Environmental and Sustainability Education Pedagogical Approaches in Pre-service Teacher Education

Oct 15, 2026

Qualitative case study evaluates the effectiveness of environmental and sustainability education (ESE) pedagogical strategies in two Université de Saint-Boniface pre-service teacher education Curriculum and Instruction courses. The study describes how these ESE strategies are taught, then presents findings from interviews with former students about their perceptions of effectiveness. It also examines how participants apply similar strategies in their teaching, including discussion of efficacy, implementation limitations, and critical reflection aligned with prior calls for empirical ESE pedagogy research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose of the Study

ESE in Pre-service Teacher Education

Pedagogical Strategies and Programmatic Approaches

Findings and Reflections

Environmental and Sustainability Education Pedagogical Approaches in Pre-service Teacher Education Laura Sims, Madeleine Asselin, Université de Saint-Boneiface, Canada, & Thomas Falkenberg, University of Manitoba, Canada Abstract This qualitative case study examines the effectiveness of environmental and sustainability education (ESE) pedagogical strategies used in two Université de Saint-Boniface pre-service teacher education Curriculum and Instruction courses. The methods used to teach these ESE pedagogical strategies are described. Findings from interviews with former students regarding their perspectives on the effectiveness of these strategies and how they are applying similar strategies in their teaching arepresented. Findings suggest that these ESE pedagogical strategies are effective. Questions about efﬁcacy of these strategies, the limitations of their implementation, and the study itself are reﬂected upon. This study contributes to Evans et al.’s (2017) call for empirical research into the effectiveness of ESE pedagogies and a critical reﬂection of such research by the researchers. Résumé Laprésente étude de cas qualitative examine l’efﬁcacité des stratégiespédagogiques employées en éducation à l’environnement et au développement durable dans deux cours en enseignement et programmes d’études offerts aux étudiants en enseignement de l’Université de Saint-Boniface. L’article décrit la manière dont ces stratégiespédagogiques sont enseignées et présente les conclusions des entrevuesréalisées auprès d’anciens étudiants dans le but de recueillir leurs points de vue sur l’efﬁcacité de ces stratégies et la manière dont ils les appliquent dans leur pratique. Selon les observations effectuées, ces stratégies pédagogiques d’éducation à l’environnement et au développement durable semblent efﬁcaces. L’efﬁcacité et les limites de la mise en œuvre de ces stratégies, de même que l’étude en tant que telle, font également l’objet de réﬂexions. La présente démarche s’inscrit à la suite destravaux d’Evans et collaborateurs (2017) sur la nécessité de mener des recherches empiriques pour évaluer l’efﬁcacité des stratégies pédagogiques d’éducation à l’environnement et au développement durable et pour poser un regard critique sur le travail des chercheurs dans ce domaine. Keywords: education for sustainability in faculties of education, pre-service teacher education, ESE in higher education Mots-clés : éducation au développement durable dans les facultés d’éducation, formation des enseignants, éducation à l’environnement et au développement durable dans l’enseignement universitaire 14 Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, 23(1), 2020 Environmental and Sustainability Education Pedagogical Approaches in Pre-service Teacher Education Environmental and sustainability education (ESE) emphasizes social and environmental well-being. It helps students develop knowledge, attitudes, and values so that they can become responsible, active citizens that contribute to a sustainable future (Inwood & Jagger, 2014; O’Brien, 2016). As stated by Block, Sims and Beeman (2016),“[T]eacher education can be instrumental in developing values and practices so that teacher candidates may develop pedagogical approaches that support a transition towards sustainability (UNECE, 2012)” (p. 128) . ESE is inﬂuenced by various learning traditions that share a belief in promoting amore sustainable and equitable world for all living beings on this planet, such as environmental education, sustainability education, eco-justice education, Indigenous education, and peace education, among others (Anderson, Chiarotto, & Comay, 2018; Karrow, DiGiuseppe, Elliot, Gwekwerere, & Inwood, 2016) . In 2017, Evans, Stevenson, Lasen, Ferreira, and Davis wrote that though sustainability may be mandated within school curricula, ESE is not a mandated component of pre-service teacher education in most countries. Their recent literature review on programmatic approaches

FAQs

What is the focus of the qualitative case study?

The study examines the effectiveness of ESE pedagogical strategies used in two Curriculum and Instruction courses in a pre-service teacher education program.

How does the research evaluate effectiveness?

It describes teaching methods for ESE strategies and uses interviews with former students to gather perspectives on effectiveness and subsequent classroom application.

Which programmatic approaches are identified for embedding sustainability education?

The study references four approaches: across whole curriculum areas/courses or an institution, through dedicated core/compulsory subjects, via a component of a core/compulsory subject, or through a dedicated elective subject.

Oct 15, 2026

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