15.4.2025

FUTE blog series: Five Essential Questions for Integrating Sustainability into Teacher Education Courses

by Janeth Kalinga

The Future Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (FUTE) project is now entering its second implementation cycle, building on the successful foundation established during the first phase. In cycle one, more than 30 teacher educators from four participating higher learning institutions completed essential sustainability modules. Now, these educators will focus on reviewing their courses through a sustainability lens. This critical review process represents a practical application of the theoretical knowledge gained in the initial cycle, allowing educators to examine how sustainability principles can be meaningfully embedded into their teaching practice.

In a world facing unprecedented environmental, economic and social challenges, the role of education has never been more critical. Teacher educators hold a unique position of influence – the educators they train today will shape countless young minds tomorrow. The question is how to ensure that sustainability isn’t just another topic to cover, but rather a fundamental perspective that informs all aspects of teacher education. The answer begins with a thoughtful review of course outlines – those foundational documents that guide what is taught and how it is taught. Systematically examination of curricula through a sustainability lens, teacher educators can identify opportunities to prepare future teachers who are equipped to address both global and local sustainability challenges. 

This blog post presents five essential questions to guide this review process, helping both FUTE participants and other teacher educators identify concrete opportunities for sustainability integration.

Q1: Content Question: Does this course explicitly address any sustainability issues? 

The first step is examining course topics, learning objectives, and assessment strategies to identify if any directly mention sustainability concepts or issues. According to UNESCO’s ESD framework (2020), sustainability isn’t limited to environmental topics – it encompasses economic, social, and cultural dimensions as well. Even in subjects that seem disconnected from sustainability, connections often exist. For example:

  • Mathematics courses can incorporate data analysis of climate patterns or resource distribution
  • Language courses can analyze texts that explore social justice or environmental themes 
  • Educational psychology courses can examine how sustainability values develop in children 

As Vare and Scott (2007) suggest, sustainability education isn’t just about transmitting fixed ideas but developing critical thinking about complex issues. There are often opportunities to make sustainability visible in content, even if it wasn’t there initially. Research by Winter and Cotton (2012) found that making sustainability explicit in course outlines significantly increased student engagement with these topics, compared to when sustainability themes remained implicit. 

Q2: Pedagogy Question: Do the teaching methods model sustainable approaches? 

How educators teach is as important as what they teach. Sterling (2021) argues that sustainability education requires transformative pedagogies that model the values they hope to instill. Course outlines can be reviewed with these questions in mind: 

  • Do the teaching methods emphasize collaborative problem-solving? 
  • Are there opportunities for critical reflection on assumptions and values? 
  • Are students engaged as active participants rather than passive recipients? 
  • Does the teaching connect theory with real-world challenges? 

The UNECE competence framework for ESD educators (2012) emphasizes that teachers need to experience the pedagogies they’re expected to implement. If future teachers are expected to facilitate participatory learning about sustainability, they need to experience it in their own education. Case studies from the Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities partnership (MESA, 2014) demonstrate how teaching methods like community-based learning projects and cross-disciplinary collaborations effectively model sustainability principles in teacher education. 

Q3: Assessment Question: How are students’ sustainability competencies evaluated? 

Assessment powerfully shapes student priorities. If sustainability competencies aren’t assessed, they may be perceived as optional extras rather than core requirements. Wiek, Keeler, and Redman (2011) identified five key sustainability competencies that can inform assessment design: 

  • Systems thinking 
  • Anticipatory (futures) thinking 
  • Normative competence (values-based thinking) 
  • Strategic competence (action planning) 
  • Interpersonal competence (collaboration across differences) 

Course assessments can be reviewed to determine whether they evaluate these competencies. For example: 

  • Do assessments ask students to analyze connections between environmental, social, and economic factors? 
  • Are students evaluated on their ability to consider long-term consequences? 
  • Do assignments require critical examination of values and ethical considerations? 

The Sulitest (Sustainability Literacy Test), as described by Décamps et al. (2017), offers frameworks for assessing sustainability knowledge that can be adapted to teacher education contexts.

