Abstract
Education is a central strategy in terms of sustainable development (SD) and can contribute to solving global challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change. Content knowledge represents one base for teaching education for sustainable development (ESD). Therefore, identifying teaching and learning prerequisites regarding SD challenges in teacher education is crucial. The focus of the paper was to assess and learn more about student teachers’ procedural knowledge regarding issues of biodiversity and climate change, by using an expert benchmark. The aims of the study are to describe and identify (i) differences between students’ and experts’ effectiveness estimations, (ii) differences in bachelor and master students’ procedural knowledge, and (iii) differences between procedural knowledge of students studying different ESD-relevant subjects. Student teachers at eight German universities (n = 236) evaluated the effectiveness of solution strategies to SD challenges. The results showed high deviations in the effectiveness estimations of experts and students and, therefore, differing procedural knowledge. The lack of student teachers’ interdisciplinary knowledge to reduce biodiversity loss and climate change seemed to be largely independent of their study program and ESD-relevant subject. One reason for this may be the generally low number of ESD-relevant courses they attended. This study suggests further longitudinal research in order to make clear statements about changes in SD-related knowledge during teacher education.
Highlights
Global challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty require societal transformation toward a more sustainable future that is characterized by knowledge transfer, participatory decision-making, and lifelong learning [1]
The results showed high deviations in the effectiveness estimations of experts and students and, differing procedural knowledge
The deviations between students’ effectiveness estimations and expert benchmark demonstrate that students who are becoming teachers can improve their procedural knowledge in order to adequately solve real-world challenges of sustainable development (SD)
Summary
Global challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty require societal transformation toward a more sustainable future that is characterized by knowledge transfer, participatory decision-making, and lifelong learning [1]. Education is a central strategy in terms of sustainable development (SD) and can contribute to solving global challenges [2]. Education for sustainable development (ESD) enables “learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations” [3] The UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) further reflect the importance of education. SDG 4 is exclusively attributed to education. At least one target within the other 16 SDGs refers to education
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