Abstract Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is associated with a strong focus on the environment and climate change. Within the context of ESD studies, there is a growing line of research, which demonstrates that the issue of climate change forms an integral part of the ESD teaching and learning process. Accordingly, it is of critical importance to acquire a thorough and nuanced understanding of how pre-service teachers view the issue of climate change. In this light, the present article introduces a study that analyses how a group of Ukrainian pre-service teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) (hereinafter referred to as participants) views the issue of climate change. To that end, the participants were requested to write a reflective essay titled “My View on Climate Change before and during the War in Ukraine”. The discursive analysis of the participants’ essays focused on the following two aspects: (i) the participants’ descriptors of climate change manifested by adjectives and (ii) the participants’ emotional states associated with climate change. The results of the unpaired t-test indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the adjectives that described the participants’ views on climate change before the war in Ukraine and those of the ongoing war. It followed from the unpaired t-test that there was no statistically significant difference between the means of emotive lexica associated with climate change before and during the war. The findings and their implications to the fields of EFL and ESD, respectively, are further described in the article.
Global competence (GC) is a key prerequisite for achieving sustainability in contemporary societies, as it enables learners not only to understand global processes, cultural diversity, and values, but also to act responsibly at the local level. A central role within GC is played by its fourth dimension – action – which can be conceptualized as action competence (AC). AC enables the practical enactment of knowledge, values, and attitudes in support of sustainable development. In teacher education, AC is particularly crucial, as teachers shape learners’ motivation, sense of responsibility, and ability to transform global challenges into meaningful local action. The paper presents an in-depth comparative analysis of teacher education programs at three universities – Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy (Lithuania), Daugavpils University (Latvia), and Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce (Poland). The study explores how each national system conceptualizes the action dimension of global competence as action competence, and how it is embedded within multicultural education, reflective practice, and education for sustainability. The analysis aims to identify similarities, divergences, and underlying pedagogical philosophies shaping teacher preparation in three Baltic Sea region countries. The findings indicate that all three programs acknowledge action as an essential component of global competence, yet they operationalize it in distinct ways. In Latvia, action is institutionalized through structured processes of planning, management, and evaluation. In Lithuania, action is framed as an iterative cycle of implementation, reflection, and improvement, closely linked to the formation of professional identity. In Poland, action is primarily understood as socially and ethically grounded civic engagement, emphasizing diagnosis, prevention, and responsibility for collective well-being. The study concludes that strengthening action competence in teacher education is necessary to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and sustainable, value-based action in educational practice.
The Global North can be described as postdigital societies where digital infrastructure and applications such as social media or so-called artificial intelligence are ubiquitous. Schools are obviously part of the postdigital society, and there is a call for teachers to use digital tools to engage and facilitate learning for pupils. However, from a sustainability perspective, the digital society also has significant adverse effects, including water and energy consumption and social polarization. Thus, teachers need to be aware of both positive and negative aspects of digital tools. This action research study reflects on an instructional design intended to support Norwegian student teachers in analyzing digital tools with respect to sustainability. Although it has been challenging to create awareness of the tools in a holistic conception of sustainability, the project provides a starting point for reflections on how the positioning of knowledge and pupils connects with perspectives on sustainability.
Teacher education plays a crucial role in preparing teachers to teach about climate change and its impacts on nature and society. This study analyzes the pre-service teacher education curricula at the Mongolian National University of Education (MNUE) to determine the current state of integrating climate change education (CCE) into teacher education in Mongolia. This study aims to identify CCE current practices, gaps, and challenges. Terms related to climate change and/or climate change education have been extracted from the learning objectives of the SDG 13 “Climate Action” according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the extent of their occurrence in the syllabi of all courses offered by the MNUE’s undergraduate schools has been analyzed. The analysis has revealed that the terms only appeared in 24 courses, mostly professional education courses, and CCE is not emphasized in the curricula. According to the findings, CCE is found in only two course syllabi, and the extracted terms have not been directly incorporated into any of the five sections of those syllabi. However, the study has identified some good practices that can be built upon to enhance the integration of CCE into teacher education. The findings of the study provide a foundation for further research and development of strategies to mainstream CCE in the teacher education schedule.
