Moving Towards Sustainability Through Geographical Education in Malta

Abstract

Education for sustainable development (ESD) plays a crucial role in guaranteeing a sustainable future for this and future generations. This study explores how ESD is integrated into the present geography teaching strategies at higher education level institutions in Malta and seeks to understand how geography educators view and incorporate ESD and its teaching strategies into their lectures. It also aims to understand how ESD is connected to geography education. The methodology included semi-structured interviews held with geography educators. The formation and analysis of the interview questions utilized the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Competences in ESD. The geography educators’ experience with ESD was analysed through a constructionist and interpretative stance to understand their experiences using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). A thematic analysis of the interview data was carried out. The results show that several ESD competences feature in the educators’ teaching experiences, confirming the link between ESD and geography education. Furthermore, educators at this level integrate ESD competences and skills using transformative and participative learning methods. Through the research findings, recommendations are suggested to aid the infusion of ESD practices into geography teaching and learning. The results of this research will also help policy makers in the education sector in Malta to better target the sustainability of current and future generations through geography. This paper will be useful to anyone interested in how university research can be successfully applied to increase the transmission of sustainability values, skills, and knowledge through teaching.