmental Science
Plant Biology
Ecology

Last updated May 13, 2025

Biography

Maarten Eppinga is passionate and interested in researching Marine Biology and Conservation.

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 12

Open Access
The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap: a roadmap for in-depth holistic evaluation of the integration of the GreenComp framework in higher-education curricula
(2025-01) Mertens, Anouk; Eppinga, Maarten; Arens, Patrick; de Scisciolo, Tobia; John, Nigel; Sultan, Salys; Buys, Nadine; Mijts, Eric
Purpose The GreenComp framework identifies 12 competences for sustainability as common ground for higher-education curricula. The framework can be used for self-assessment and the review of curricula. However, a step-by-step method to conduct such a self-assessment is not yet available for the GreenComp framework specifically. Therefore, the authors present the GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap allowing to evaluate the extent to which the frameworks’ competences for sustainability are integrated in higher-education curricula. The application of the GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap to a curriculum taught at the University of Aruba, allows to report on the benefits, limitations and future potential of the approach. Design/methodology/approach The proposed mixed-method approach combines hybrid qualitative and quantitative data collection on the integration of the 12 competences for sustainability of the GreenComp framework in higher-education curricula. The authors showcase its potential through application of the GreenComp framework as an evaluation tool to a science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based bachelor program taught at the University of Aruba. Findings The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap not only allows for an evaluation of the curriculum and identification of competence gaps. It also supports educators to conduct a self-reflection on individual course(s) and the program as a whole. The paper shows promising results that the roadmap developed could be a reproducible approach. Moreover, it provides guidance to other higher education institutes for self-evaluation and self-reflection on how the competences for sustainability are integrated in their curricula and how this can be enhanced in the future. Originality/value The need to integrate sustainability throughout higher-education curricula is broadly recognized. The GreenComp Evaluation Roadmap contributes to the literature by offering a methodological approach to evaluate the integration of the 12 competences for sustainability throughout a curriculum.
Open Access
Environmental science education in a small island state: integrating theory and local experience
(Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2019) Eppinga, Maarten; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric
The importance of education to address current sustainability challenges in small island states has been widely recognized. Environmental education may increase knowledge, while also increasing environmental awareness and motivating students to become agents of change. Student engagement in introductory environmental science courses may benefit from operationalizing abstract concepts by embedding course material and activities within this local context. Here, we describe an introductory course in environmental science that has been tailored to the local context of a small island state in the Caribbean. In addition to reaching academic course goals, pre- and post-course surveys showed that course participants’ environmental awareness increased on the dimensions ‘Personal Value System’ and ‘Willingness to Take Environmental Action’. The described course provides a template for the development of a low-cost introductory environmental science course that integrates general theory and application within the context of Caribbean island states.
Open Access
Putting sustainability research into practice on the university campus. An example from a Caribbean small island state
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020) Eppinga, Maarten; Lozano-Cosme, Jenny; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Arens, Patrick; Santos, Maria J.; Mijts, Eric
Purpose Despite increasing efforts to incorporate sustainability in curricula and practices of institutions of higher education, effective implementation remains challenging. The purpose of this study is to present an approach to incorporate sustainability into a practice-oriented research skills course, which was implemented at a small island state university in the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach First-year university students followed a four-week course module, starting with the introduction of the sustainable development goals, and culminating in a symposium in which the students present the findings of their research projects to the campus community. Pre-course module and post-course module surveys measured the students’ knowledge and perceptions regarding sustainability. These survey results were also compared with the result of a similar survey held for the university’s employees. Findings The survey results suggested that following the course module increased students’ knowledge about sustainable development, as well as their support for the university campus and its community putting more emphasis on teaching, practicing and encouraging sustainability. Interestingly, university employees scored significantly higher on the latter component than students, suggesting that in this case a lack of interest of the staff is not a barrier toward a sustainable campus. Originality/value The presented course module offers a novel and low-cost approach to introducing sustainability into a broad range of academic curricula, specifically tailored to the needs of institutes of higher education in small island states. The survey results suggest that this type of education may not only ensure reaching academic goals but also increase students’ interest in sustainable development within their local environment.
Open Access
Beach debris on Aruba, Southern Caribbean: Attribution to local land-based and distal marine-based sources