The integration of Ukrainian refugees in the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) has become one of the key social challenges amidst the crisis caused by military actions in Ukraine. Digital educational technologies are increasingly significant, facilitating refugees’ social, economic, and linguistic integration into host countries. The digital transformation of educational processes contributes to the successful social integration of Ukrainian refugees in the Baltic states by helping to overcome language barriers, providing access to education, and supporting their psychological well-being. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of digital educational programs on the social integration of Ukrainian refugees in the Baltic countries, as well as to determine the extent of their influence on language competence, employment levels, and social activity. The study employs correlation and regression analysis methods to evaluate the relationship between participation in digital educational programs and key integration indicators. Additionally, a multivariate factor analysis has been applied to identify the comprehensive impact of social and educational factors on integration success. The results show that participation in digital educational programs significantly influences language proficiency (a correlation coefficient of 0.75), contributes to higher employment rates (0.68), and has a moderate impact on social activity (0.52). However, digital inequality among refugees has been identified, creating additional barriers to integration. Digital educational technologies play a crucial role in the integration of Ukrainian refugees, particularly in overcoming language barriers and increasing employment opportunities. For successful integration, it is necessary to develop programs aimed at improving digital skills and enhancing social activity, as well as strengthening cross-sector cooperation to create an inclusive environment.
This study explores how environmental agents in schools transform reflexive internal conversations into external communication oriented toward achieving shared understandings in climate change action. This conceptual framework combines Margaret Archer’s modes of reflexivity (communicative, autonomous, meta-reflexive, and fractured) with Jürgen Habermas’s typology of communicative action (instrumental, communicative, and strategic). The reflexivity layer assesses how agents think and act, while the communicative action layer assesses the importance of knowledge and the direction of action. Using a critical ethnographic approach, this study uncovers hidden realities through offline and online conversations between environmental agents during school climate action. The results reveal teacher-student interactions that can be empowering and limiting, shifting between dominance, interdependence, connectedness, and disconnection. These conditions are influenced by the extent to which opportunities for reflective monitoring are provided through dialogue, discussion, and deliberation. Key findings reveal that silent communication connects internal reflection with external dialogue as a bridge between personal agency and collective action. This study highlights the pedagogical implications of integrating communicative action with reflexivity in strengthening Education for Sustainable Development through climate change action in schools.
Teacher education holds the potential for a cultural, holistic sustainability change of the society. The sustainability reform in higher education is commonly pursued through sustainability competency frameworks. Sustainability competencies are often assessed with quantitative approaches in research literature. This research, as a part of a designbased research project, is crucial in filling the gap in the qualitative understanding of primary school student teachers’ sustainability competencies. The data, consisting of primary school student teachers’ open-ended self-assessments of five key sustainability competencies, were analyzed using a combination of inductive and deductive qualitative content analysis. The research suggests that in systems thinking, students’ ability to see the “bigger picture” varied or was unapparent. For strategic thinking, students identified impactful actions, but also felt inadequate in their actions. In collaboration competency, students struggled with emotions and knowledge-based justification during communication. Futures thinking competency revealed pessimistic, realistic, or positive outlooks, often marked by mistrust toward other people. In values thinking competency, students struggled to communicate their values to others. This study is significant as it provides a deeper understanding of primary school student teachers’ perceptions of their sustainability competencies, which can inform the development of an effective pedagogy that promotes sustainability competencies.
Teacher sustainability is primarily about educators, who seek to create an inclusive, collaborative and learning community. Thus, in this study, we aim to investigate the expression of teacher sustainability in the three Baltic countries (Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia). Based on the data from TALIS 2018 – the Teaching and Learning International Survey – we have analyzed three elements of teacher sustainability: (1) the moral goal of teachers’ work with all students, regardless of their level of achievement, cultural background, special needs, or other; (2) capacity building through networks and (3) deep learning of teachers. The research results show that the three countries are implementing a moral goal that seeks to educate children with various clearly expressed individual needs. Discussing the aspect of capacity building through networks, it becomes evident that Lithuanian teachers are less engaged in cooperation than their Latvian and Estonian colleagues. It has also been established that in all the three countries, long-term and active learning is most typical of Estonian teachers, which is likely to be the basis for deep learning.
The authors of the article have intended to examine the situation that has developed around the future of education and has begun to affect people with various unexpected turns and uncertainties in their daily lives. Education affects everyone and has an impact on the future of all people. Therefore, researchers of participatory ideas have addressed the uncertainties and problems of recent years in various situations and, with the techniques of reflexive hermeneutics of their lived experience, propose taking into account the uncertainties of using current complicated and complex approaches in understanding the complex nature of pedagogy. This could help divert the current wicked problems away from the dominant use of complicated approaches and mitigate the impact of the Anthropocene, as well as prevent the potential collapse of education under the conditions of the Anthropocene.
