scholarly journals Knowledge of Student Teachers on Sustainable Land Use Issues–Knowledge Types Relevant for Teacher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 8332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Richter-Beuschel ◽  
Susanne Bögeholz
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Cognitive Learning ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Knowledge Types ◽  
Master Level

For restructuring educational processes and institutions toward Sustainable Development, teachers’ knowledge and competences are crucial. Due to the high relevance of teachers’ content knowledge, this study aimed to (i) assess Sustainable Development-relevant knowledge by differentiating between situational, conceptual and procedural knowledge, (ii) find out via item response theory modelling how these theoretically distinguished knowledge types can be empirically supported, and (iii) link the knowledge dimension(s) to related constructs. We developed a paper-and-pencil test to assess these three knowledge types (N = 314). A two-dimensional structure that combines situational and conceptual knowledge and that distinguishes situational/conceptual knowledge from procedural knowledge, fits the data best (EAP/PV situational/conceptual: 0.63; EAP/PV procedural: 0.67). Student teachers at master level outperformed bachelor level students in situational/conceptual knowledge but master level students did not differ from students at bachelor level regarding procedural knowledge. We observed only slight correlations between the two knowledge dimensions and the content-related motivational orientations of professional action competence. Student teachers’ deficits in procedural knowledge can be attributed to the small number of Education for Sustainable Development-relevant courses attended. Systematically fostering procedural knowledge in teacher education could promote achieving cognitive learning objectives associated with Sustainable Development Goals in the long term.

scholarly journals Student Teachers’ Knowledge to Enable Problem-Solving for Sustainable Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Richter-Beuschel ◽  
Susanne Bögeholz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Interdisciplinary Knowledge

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.

scholarly journals How to Measure Procedural Knowledge for Solving Biodiversity and Climate Change Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Richter-Beuschel ◽  
Ingo Grass ◽  
Susanne Bögeholz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Solution Strategies ◽  
Delphi Approach

To cope with biodiversity and climate change challenges, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) needs to emphasize knowledge that considers multiple perspectives. Optimizing teacher education requires knowledge about the prerequisites of student teachers. The latter includes content knowledge with respect to Sustainable Development (SD). Apart from situational and conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge (containing solution strategies) is of special interest, but it is much more difficult to measure. Thus, this study aims at developing a refined procedure to measure SD-relevant procedural knowledge and to define a measure for such knowledge, including a suitable benchmark for its evaluation. As SD-relevant knowledge, the SD challenges biodiversity loss and climate change were focused on. For operationalizing these challenges, the highly relevant contexts insects and pollination and peatland use were chosen. For both SD challenges and contexts, potential solution strategies were identified by a literature review. A procedure was then tested to measure procedural knowledge. The procedure includes a two-round expert survey (Delphi approach) with an in-between think-aloud study with student teachers. The described innovative procedure resulted in a measure (18 items) to assess procedural knowledge of student teachers via effectiveness estimations of provided solution strategies. This measure contains procedural knowledge items that are related to prior presented scenarios regarding the two contexts and a benchmark to evaluate these items. The benchmark derives from the second round of the Delphi study. The procedure and the developed final instrument include expertise from multiple disciplines such as ESD, SD, biodiversity, insect and pollination, climate change and peatland use. The sophisticated procedure can be transferred to challenging measurement developments. Furthermore, the measure provided for SD-relevant knowledge can be applied to other target groups in upper secondary and in higher education within ESD.

scholarly journals Sustainability: A Regional Australian Experience of Educating Secondary Geography Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Michael Danaher ◽  
Jiaping Wu ◽  
Michael Hewson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Geographical Education ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Individual Knowledge ◽  
The Individual

