Teacher Education for Sustainable Development in Pakistan: Content Analysis of Teacher Education Curriculum and Standards

Abstract

Teacher education is a key space in implementation of sustainability education. The current study aimed at investigating the status of education for sustainable development in teacher education of Pakistan. The study employed content analysis of the key teacher education documents developed during the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). The documents included in the study were: National Accreditation Standards for Teacher Education Programmes; National Professional Standards for Teachers; and B.Ed. (Honours) Curriculum. The content analysis indicated that education for sustainable development had been only partially addressed in the national documents on teacher education. Only 5% of content of the B.Ed. curriculum deals with sustainability. Similarly, National Professional Standards for Teachers and Standards for Teacher Education Programmes were found deficient in terms of their focus on sustainability education. The study findings indicate a dire need for mainstreaming of education for sustainable development in teacher education of Pakistan. The study indicates that although teacher education reform in Pakistan occurred during the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, it did not incorporate the elements of sustainability education. This raises questions about the implementation of international initiatives across all the countries.

Keywords: Education for Sustainable Development, Teacher Education, Curriculum, Status of ESD; Teaching Standards; Accreditation Standards of Teacher Education