IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i8p3344-d347986.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Teacher Education and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study with Future Biology Teachers in an Angolan Higher Education Institution

Author

Listed:
  • António Valter Chisingui

    (Department of Natural Sciences, Higher Institute of Education Sciences (ISCED-HUÍLA), Sarmento Rodrigues St., 230 Lubango, Angola)

  • Nilza Costa

    (Research Centre on Didactics and Technology in the Education of Trainers (CIDTFF), University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal)

Abstract

National education policies are increasingly regulated by international agendas, for example the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (SD). However, in order to put such policies into practice, social actors like teachers and teacher educators must include them in their practices. In this context, this study stems from the following research question: how does initial teacher education (ITE) promote the SD Agendas (2030 and 2063 for Africa)? The approach to this question is carried out through a case study focused on an Angolan teacher education higher education institution, in its graduate course for future secondary school biology teachers. The main aims of this study are (i) to characterize how ITE includes SD and (ii) to suggest ways to improve SD, particularly focusing on students’ future professional needs. Data were gathered from document analysis (the pedagogical curriculum plan of the course; titles and abstracts of final-year future biology teachers’ essays) and an interview with the course director of the biology teaching program of the Angolan institution. Content analysis of the gathered evidence was based on a three-dimensional framework: (a) SD goals (SDG) and the curriculum; (b) teacher education principles; and (c) current Angolan curricular perspectives. Results show that although the Pedagogical curriculum plan and the formative path, from the interviewee’s point of view, do not explicitly integrate SDG and its challenges for biology ITE, the majority of essays analyzed are locally contextualized and in a number of cases articulated with some of the 17 SDG. Suggestions for inclusion of SDG in ITE and for teacher education research are put forward.

Suggested Citation

  • António Valter Chisingui & Nilza Costa, 2020. "Teacher Education and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study with Future Biology Teachers in an Angolan Higher Education Institution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-14, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:8:p:3344-:d:347986
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3344/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/8/3344/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gisela Cebrián & Mercè Junyent, 2015. "Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development: Exploring the Student Teachers’ Views," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-19, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abhilasha Singh & Patrick Blessinger, 2023. "Examining the Role and Challenges of Sustainable Development Goals for the Universities in the United Arab Emirates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Diana Soares & Betina Lopes & Isabel Abrantes & Mike Watts, 2021. "The Initial Training of Science Teachers in African Countries: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Ciprian Obrad, 2020. "Constraints and Consequences of Online Teaching," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-23, August.
    4. José Luis Silva Munar & Susana De Juana-Espinosa & Laura Martínez-Buelvas & Yanina Vecchiola Abarca & Joan Orellana Tirado, 2020. "Organizational Happiness Dimensions as a Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals: A Prospective Study in Higher Education Institutions in Chile, Colombia and Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Luiza Olim de Sousa, 2021. "Learning Experiences of a Participatory Approach to Educating for Sustainable Development in a South African Higher Education Institution Yielding Social Learning Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-16, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rocío Valderrama-Hernández & Fermín Sánchez-Carracedo & Lucía Alcántara Rubio & Dolores Limón-Domínguez, 2019. "Methodology to Analyze the Effectiveness of ESD in a Higher Degree in Education. A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Leire Guerenabarrena-Cortazar & Jon Olaskoaga-Larrauri & Ernesto Cilleruelo-Carrasco, 2021. "Integration of Sustainability in Engineering and Architectural Studies in Spanish Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-14, July.
    3. Nijolė Burkšaitienė & Robert Lesčinskij & Jelena Suchanova & Jolita Šliogerienė, 2021. "Self-Directedness for Sustainable Learning in University Studies: Lithuanian Students’ Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    4. Kifah Imara & Fahriye Altinay, 2021. "Integrating Education for Sustainable Development Competencies in Teacher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Maria Victoria G. Violanda & Dennis V. Madrigal, 2021. "Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): A Journey Towards Sustainable Future," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 20(1), pages 172-180, June.
    6. Eva-Maria Waltner & Werner Rieß & Christoph Mischo, 2019. "Development and Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Student Sustainability Competencies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Mirjam Braßler & Martin Schultze, 2021. "Students’ Innovation in Education for Sustainable Development—A Longitudinal Study on Interdisciplinary vs. Monodisciplinary Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, January.
    8. Janna Niens & Lisa Richter-Beuschel & Tobias C. Stubbe & Susanne Bögeholz, 2021. "Procedural Knowledge of Primary School Teachers in Madagascar for Teaching and Learning towards Land-Use- and Health-Related Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-36, August.
    9. Regina Veckalne & Tatjana Tambovceva, 2022. "The Role of Digital Transformation in Education in Promoting Sustainable Development," Virtual Economics, The London Academy of Science and Business, vol. 5(4), pages 65-86, December.
    10. Yi-Chen Lai & Li-Hsun Peng, 2019. "Effective Teaching and Activities of Excellent Teachers for the Sustainable Development of Higher Design Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    11. Silvia Albareda-Tiana & Salvador Vidal-Raméntol & Maria Pujol-Valls & Mónica Fernández-Morilla, 2018. "Holistic Approaches to Develop Sustainability and Research Competencies in Pre-Service Teacher Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    12. Nina Kolleck & Helge Jörgens & Mareike Well, 2017. "Levels of Governance in Policy Innovation Cycles in Community Education: The Cases of Education for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-16, October.
    13. Ying Dai & Shyh-Huei Hwang, 2019. "Technique, Creativity, and Sustainability of Bamboo Craft Courses: Teaching Educational Practices for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-21, April.
    14. Carmen Solís-Espallargas & Hortensia Morón-Monge, 2020. "How to Improve Sustainability Competences of Teacher Training? Inquiring the Prior Knowledge on Climate Change in Primary School Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-17, August.
    15. M. Teresa Fuertes-Camacho & Mariona Graell-Martín & Mariana Fuentes-Loss & M. Carmen Balaguer-Fàbregas, 2019. "Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education Curricula through the Project Method, a Global Learning Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-25, February.
    16. M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández & Juan José Maldonado-Briegas, 2019. "Sustainable Entrepreneurial Culture Programs Promoting Social Responsibility: A European Regional Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-19, July.
    17. Issa Ibrahim Berchin & Ana Regina de Aguiar Dutra & José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra, 2021. "How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(6), pages 1204-1222, November.
    18. Gemma Tejedor & Jordi Segalàs & Ángela Barrón & Mónica Fernández-Morilla & M. Teresa Fuertes & Jorge Ruiz-Morales & Ibón Gutiérrez & Esther García-González & Pilar Aramburuzabala & Àngels Hernández, 2019. "Didactic Strategies to Promote Competencies in Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-24, April.
    19. Ismaila R. Abubakar & Faez S. Al-Shihri & Sayed M. Ahmed, 2016. "Students’ Assessment of Campus Sustainability at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    20. Primiano Di Nauta & Enrica Iannuzzi & Michele Milone & Claudio Nigro, 2020. "The Impact of the Sustainability Principles on the Strategic Planning and Reporting of Universities. An Exploratory Study on a Qualified Italian Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:8:p:3344-:d:347986. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.