In-service teacher training programmes that promote education for sustainable development: A review of emerging literature
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2024.vol6.35Keywords:
In-service training, sustainable development, teacher professional developmentAbstract
Teacher continuous professional development programs have been identified as important tools for integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into teacher education in South Africa. Research studies have indicated that in-service training for secondary school teachers has been under-resourced and poorly implemented in terms of integrating ESD into teaching and learning in secondary schools. The literature also supports the claim that, in light of climate change and global warming, in-service programs for secondary school teachers do not adequately promote the integration of ESD in South African classrooms. Due to the absence of a suitable professional development program to support the implementation of ESD in secondary schools, efforts to resolve these deficiencies have not had the expected impact. This study examines the challenges in South Africa's in-service teacher development program for integrating ESD. The in-service training program for sustainable development was researched using the systematic literature review methodology. The study argues that inadequate in-service training programs for secondary school teachers have hindered the implementation of ESD in South Africa. The literature also revealed the absence of a unified framework that can be used in South Africa to integrate ESD. As a result, it is recommended that combinations of frameworks or models be adopted when designing a unified in-service training program for teachers to promote ESD in South African classrooms.
References
Abbass, K., Qasim, M. Z., Song, H., Murshed, M., Mahmood, H., & Younis, I. (2022). A review of the global climate change impacts, adaptation, and sustainable mitigation measures. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(28), 42539-42559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19718-6
Acosta Castellanos, P. M., & Queiruga-Dios, A. (2022). From environmental education to education for sustainable development in higher education: a systematic review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(3), 622-644. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe-04-2021-0167
Agbedahin, A. V. (2019). Sustainable development, education for sustainable development, and the 2030 agenda for sustainable development: Emergence, efficacy, eminence, and future. Sustainable development, 27(4), 669–680. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1931
Aksland, C., & Chang Rundgren, S. N. (2020). 5th–10th-grade in-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for sustainable development in outdoor environment. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 20(3), 274-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/14729679.2019.1697713
Ajani, O. A. (2019). Understanding teachers as adult learners in professional development activities for enhanced classroom practices. AFFRIKA Journal of Politics, Economics and Society, 9(2), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.31920/2075-6534/2019/9n2a10
Almeida, P. C. A. D., Davis, C. L. F., Calil, A. M. G. C., & Vilalva, A. M. (2019). Shulman's theoretical
categories: An integrative review in the field of teacher education. Cadernos de Pesquisa, 49, 130-149. https://doi.org/10.1590/198053146654
Asghar, M. Z., Afzaal, M. N., Iqbal, J., Waqar, Y., & Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, P. (2022). Evaluation of in-service vocational teacher training program: A blend of face-to-face, online and offline learning approaches. Sustainability, 14(21), 13906. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113906
Basheer, A., Sindiani, A., Gulacar, O., Eilks, I., & Hugerat, M. (2023). Exploring pre-and in-service science teachers' green chemistry and sustainability awareness and their attitudes towards environmental education in ISRAEL. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21(5), 1639–1659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-022-10318-x
Bernadine, G. G. K. (2019). Challenges faced by educators in the implementation of Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD): Gauteng Province. Teacher education in the 21st Century, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84836
Boeve-de Pauw, J., Gericke, N., Olsson, D., & Berglund, T. (2015). The effectiveness of education for
sustainable development. Sustainability, 7(11), 15693-15717. https://doi.org/10.3390/su71115693
Brundiers, K., Barth, M., Cebrián, G., Cohen, M., Diaz, L., Doucette-Remington, S., Dripps, W., Habron, G.,
Harré, N., Jarchow, M., Losch, K., Michel, J., Mochizuki, Y., Rieckmann, M., Parnell, R., Walker, P., & Zint, M. (2021). Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—Toward an agreedupon reference framework. Sustainability Science, 16(1), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2
Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2015). Putting transformative learning theory into practice. Australian journal of adult learning, 55(1), 9-30.