Q4: Resource Question: What materials demonstrate sustainability in practice? 

The resources selected communicate powerful messages about what is valued. UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development: A Roadmap (2020) emphasizes the importance of modeling sustainability through resource choices. 

When reviewing course outlines, educators can consider: 

  • Do the recommended readings represent diverse perspectives and knowledge systems? 
  • Are any materials available in open-access formats to promote accessibility? 
  • Do case studies illustrate both challenges and successful responses to sustainability issues? 
  • Are resources current and informed by the latest sustainability research? 

Barth et al. (2007) found that resources highlighting positive examples of sustainability in action were particularly effective in teacher education, as they moved beyond problem identification to showcase solutions. 

Q5: Action Question: How does this course enable future teachers to implement sustainability education? 

Ultimately, the goal is to prepare teachers who can effectively integrate sustainability into their own practice. Tilbury and Wortman (2004) emphasize that ESD requires action competence—the ability to act on knowledge about sustainability challenges. 

Course outlines can be reviewed to determine whether they provide: 

  • Practical tools and frameworks that teachers can apply in their classrooms 
  • Opportunities to design sustainability-focused lessons or units 
  • Experiences connecting with community resources or sustainability initiatives 
  • Guidance on navigating institutional barriers to sustainability education 

A study by Bürgener and Barth (2018) found that teacher education courses that included concrete implementation planning significantly increased the likelihood that graduates would integrate sustainability into their teaching. 

Moving Forward: Small Changes, Big Impact

Integrating sustainability into teacher education doesn’t require a complete curriculum overhaul. Through thoughtful review of course outlines with these five questions in mind, teacher educators can identify targeted opportunities to enhance sustainability integration. This is an iterative process. Each semester brings new opportunities to refine approaches based on student feedback and emerging sustainability challenges. The key is to begin the process of review and revision with sustainability in mind. As Lotz-Sisitka et al. (2015) remind us, transformative learning for sustainability happens at the boundaries of comfort zones. By critically examining course outlines through a sustainability lens, teacher educators take an important step toward preparing teachers who can help create a more sustainable future. 

What changes might be made to course outlines this semester?

Read more:

  • Barth, M., Godemann, J., Rieckmann, M., & Stoltenberg, U. (2007). Developing key competencies for sustainable development in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 8(4), 416-430. 
  • Bürgener, L., & Barth, M. (2018). Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice. Journal of Cleaner Production, 174, 821-826. 
  • Décamps, A., Barbat, G., Carteron, J.-C., Hands, V., & Parkes, C. (2017). Sulitest: A collaborative initiative to support and assess sustainability literacy in higher education. International Journal of Management Education, 15(2), 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2017.02.006 
  • Lotz-Sisitka, H., Wals, A. E., Kronlid, D., & McGarry, D. (2015). Transformative, transgressive social learning: Rethinking higher education pedagogy in times of systemic global dysfunction. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 16, 73-80. 
  • MESA Universities Partnership. (2014). Mainstreaming environment and sustainability in African universities: Tools for mainstreaming environment and sustainability in African universities. 
  • Sterling, S. (2021). Educating for the future we want. Routledge. 
  • Tilbury, D., & Wortman, D. (2004). Engaging people in sustainability. IUCN Commission on Education and Communication. 
  • UNECE. (2012). Learning for the future: Competences in education for sustainable development. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. 
  • UNESCO. (2020). Education for Sustainable Development: A roadmap. UNESCO. 
  • Vare, P., & Scott, W. (2007). Learning for a change: Exploring the relationship between education and sustainable development. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 1(2), 191-198. 
  • Wiek, A., Keeler, L., & Redman, C. (2011). Key competencies in sustainability: A reference framework for academic program development. Sustainability Science, 6(2), 203-218. 
  • Winter, J., & Cotton, D. (2012). Making the hidden curriculum visible: Sustainability literacy in higher education. Environmental Education Research, 18(6), 783-796.