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number four seeks an equitable and widespread education that enables an outcome of sustainable development by 2030. Intersecting the studies of society and earth processes, a geographical education is well placed to make cohesive sense of all the individual knowledge silos that contribute to achieving sustainability. Geography education is compulsory for the first three years of the secondary education curriculum in Australia; however, research has shown that many geography teachers are underprepared and report limitations in their teaching of sustainability. This article engages with this research problem to provide a critical reflection, using experiential knowledge as an analytical lens, on how tertiary level geography training at one Australian regional university can equip undergraduate teacher education students with the values, knowledge, and skills needed to develop their future students’ understanding and appreciation of the principles of sustainability. The authors unpacked a geography minor for a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree at Central Queensland University and, deploying content analysis, explain how three units in that minor can develop these students’ values, knowledge, and skills through fostering initiatives and activities. The analysis was framed by elements of pedagogy that offer learners a context for developing active, global citizenship and participation to understand the interdependencies of ecological, societal, and economic systems including a multisided view of sustainability and sustainable development. The study concluded that the three geography units engage student teachers in sustainable thinking in a variety of ways, which can have a wider application in the geography curricula in other teacher education courses. More importantly, however, the study found that there is a critical need for collaboration between university teachers of sustainability content and university teachers of school-based pedagogy in order to maximise the efficacy of sustainability education in schools.

scholarly journals Using Participatory Action Research to Develop a Course Module on Education for Sustainable Development in Pre-Service Chemistry Teacher Education

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-78
Author(s):  
Mareike Burmeister ◽  
Ingo Eilks
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Student Evaluation ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Chemistry Teacher ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Participatory Action

This paper describes the development of a course module on sustainability issues and Education for Sustainable Development in German pre-service chemistry teacher education. The module was inspired by empirical research findings about the knowledge base of student teachers. It was created and cyclically refined using Participatory Action Research. Experience gained during its three-year application will be reflected upon here, including feedback collected from student evaluation sheets. In the end, the participants responded extremely positively to the course. The student teachers stated that the module was interesting, relevant and valuable for their later profession as high school chemistry teachers. They also emphasised that they now felt more competent in the area of sustainability and ESD.

scholarly journals Land-Use and Health Issues in Malagasy Primary Education—A Delphi Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janna Niens ◽  
Lisa Richter-Beuschel ◽  
Susanne Bögeholz
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Protective Behavior ◽  
Land Use Practices

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a key role in Sustainable Development. In low-income countries like Madagascar, this key role is particularly relevant to primary education. However, the curricula lack a comprehensive ESD approach that incorporates regional issues. In Madagascar, sustainable land-use practices (Sustainable Development Goals 12, 15) and health prevention (SDGs 2, 3, 6) are educational challenges. Procedural knowledge allows problem-solving regarding unsustainable developments. We adapted and further developed a measure of ESD-relevant procedural knowledge. Considering curricula, sustainability standards, research, and a two-round Delphi study (n = 34 experts), we identified regionally relevant land-use practices and health-protective behavior. After the experts rated the effectiveness and possibility of implementation of courses of actions, we calculated an index of what to teach under given Malagasy (regional) conditions. Combined with qualitative expert comments, the study offers insights into expert views on land-use and health topics: For example, when teaching ESD in Northeast Madagascar, sustainable management of cultivation and soil is suitable, particularly when linked to vanilla production. Health-protective behavior is ultimately more difficult to implement in rural than in urban areas. These results are important for further curricula development, for ESD during primary education, and because they give insights into the topics teacher education should address.

Sustainability consciousness of pre-service teachers in Pakistan

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1090-1107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qudsia Kalsoom ◽  
Afifa Khanam ◽  
Uzma Quraishi
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Missing Element

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draw attention towards sustainability consciousness (SC) of pre-service teachers (student teachers) as their role is central in teaching for sustainable development. This paper investigated SC of the pre-service teachers in Pakistan and compared it with other undergraduate students in the country and with that of Swedish upper secondary students. Design/methodology/approach The paper used survey method using a tool developed by a group of Canadian researchers to measure knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards sustainable development. The instrument was later adapted by a group of Swedish researchers to measure SC. Study data came from 207 pre-service teachers and 154 undergraduate students studying humanities. Findings The paper reports that SC of the pre-service teachers in Pakistan is much lower than that of Swedish upper secondary students. Moreover, the paper indicates that the SC of pre-service teachers is not different from other undergraduate students in the country. Practical implications This paper establishes a baseline of SC of the final-year pre-service teachers enrolled in BEd (Honours) programme in Pakistan. Such a study is critical in the context when ESD is a missing element in teacher education in Pakistan. In the presence of such a baseline study, teacher education institutes and departments might review their curricula in terms of their focus on ESD and plan for initiatives to educate pre-service teachers for sustainability. Originality/value The paper contributes to a broader debate on measuring SC of university students.

