Improving educator confidence in embedding Education for Sustainable Development in teaching and learning

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) equips learners with the knowledge and skills to address pressing global environmental, social and economic challenges. Despite its importance, many educators face difficulties in embedding ESD into their teaching practices due to a lack of confidence and difficulty identifying relevance to their teaching and learning context.

An ESD-informed continuing professional development programme suitable for individuals with significant influence over curriculum development was designed and delivered. ESD principles (UNESCO, 2017) were embedded throughout the programme, making use of active learning strategies to emphasise participation, encourage critical thinking, and provide opportunities for concept application (Rieckman, 2018; Wiek et al., 2015). Flexibility and inclusion were prioritised, so self-directed learning, face-to-face workshops and online tutorials were incorporated (Ikebuchi, 2023).

The participants self-rated their Professional Action Competence for ESD at the start and end of the programme, including ESD knowledge and understanding, and confidence in implementing ESD elements. There was a statistically significant improvement in all areas following completion of the programme with confidence in implementing ESD showing the largest increase. Participant feedback indicated the course enabled transfer of knowledge immediately into practice.

ESD is acknowledged as an important strategy for HEIs to authentically integrate sustainability into their curricula. This programme has been designed and executed to uphold scholarly integrity and academic excellence and participant feedback indicated that this programme is both robust and effective in addressing the ESD skills gap identified among educators.