In-service teachers’ perception towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Myanmar

Abstract

This study was carried out to explore Myanmar lower secondary school teachers’ perception on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The research focused on the teachers’ level of ESD awareness and knowledge, their attitudes towards ESD, and their willingness to adopt ESD within their classroom setting and as well as their teaching skills. The sample consisted of 248 lower secondary school teachers of thirty schools in Sagaing Township, Myanmar. The Five-point Likert scale questionnaire was developed. Its reliability was measured by Cronbach’s alpha. The results indicated that, in general, the teachers have positive attitude towards ESD and willingness to adopt ESD in their teaching subjects. However, the participants’ level of awareness of ESD concepts is rather low and they do not understand ESD concept clearly. They do not have adequate teaching skills for integrating ESD concept into their teaching subjects. The findings also revealed that although there is no significant difference in the level of awareness and knowledge of ESD concept and attitude towards ESD, level of science teachers’ teaching skills in integrating ESD into science topics is higher than that of other subject teachers, and a significant relationship exists in three variables: teachers’ knowledge of ESD concept, attitude towards ESD and their teaching skills respectively. These findings might be useful as a baseline survey in implementing in-service science teacher training program integrated with ESD in Myanmar.