scholarly journals Science teacher education for sustainable development: from intensions to realisation

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-367
Author(s):  
Kirsti Marie Jegstad ◽  
Astrid Tonette Sinnes ◽  
Sigrid Marie Gjøtterud
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Teacher Education Institution

Teacher education programs have an especially important role in reorienting education to realise education for sustainable development (ESD). In this paper, we investigate how ESD can be realised in science teacher education and we present findings from a case study in a Norwegian teacher education institution that has the overall aim of educating teachers who can contribute to sustainable development. Data was collected through participant observation and interviews, and, together with instructional artefacts and student assignments, analysed based on a model for science ESD. The paper provides an example of how ESD can be realised through a strengths model where ESD is founded in the strengths among the teacher educators and existing teaching practices. The results indicate that an emphasis on experiential learning and sociocultural learning theory builds a thorough foundation for ESD. However, the teaching has to be explicit in order to reach all student teachers.

scholarly journals Prepared to Teach for Sustainable Development? Student Teachers’ Beliefs in Their Ability to Teach for Sustainable Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
The Status ◽  
Education Today ◽  
Environmentally Sound

The importance of embedding education for sustainable development has been emphasised over many years. At the same time, there has been a massive call for initial teacher education to provide all student teachers with the core of professional competences. What is the status of teacher education today in embedding education for sustainable development and how does it relate to the focus on professional competencies in teacher education? A total of 578 student teachers in seven different teacher education programmes in Europe were surveyed, measuring the students’ beliefs in their ability to work as teachers, as well as their ability to teach in ways that value sustainability and promote environmentally sound ways of living. The results of the survey show that student teachers feel well prepared to handle many aspects of teacher professionalism, but less prepared to educate for sustainability. The survey also indicates that student teacher training in educating for sustainability is not integrated in their other training and is generally just added on.

scholarly journals Student Teachers' Change Agency in Education for Sustainable Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-98
Author(s):  
Teija Koskela ◽  
Sirpa Kärkkäinen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Change Agency ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Development Education ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Face

Abstract Previous research shows that teachers are key players in supporting agency in the face of the biggest global challenges of our time, such as climate change and pollution, as teachers educate societies' future decision-makers. The aim of this study was to analyze student teachers' perceptions of change agency and sustainable development. In this qualitative case study, the writings of student teachers (n = 116) were studied in the context of sustainable development education. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings of the research confirmed previous studies showing that student teachers' perceptions of sustainable development were quite narrow. The results indicated that the student teachers wrote mainly about social dimensions of sustainable development; few of them considered economic or environmental dimensions of sustainable development. The results provided new information about the current state of student teachers' perceptions of change agency in the teacher education context. Teacher education should focus more on a holistic view of sustainable development aspects. These findings might be useful in implementing teacher education curricula.

Student Teachers’ Learning and Professional Development in Second Language Teacher Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamile Hamiloğlu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Student Teacher ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Second Language Teacher Education ◽  
Second Language Teacher

This article is a review on student teacher (ST) learning in second language teacher education (SLTE) and it aims to establish a context for ST learning for professional development in SLTE research and frame its contribution to the current research literature. To achieve this, it conducts an overview on concepts of interest, and it places in perspective some of the key previous findings relating to the research at hand. Broadly, it is to serve as a foundation for the debate over perspectives of second/foreign language (S/FL) student teachers’ (STs’) learning to teach through their professional development with reference to both coursework and practicum contexts.Keywords: student teacher learning, second language teacher education (SLTE), professional development

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