(Elsevier, 2016) de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric; Becker, Tatiana; Eppinga, Maarten
Accumulation of marine (plastic) debris from local land-based and distal marine-based sources along coastlines is a pressing modern issue. Hitherto, assessing the relative contribution of pollution sources through beach surveys is methodologically challenging. We surveyed ten beaches along the leeward and windward coastlines of Aruba (southern Caribbean) to determine differences in macro- and meso-debris densities. Differences were quantified using three metrics: 1) the gradient in macro-debris density away from the waterfront; 2) the proportion of plastic within macro-debris; 3) the meso-:macro-debris ratio. Overall 42,585 macro-debris items and 884 meso-debris items were collected. The density of near-shore macro-debris, proportion of plastic debris herein, and meso-:macro-debris ratio were highest on the windward coastline. These results suggest that southern Caribbean windward coastlines are mainly exposed to debris originating from distal marine-based sources, and leeward coastlines to local land-based sources. Our metrics clearly reflect these differences, providing novel means to survey debris source origin.
Metadata only
Survey Language Policy Bonaire: statistical analysis. Statistical analysis for the Maneho di Idioma Research Team
(2022) Eppinga, M.; Laclé, F.; Mijts, E.; Mijts, Eric; Eppinga, Maarten
Open Access
Insights from a sustainability-oriented academic bachelor program in a Caribbean Small Island State: evaluation of SISSTEM using the GreenComp Framework.
(2023) Buys, Nadine; Mijts, Eric; Gielen, Georges; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Sultan, Salys; John, Nigel; Eppinga, Maarten; Mertens, Anouk
Open Access
Pre-university education for local ownership and initiatives for sustainable development in small island states: monitoring engagement at the Academic Foundation Year.
(2023) Chapman, Mollie; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Eppinga, Maarten; Mijts, Eric
Small island states face several threats to sustainable development, including low participation grades in university education, high dropout rates, and brain drain. These issues contribute to a lack of locally developed expertise and ownership of sustainable development processes, as such creating a dependency on external consultants and expertise that may not fit the specific context of the region. To address this challenge, the University of Aruba has implemented the Academic Foundation Year (AFY) program, which has been available since 2016. This program is a full-time, one-year pre-university program designed to equip students with the necessary skills for higher education, whether in Aruba or abroad. Along with academic development, the program also aims to foster students’ understanding of their context, culture, and history, as well as the opportunities and challenges for sustainable development in small island states. To gain a better understanding of the potential and challenges for developing local ownership and initiatives for sustainable development in small island states through education, this contribution presents a study of alumni evaluations and quantitative research, along with interviews and focus group meetings with lecturers, students, and alumni of the AFY program.
Open Access
Beach debris on Aruba
(Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA),, 2016) Eppinga, Maarten; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Mijts, Eric; Becker, Tatiana
A large-scale study of beach debris on Aruba has shown just how much marine debris pollution there is on the island’s beaches. The study also locates the different sources of this debris, emphasizing the need for both local and global action.
Open Access
Ranking the sustainable development goals: perceived sustainability priorities in small island states
(Springer Japan, 2022) Eppinga, Maarten; Mijts, Eric; Santos, Maria J.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to elicit global mobilization to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and are increasingly used in support of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Previous studies have highlighted interdependencies between SDGs, with potential interactions between four Sustainability Domains: Economy, Governance, Planet and Society. This study aimed to assess whether people’s perception of the relative importance of the SDGs reflects recognition of the need to prioritize efforts across Domains, or whether this perception is based on different valuations of the Sustainability Domains themselves. We designed an interactive online tool in which participants used the Q-sort technique to rank the SDGs according to their subjective valuation of importance. We analyzed the rankings of 108 participants, all learners at universities in three Small Island States (SIS): Aruba, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Analysis of the correlation structure among participants’ Q-sorts showed that higher perceived importance of the Society and Economy-related SDGs 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9 traded off with lower perceived importance of the Planet-related SDGs 13, 14 and 15. Furthermore, SDG rankings of learners from Aruba occurred furthest toward the Planet-based part of this trade-off axis. For ESD programs, our method provides a novel tool to identify key interactions between SDGs that may not yet be recognized by program participants. In this way, communicating the need for simultaneous action and policy development across Sustainability Domains could be specifically tailored to the local context. Such connections may increase the effectiveness of ESD in addressing the substantial sustainability challenges facing SIS.
Open Access
Insights from a sustainability-oriented academic bachelor program in a Caribbean Small Island State: evaluation of SISSTEM using the GreenComp Framework
(International Conference on Sustainable Development 2023, 2023) Mertens, Anouk; Buys, Nadine; Gielen, Georges; de Scisciolo, Tobia; Eppinga, Maarten; John, Nigel; Sultan, Salys; Mijts, Eric