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Integrating Education for Sustainability in Preservice Teacher Education: A Case Study From a Regional Australian University

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2014

Reece Mills  and
Louisa Tomas
Reece Mills
Affiliation:
North Lakes State College, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Louisa Tomas*
Affiliation:
James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Louisa Tomas, School of Education, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811, Australia. Email [email protected]
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Abstract

Education for Sustainability (EfS) has been prioritised in the School of Education at James Cook University (JCU), Townsville, Australia. This article presents a case study that explores the ways in which teacher educators integrate EfS in their teaching in the Bachelor of Education (BEd) (Primary) at JCU, and their perceptions of enablers and constraints. Two key findings arose from the analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with four subject coordinators, and their subject outlines: (1) teacher educators at JCU integrate EfS in different ways through their choice of assessment, content and/or pedagogy; and (2) constraints operating at the school level, namely teacher educators’ perceptions and understanding of EfS, were perceived to be salient challenges to the integration of EfS in the program. Vision, leadership and funding at the university level were also identified as enabling factors that warrant further investigation. Findings contribute to existing literature regarding the integration of EfS in preservice teacher education, and serve to inform practice at JCU and universities more broadly.

Keywords

education for sustainabilitypreservice teacher educationhigher educationcase studyAustralia
Type
Feature Articles
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , December 2013 , pp. 152 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2014 

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