Corpuz, A. M., San Andres, T. C., & Lagasca, J. M. (2022). Integration of environmental education (EE) in teacher education pragrammes: Toward sustainable curriculum greening. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 80(1), 119-143. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/22.80.119
Dlouhá, J., Heras, R., Mulà, I., Salgado, F. P., & Henderson, L. (2019). Competences to address SDGs in higher education—a reflection on the equilibrium between systemic and personal approaches to achieve transformative action. Sustainability, 11(13), 3664. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133664
Dunst, C. J. (2015). Improving the design and implementation of in-service professional development in early childhood intervention. Infants & young children, 28(3), 210-219. https://doi.org/10.1097/iyc.0000000000000042
Fischer, D., King, J., Rieckmann, M., Barth, M., Büssing, A., Hemmer, I., & Lindau-Bank, D. (2022). Teacher education for sustainable development: A review of an emerging research field. Journal of Teacher Education, 73(5), 509-524. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224871221105784
Geldenhuys, J. L., & Oosthuizen, L. C. (2015). Challenges influencing teachers' involvement in continuous professional development: A South African perspective. Teaching and teacher education, 51, 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.06.010
Glasser, H., & Hirsh, J. (2016). Toward the development of robust learning for sustainability core
competencies. Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 9(3), 121-134. https://doi.org/10.1089/sus.2016.29054.hg
Grossman, P. L. (1990). The making of a teacher: Teacher knowledge and teacher education. Teachers College, 169-175.
Holfelder, A. K. (2019). Towards a sustainable future with education? Sustainability science, 14(4), 943-952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00682-z
Holst, J., Singer?Brodowski, M., Brock, A., & de Haan, G. (2024). Monitoring SDG 4.7: Assessing education for sustainable development in policies, curricula, training of educators and student assessment (input?indicator). Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2865
Imara, K., & Altinay, F. (2021). Integrating education for sustainable development competencies in teacher education. Sustainability, 13(22), 12555. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212555
João, P., Henriques, M. H., Rodrigues, A. V., & Sá, P. (2023). In-service teacher education program through an educational design research approach in the framework of the 2030 agenda. Education Sciences, 13(6), 584. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060584
Kang, W. (2019). Perceived barriers to implementing education for sustainable development among Korean teachers. Sustainability, 11(9), 2532. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092532
King, F. (2016). Teacher professional development to support teacher professional learning: Systemic
factors from Irish case studies. Teacher Development, 20(4), 574-594. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2016.1161661
Keele, S. (2007). Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering (Vol. 5). EBSE Technical Report, Kitchenham.
Lauer, P. A., Christopher, D. E., Firpo-Triplett, R., & Buchting, F. (2014). The impact of short-term
professional development on participant outcomes: A review of the literature. Professional Development in Education, 40(2), 207-227.
Leal Filho, W., Raath, S., Lazzarini, B., Vargas, V. R., de Souza, L., Anholon, R., ... & Orlovic, V. L. (2018). The role of transformation in learning and education for sustainability. Journal of cleaner production, 199, 286-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.017
Leal Filho, W., Sima, M., Sharifi, A., Luetz, J. M., Salvia, A. L., Mifsud, M., ... & Lokupitiya, E. (2021).
