High-quality teacher education is essential to equip young people to live in a “climate-altered future”, a new report states.
An overhaul of CPD for teachers of all subjects is needed worldwide, one that is focused on climate change and sustainability, advises the report.
Researchers from the University of Stirling and University College London call for governments, international non-governmental organisations, academics and teachers’ professional associations to prioritise the education of teachers.
Only then will young people experience effective school-based climate change and sustainability education, they say.
The report for the British Council, Global priorities for enhancing school-based climate change and sustainability education, finds that, while climate change and sustainability education features in half of national policy documents globally, this is often superficial, fragmented and focused on science and geography curricula.
“Research-informed and culturally and contextually sensitive teacher professional development is a fundamental priority,” it states.
Teachers of all subjects and all ages should have access to climate change and sustainability focused CPD during initial teacher education and throughout their career, say the researchers.
Teacher CPD should equip teachers to draw on their subject expertise to incorporate climate change and sustainability into teaching. They should have the support of school leaders to engage with ongoing CPD and they should be recognised as a priority by the school inspectorate and policymakers, the researchers also say.
Their report recommends that teacher CPD is flexible and offered in a variety of formats, including online and in-person workshops, and provides access to free resources and opportunities to engage with other teachers.
Sustainability education
Lizzie Rushton, head of the education division at the University of Stirling and lead author of the report, said: “The vital role of education in responding to the challenges of climate change and the need to live sustainable lives is clear.”
Professor Rushton - who was until recently research director of UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education - added: “If climate change and sustainability education is to be effective and transformative, a global effort is required to ensure that all young people have access to education which equips them to live hopefully with a climate-altered future.”
Maddalaine Ansell, education director at the British Council, said: “We have a pivotal role working with teachers, young people, school communities and a diverse range of partners worldwide to implement effective and transformative climate change and sustainability education.
“The research underlines the need for teachers to belong to communities of practice throughout their careers which support their engagement with climate change and sustainability education.”
