Standards of the Sustainable Teacher: An Exploratory Study Considering the UNESCO Framework and the SDGs 2030

Document Type : scientific research and articles

Author

Department of Curricula and Teaching Methods, Faculty of Education, Port Said University, Egypt.

Abstract

Teacher standards represent the cornerstone for achieving high-quality and sustainable education, as they contribute to building teachers' capacities in line with global variables and community needs, which enhances their role in achieving the SDGs 2030. The current study aims to derive proposed standards for the sustainable teacher based on the global framework for professional standards for teaching developed by the Education International (EI) in cooperation with UNESCO and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The aim is to address the gap in the existence of comprehensive standards that link the professional competencies required for the teacher with the requirements of sustainability education, which contributes to the development of teacher preparation programs in colleges of education. The study problem is determined by answering two main questions: What are the proposed standards for sustainable teachers? What are the recommendations necessary to develop sustainable teacher preparation programs based on these standards? The study used the qualitative approach, based on focus groups that include experts to analyze international standards and SDGs 2030, evaluate the suitability of the proposed standards, and formulate recommendations for developing teacher preparation programs. The study reached a list of sustainable teacher standards, which included 5 main fields including 14 standards with 38 performance indicators. It also provided recommendations directed at developing teacher preparation programs in colleges of education in a way that enhances the achievement of SDGs 2030.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Al-Baz, M. M. (2019). A proposed program in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and its impact on the development of sustainable thinking and cognitive balance among students Science teachers in colleges of education. Egyptian Journal of Science Education, 22(7), 109-152. https://doi.org/10.21608/mktm.2019.114028
Al-Baz, M. M. (2024). Science Education Reform 2.0 in Egypt: How the Concepts of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Were Integrated into Primary Science Curricula. Journal of Sustainable Development in Social and Environmental Sciences, 3(2), 73-95. https://dx.doi.org/10.21608/jsdses.2024.304746.1032
Bürgener, L., & Barth, M. (2018). Sustainability competencies in teacher education: Making teacher education count in everyday school practice. Journal of Cleaner Production, 174, 821-826. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JCLEPRO.2017.10.263.
Caniglia, G., John, B., Bellina, L., Lang, D. J., Wiek, A., Cohmer, S., & Laubichler, M. D. (2018). The glocal curriculum: A model for transnational collaboration in higher education for sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 171, 368–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.207
Education International (EI) & UNESCO. (2019). Global Framework of Professional Teaching Standards. Education International. Retrieved from https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/25734:global-framework-of-professional-teaching-standards
Evans, N., Stevenson, R., Lasen, M., Ferreira, J., & Davis, J. (2017). Approaches to embedding sustainability in teacher education: A synthesis of the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 405-417. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TATE.2017.01.013
Ferreira, J., Evans, N., Davis, J., & Stevenson, R. (2019). Learning to Embed Sustainability in Teacher Education. SpringerBriefs in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9536-9. 
Gordon, N., & Dixon, J. (2021). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Setting for Professional and Research Skills, New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences, 16 (1), https://eric.ed.gov/EJ1295240
Grudens-Schuck, N., Allen, B., & Larson, K. (2004). Methodology brief: Focus group fundamentals. Iowa State University Digital Repository. https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/33242
Kriewaldt, J., & Lee, S. (2022). Towards powerful knowledge: an Australian case study of prospective teachers’ knowledge and dispositions for sustainability education. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 32, 35-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2022.2146836.
Nolet, V. (2009). Preparing Sustainability-Literate Teachers. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 111, 409-442. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810911100207.
Offorma, G., & Obiefuna, C. (2017). Curriculum implementation in teacher education institutions for attainment of 2030 sustainable development goals: teacher-educators’ views. African Journal of Sustainable Development, 7, 73-88.
UNESCO. (2015). Guidelines on sustainability science in research and education. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Jakarta.
United Nation. (2015). Sustainable Development Goals., https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ar/development-agenda/
United Nations Development Program in the Arab Countries. (2022). Sustainable development goals. https://www.arabstates.undp.org/content/rbas/ar/home/sustainable-development-goals.html
Wright, L., Sinistore, J., Levy, M., & Flanagan, B. (2019). Standards in the Classroom: A Vehicle for Sustainability Education. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28715-3_1
Journal of Sustainable Development in Social and Environmental Sciences
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
(March, 2025)
March 2025
Pages 60-71

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics