Understanding the student teacher, the teacher educator, and the context.
Date
2019-04-16
Authors
Mirriam Sampa, Moonga
Namafe, Charles
Mweemba, Liberty
Muchanga, Manoah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UNESCO
Abstract
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) empowers citizens to take informed decisions and responsible
actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society for both present and future generations. It
is holistic and transformational and addresses learning environment, contents and outcomes as well as pedagogy.
Teachers have a crucial role to play in integrating ESD in education and bringing about real and lasting change in
society. They help shape the worldview and attitude of learners and develop their potential and skills to tackle the
real-life challenges surrounding sustainable development.
Since the launch of the United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development in 2005, and the follow
up Global Action Programme (GAP), significant progress has been made in embedding ESD in global education
agendas, national policy and plans, and curricula. The Global Action Programme identified teacher education as
one of its five priority action areas. Despite this, many teachers are still not sufficiently empowered to translate the
concept of sustainability into practice.
In 2015, new focus was placed on the importance of teachers as part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) adopted by the international community. The Sustainable Development Goal 4, on inclusive and equitable
quality education, contains targets which aim to substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers with
emphasis on their training, recruitment, deployment, remuneration, motivation and management, and which
underline the importance of acquiring knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
To be effective in translating sustainability into educational content and pedagogical approaches, student and inservice teachers, and teacher educators themselves must be conversant with contemporary issues of sustainable
development.
The guidebook on Education for Sustainable Development for Educators: Effective teaching and learning in
teacher education institutions in Africa has been conceived as a tool to mainstream sustainability into all aspects
of teacher education and training with useful information concerning teaching, learning and assessment
approaches to help achieve the ESD goals and learning outcomes.
I hope you will find it useful in enhancing institutional capacity and transforming the culture of teacher education
institutions, which are key to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Education 2030
Agenda.
Description
Keywords
Teacher educators. , Educators.