Does sustainability really start with teachers? Reflections on integrating environmental education in pre-service teacher education in Namibia and Finland

Abstract

In this paper, we explore some of the challenges and opportunities of integrating environmental education in pre-service teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arctic. Case examples from teacher education programs in Namibia and Finland set the scene for a critical analysis of environmental education in teacher training from these two distinct contexts. We begin with an overview of the current situation of environmental education in pre-service teacher education in Namibia and Finland, followed by a reflection on the courses we have developed at our respective higher education institutions. In response to the urgency of education to attend to the escalating climate crisis, through lessons learned from our environmental education courses and our collaboration on co-designing teacher education, we explore whether sustainability really does start with teachers.