Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T22:09:08.349Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Integrating Education for Sustainability in Preservice Teacher Education: A Case Study From a Regional Australian University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2014

Reece Mills  and
Louisa Tomas
Reece Mills
Affiliation:
North Lakes State College, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Louisa Tomas*
Affiliation:
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Louisa Tomas, School of Education, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia. Email louisa.tomas@jcu.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Education for Sustainability (EfS) has been prioritised in the School of Education at James Cook University (JCU), Townsville, Australia. This article presents a case study that explores the ways in which teacher educators integrate EfS in their teaching in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) (Primary) at JCU, and their perceptions of enablers and constraints. Two key findings arose from the analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with four subject coordinators, and their subject outlines: (1) teacher educators at JCU integrate EfS in different ways through their choice of assessment, content and/or pedagogy; and (2) constraints operating at the school level, namely teacher educators’ perceptions and understanding of EfS, were perceived to be salient challenges to the integration of EfS in the program. Vision, leadership and funding at the university level were also identified as enabling factors that warrant further investigation. Findings contribute to existing literature regarding the integration of EfS in preservice teacher education, and serve to inform practice at JCU and universities more broadly.

Keywords

education for sustainabilitypreservice teacher educationhigher educationcase studyAustralia
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , December 2013 , pp. 152 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Australian Government Department of Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (AGDEWHA). (2009). Living Sustainably: The Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/education/publications/pubs/national-action-plan.pdfGoogle Scholar
Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (AGDEH). (2005). Educating for a Sustainable Future: A national environmental education statement for Australian Schools. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/education/publications/pubs/sustainable-future.pdfGoogle Scholar
Boon, H. (2010). Climate change? Who knows? A comparison of secondary students and pre-service teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35 (1), 104–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buchanan, J. (2012). Sustainability education and teacher education: Finding a natural habitat? Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 28 (2), 108–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cotton, D., Warren, M., & Maiboroda, I. (2007). Sustainable development, higher education and pedagogy: A study of lecturers’ beliefs and attitudes. Environmental Education Research, 13 (5), 579–597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creswell, J. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Dove, J. (1996). Student teacher understanding of greenhouse effect, ozone layer depletion and acid rain. Environmental Education Research, 2 (1), 89–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Down. (2006). Addressing the challenges of mainstreaming education for sustainable development in higher education. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 7 (4), 390–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ferreira, J., Ryan, L., Davis, J., Cavanagh, M., & Thomas, J. (2009). Mainstreaming sustainability into pre-service teacher education in Australia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability.Google Scholar
Ferreira, J., Ryan, L., & Tilbury, D. (2006). Whole-school approaches to sustainability: A review of models for professional development in pre-service teacher education. Canberra, Australia: Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability.Google Scholar
Ferreira, J., Ryan, L., & Tilbury, D. (2007). Mainstreaming education for sustainable development in initial teacher education in Australia: A review of existing professional development models. Journal of Education for Teaching, 33 (2), 225–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harpe, B., & Thomas, I. (2009). Curriculum change in universities: Conditions that facilitate education for sustainable development. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 3 (1), 75–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hegarty, K., Thomas, I., Kriewaldt, C., Holdsworth, S., & Bekessy, S. (2011). Insights into the value of a stand-alone course for sustainability education. Environmental Education Research, 17 (4), 451–469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hopkins, & McKeown. (2005). Guidelines and Recommendations for Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability. UNESCO.Google Scholar
James Cook University. (2011a). About JCU: Statement of Strategic Intent. Retrieved from http://www.jcu.edu.au/about/strategic-intent/index.htmGoogle Scholar
James Cook University. (2011b). James Cook University Curriculum Refresh: About the Project. Retrieved from: http://www.jcu.edu.au/curriculumrefresh/about/index.htmGoogle Scholar
James Cook University. (2011c). Teaching and learning: 2011 ALTC Innovation and Development Grant award winner. Retrieved from http://www.jcu.edu.au/teaching/grants/JCU_086238.htmlGoogle Scholar
Jenkins, K. (1999/2000). Listening to secondary pre-service teachers: Implications for teachers education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 15 (16), 45–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karpudewan, M., Ismail, Z.H., & Mohamed, N. (2009). The integration of green chemistry experiments with sustainable development concepts in pre-service teachers’ curriculum: Experiences from Malaysia. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 10 (2), 118–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennelly, J., & Taylor, N. (2007). Education for sustainability for the K-6 curriculum: A unit of work for pre-service primary teachers in NSW. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 23, 3–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, R., Harrison, L., & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2006). Teacher education: A diluted environmental education experience. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 22 (1), 49–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, J. (2005). Barriers and pathways to creating sustainability education programs: Policy, rhetoric and reality. Environmental Education Research, 11 (5), 537–555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nielsen, W., Andersen, P., Hurley, A., Sabljak, V., Petereit, A., Hoskin, V., & Hoban, G. (2012). Preparing action competent environmental educators: How hard could it be? Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 28 (2), 92–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paige, K., Lloyd, D., & Chartres, M. (2008). Moving towards transdisciplinarity: An ecological sustainable focus for science and mathematics pre-service education in the primary/middle years. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36 (1), 19–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Queensland College of Teachers. (2012). Pre-registration test for aspiring primary teachers. Retrieved from http://www.qct.edu.au/qepr/preregtest.htmlGoogle Scholar
Reid, A., & Petocz, P. (2006). University lecturers’ understanding of sustainability. Higher Education, 51 (1), 105–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, W., & Gough, S. (2007). Universities and sustainable development: The necessity for barriers to change. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 11 (4), 107–115.Google Scholar
Steele, F. (2010). Mainstreaming education for sustainability in teacher education: Enablers and constraints. Canberra, Australia: Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability.Google Scholar
Stevenson, R. (2007). Schooling and environmental/sustainability education: From discourses of policy and practice to discourses of professional learning. Environmental Education Research, 13 (2), 265–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Summers, M., Corney, G., & Childs, A. (2004). Student teachers’ conceptions of sustainable development: The starting points of geographers and scientists. Educational Research, 46 (2), 163–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, N., Nathan, S., & Coll, R. (2003). Education for sustainability in regional New South Wales, Australia: An exploratory study of some teachers’ perceptions. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 12 (4), 291–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thomas, I. (2004). Sustainability in tertiary curricula: What is stopping it happening? International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 5 (1), 33–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuncer, G., Tekkaya, C., Sungur, S., Cakirogula, J., Ertepinar, H., & Kaplowitz, M. (2009). Assessing pre-service teachers’ environmental literacy in Turkey as a mean to develop teacher education programs. International Journal of Educational Development, 29 (4), 426–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNESCO Education Sector. (2005). United Nations decade on education for sustainable development (2005–14): International Implementation. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001486/148654E.pdfGoogle Scholar
Varga, A., Koszo, M.F., Mayer, M., & Sleurs, W. (2007). Developing teacher competences for education for sustainable development through reflection: The environment and school initiatives approach. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 33 (2), 241–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, S. (2012). Drivers and blockers: Embedding education for sustainability (EFS) in primary teacher education. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 28 (1), 42–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar