Environmental Content as a Part of Science-Oriented Sustainable Development Goals in Grades 6 and 7 of Slovenian Primary School - An Analysis of Science Textbooks

Oct 15, 2026

Study examines how environmental concepts, as part of science-oriented sustainable development goals, are represented within Slovenian primary-school science education across Grades 6 and 7. It analyzes the environmental and sustainability perspective of the previous (pre-2010/2011) and current curriculum, and evaluates the textual and pictorial material and overall structure of four Grade 6 and four Grade 7 science textbooks used in 2023/24. Results show curriculum-aligned environmental coverage, supported by realistic macro-level visuals, but identify substantial missing sustainability content.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Curriculum Analysis

Textual and Pictorial Analysis

Findings and Discussion

Conclusion

Received: 14 November 2022, Accepted: 20 February 2024, Published on-line as Recently Accepted Paper: March 2024 DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1792](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1792) Environmental Content as a Part of Science-Oriented Sustainable Development Goals in Grades 6 and 7 of Slovenian Primary School: An Analysis of Science Textbooks Matej Vošnjak*1, Neva Rebolj2 and Iztok Devetak3 • Slovenian science education in Grades 6 and 7 (11-and 12-year-old students) of primary school focuses on the integration of various science subjects. According to the current Slovenian science curriculum, environmental concepts, as a part of science-oriented sustainable development goals, are an integral part of the subject of science. In 2026, a new science curriculum will be introduced in the education system to provide students and teachers with competences for sustainable development. Consequently, the aim of this study is 1) to analyse old (valid prior to the 2010/2011 school year) and current 6th and 7th-grade Slovenian science curriculum for primary school from an environmental and sustainability perspective, and 2) to investigate textual and pictorial material of four 6th grade and four 7th grade textbooks available for students in the current school year (2023/24) of primary school, that relate to environmental content, as well as their overall structure. The analysis of the textbooks showed that all textbooks explain some environmental topics recommended by the national curriculum. The text is supported by pictorial elements that present phenomena with realistic pictures on the macrolevel. The present study suggests that some environmental content is present in 6th-and 7th-grade science textbooks that are consistent with the learning goals of the curriculum but that a significant amount of sustainability content is missing. For this reason, the curriculum reform currently underway in Slovenia should more clearly include the implementation and thoroughly consider the integration of science-oriented sustainable development goals into the science curriculum in Grades 6 and 7. Keywords: science curriculum, environmental competences, primary school, science education, sustainable development, textbook analysis 1 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; [matej.vosnjak@pef.uni-lj.si](matej.vosnjak@pef.uni-lj.si). 2 The Secondary School of Nursing Ljubljana/Srednja zdravstvena šola Ljubljana, Slovenia. 3 Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. 248 environmental content as a part of science-oriented sustainable development ... Okoljske vsebine kot del naravoslovnih ciljev[trajnostnega razvoja v 6. in 7. razredu osnovne](trajnostnega razvoja v 6. in 7. razredu osnovne) šole v Sloveniji: analiza naravoslovnih učbenikov Matej Vošnjak, Neva Rebolj in Iztok Devetak • Naravoslovno izobraž[evanje v 6. in 7. razredu](evanje v 6. in 7. razredu) (učenci v starosti 11 in 12 let) osnovne šole v Sloveniji se osredinja na povezovanje različnih naravoslovnih predmetov. Po veljavnem učnem načrtu za naravoslovje sookoljski pojmi kot del naravoslovnih ciljev trajnostnega razvoja sestavnidel predmeta naravoslovje. Leta 2026 bo v slovenski izobraževalni sistem uveden nov učni načrt za naravoslovje, ki bo vseboval tudi kompetence za trajnostni razvoj. Cilja raziskave sta: 1) analizirati stari (veljavenpred šolskim letom 2010/2011) in trenutni slovenski učni načrt za naravoslovje za [6. in 7. razred osnovne](6. in 7. razred osnovne) šole z okoljskega in s trajnostnega vidika; 2) raziskati besedilno in slikovno gradivo štirih učbenikov za 6. razred in štirih učbenikov za 7. razred osnovne šole, ki so na voljo učencem v tekočem šolskem letu (2023/24) in se nanašajo na okoljske vsebine, ter njihovo celotno strukturo. Analiza učbenikov je pokazala, da vsiučbeniki pojasnjujejo nekatere okoljske teme, ki jih priporoča trenutnoveljavni učni načrt. Besedila v učbenikih so podprt

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

To analyze how environmental and sustainability goals are covered in the Slovenian Grade 6 and 7 science curriculum and to examine related textbook content and structure.

Which textbook materials are analyzed?

Four Grade 6 and four Grade 7 science textbooks used in the 2023/24 school year, focusing on textual and pictorial elements related to environmental content.

What does the study conclude about textbook coverage of sustainability?

Textbooks reflect environmental topics recommended by the national curriculum, but a significant amount of sustainability content is missing, indicating a need for clearer curriculum integration.

Oct 15, 2026

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