Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Teaching ESD: A Theory-Driven Instrument and the Effectiveness of ESD in German Teacher Education

Abstract

Self-efficacy beliefs are important for teachers to conduct Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Self-efficacy instruments for teaching ESD mainly focus on primary education, and theory-driven instruments are lacking. Thus, we developed an instrument for secondary education reflecting eight subcategories of a science teaching pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) model, transferred to teaching ESD. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis (n1 = 162) and a confirmatory factor analysis (n2 = 236) with mainly pre-service biology, politics, and geography teachers for secondary education. We identified seven self-efficacy beliefs of teaching ESD factors. Six of these factors showed an expected low or middle correlation with self-rated content knowledge of SD-relevant issues (divergent validity). Pre-service teachers’ ESD teaching self-efficacy beliefs were rather positive, missing clear differences due to studying biology, politics, and geography. Bachelor students had higher self-efficacy beliefs than Master of Education students regarding four factors. Only 32 of 113 Bachelor students completed any ESD course at that time. They could have overestimated their own skills or underestimated teaching ESD. Current participation in at least one ESD course positively influenced three self-efficacy factors. Since barely any pre-service teacher currently participated in or completed more than three ESD courses at the time of the study, there is room for a stronger focus on ESD in German teacher education.