Handling climate change education at universities: an overview. Environmental Sciences Europe, 33, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00552-5
Letouzey-Pasquier, J., Gremaud, B., Blondin, S., & Roy, P. (2023). Development of teachers' practices in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD): a discursive community of interdisciplinary practices focusing on the theme of chocolate. Environmental Education Research, 29(8), 1155-1169. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2128056
Lowe, G. M., & Prout, P. F. (2019). Reframing teacher in-service training in Kenya: Recommendations from the literature. Africa Education Review, 16(3), 54-66. https://doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2017.1340803
Lozano, R., Merrill, M. Y., Sammalisto, K., Ceulemans, K., & Lozano, F. J. (2017). Connecting competences and pedagogical approaches for sustainable development in higher education: A literature review and framework proposal. Sustainability, 9(10), 1889. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101889
Mandikonza, C., & Kavai, P. (2023). Education for sustainable development (ESD) classroom practices: A South African perspective. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Classroom Practices, 235-250. http://dx.doi.org/10.15496/publikation-76378
Mansour, N., EL-Deghaidy, H., Alshamrani, S., & Aldahmash, A. (2014). Rethinking the theory and practice of continuing professional development: Science teachers' perspectives. Research in Science Education, 44, 949-973. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-014-9409-y
Mavuso, M. P., Khalo, X., Kafu-Quvane, B. P., & Olawumi, K. B. (2022). Climate change education as a means to protect the planet: A review of the relevant literature. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 19(3), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2022.1903.10
Mokhele, M. L., & Jita, L. C. (2010). South African teachers' perspectives on continuing professional
development: a case study of the Mpumalanga Secondary Science Initiative. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 1762-1766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.396
Nousheen, A., Zia, M. A., & Waseem, M. (2024). Exploring pre-service teachers' self-efficacy, content
knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge concerning education for sustainable development. Environmental Education Research, 30(3), 321-333. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2128055
Olawumi, K., Mavuso, M. P., Khalo, X., Babalwa, K. Q., & Mzilikazi, B. (2023). Implementation of
teacher development program for integrating climate change education: Natural sciences teachers view. International Journal of Environmental, Sustainability, and Social Science, 4(3), 788-798. https://doi.org/10.38142/ijesss.v4i3.534
Olivier, D. F., & Huffman, J. B. (2018). Professional learning community process in the United States: Conceptualisation of the process and district support for schools. In N. Sun-Keung Pang & T. Wang (Eds.), Global Perspectives on Developing Professional Learning Communities (pp. 109-125). Routledge.
Osamwonyi, E. F. (2016). In-service education of teachers: overview, problems and the way
forward. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(26), 83-87.
Poghosyan, G., Gasparyan, A., Grigoryan, M., & Poghosyan, S. (2015). Competence raising through
teaching of ESD environmental key topics implementing "project technology". Envigogika, 10(2), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.460
Redman, E., Wiek, A., & Redman, A. (2018). Continuing professional development in sustainability
education for K-12 teachers: Principles, programme, outlook. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 12(1), 59-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/2455133318777182
Rieckmann, M. (2019). Education for sustainable development in teacher education. An international
perspective. Environmental Education, 33-48.
Saleem, Z., & Zamir, S. (2016). Role of in-service teacher training in the professional development of
prospective teachers. Inf. Knowl. Manag, 6, 53-60.
Shulman, L. S. (2006). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Routledge.
Shulman, L. S. (2013). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Journal of Education, 193(3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/002205741319300302
Tsotetsi, C. T., & Mahlomaholo, S. (2015). Exploring strategies to strengthen continuing professional
development of teachers in rural South Africa. Journal of Higher Education in Africa, 13(1-2), 45-73. https://doi.org/10.57054/jhea.v13i1-2.1517
Tuli, F. (2017). Teachers professional development in schools: Reflection on the move to create a culture of continuous improvement. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 6(3), 275-296.
UNESCO (2014). Roadmap for implementing the global action programme on education for sustainable development. UNESDOC Digital Library.
UNESCO (2016). Global education monitoring report?place: Inclusive and sustainable cities. Paris: UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2017). Education for sustainable development goals—Learning objectives. UNESCO Publishing. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002474/247444e.pdf
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015 (A/RES/70/1). UN Publishing. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/70/1
United Nations. (2020). Education for sustainable development in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2019 (A/RES/74/223). UN Publishing. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/223
Zhou, R., & Lee, N. (2022). The reception of education for sustainable development (ESD) in China: a historical review. Sustainability, 14(7), 4333. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074333
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Kayode Babatunde Olawumi, Mzuyanda Percival Mavuso
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