The systematic literature review analyzes well-being monitoring through the lens of human-environment interaction to identify the criteria impacting well-being, data sources, and models used to characterize well-being processes. The study addresses two research questions: How are human-environment interactions related to well-being? What is the influence of the spatial dimension on well-being monitoring? Reviewing 73 relevant articles, the authors of the study have found that the dominant approach is anthropocentric, emphasizing ecosystems as services for human well-being, while holistic and ecocentric perspectives are underrepresented. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of quantitative and causal research, especially concerning the feedback loop from human well-being to environmental well-being. Studies are mainly focused on the national or regional level, neglecting the local scale, dynamic models, and the use of modern technologies like satellite imagery. These findings underscore the need to integrate systems thinking and environmental monitoring competencies into sustainability education to better prepare future generations to address complex human-environment challenges.
This study advocates integrating the One Health approach into biology teacher education to address the current fragmentation of human, animal, and environmental health teaching across disciplines such as medicine, veterinary science, and ecology. Recognizing gaps in teacher training, particularly in didactic strategies for holistic instruction, the study presents the design of an instructional activity within the expanding One Health toolbox for biology educators. Using mitosis as a gateway topic, the activity situates cellular processes within an ecotoxicology scenario of herbicide contamination in a freshwater lagoon. Through inquiry, modeling, and argumentation, pre-service teachers investigate environmental, animal, and human health interconnections while reflecting on strategies for classroom integration. This design aims to strengthen biology teacher competencies ( TeachComp ) and contribute to reorienting teacher education towards sustainability, fostering eco-social awareness and interdisciplinary thinking essential for addressing contemporary health and environmental crises.
In pursuit of educational sustainability and quality, the well-being of university students has become a critical area of focus, particularly as higher education institutions play a central role in shaping future professionals and socially resilient communities. The case study explores the well-being of university students within the context of ongoing global and societal challenges, including economic uncertainty and rapid social change. The study assesses key indicators of student well-being: subjective, psychological, and psychosocial well-being, as well as life satisfaction, emotional experiences, and flourishing using a validated methodology adapted from previous international research. Data have been collected from a sample of 130 Daugavpils University (Latvia) students in 2025 through standardized self-report instruments. Results indicate moderate to high levels of well-being overall, with notable variation across age groups. A general trend of increasing well-being with age has been observed, suggesting developmental factors in emotional and psychological resilience. Despite the presence of external stressors, students demonstrate more positive than negative evaluations of themselves and their lives. This case study underscores the need for higher education institutions to monitor student well-being, promote timely interventions, and prepare graduates to address contemporary challenges.
Teacher education is key for education in sustainability and sustainable development. In the Finnish education system, the subject of Craft, Design, and Technology (CDT) is considered an effective platform for teaching sustainability. The view of sustainability, from environmental, economic, and socio-cultural dimensions, has shifted to a more holistic perspective in which all dimensions are regarded as intertwined. This study combines theoretical aspects of sustainability and its inclusion in the subject of CDT. The aim is to investigate CDT student teachers’ meanings of sustainable development in their individual lives and their CDT teaching. The narratives of student teachers (N=47) in survey responses were analyzed to gain insight into their meanings. The analysis resulted in four descriptive subcategories, each reflecting different meanings shaping CDT student teachers’ sustainability thinking. In conclusion, a reflective tool for sustainability thinking in teacher education was created within this study.
The authors of the paper aim to highlight that visual literacy, accompanied by lexical pliancy, already at the stages of pre-school education, provides a basis for multimodal thinking, interdisciplinary synthesis, and cognitive flexibility, which are crucial for a child to advance personally and later professionally. The development of a child across cognitive, physical, and social-emotional dimensions of learning is encompassed by the framework of Education for Sustainable Development. The present article outlines the results of a one-year project, “Sustainable Model Design for Conceptual System and Lexical Framework Pliancy Analysis for Perceptual Data Processing of the Preschool Age Actors” (2024–2025), conducted by the Institute of Digital Humanities of the Faculty of Computer Science, Information Technology and Energy of Riga Technical University (RTU) and RTU Liepaja Academy. The research project explores the conceptual system and lexical framework pliancy for perceptual data processing exhibited by pre-school children (5 to 7 years old) to perceive their surrounding environment, comprehend the contextual framework, and communicate efficiently. Preschool children from three preschool educational institutions in three different counties of Latvia have been engaged in the experimental study conducted from March to April 2025. Storytelling with drawings has been used as a method of data collection. Five concepts – dream, future, freedom, homeland, and security – have been chosen for the experimental study. A total of 169 children’s drawings and corresponding narrative transcripts have been obtained. The current article continues the line of inquiry developed in a previous study, which introduced the conceptual framework and research methodology (see Ivanova et al., 2025). The analysis of children’s drawings reveals that even at a young age, they can operate on multiple conceptual levels. They can define concepts by examples or opposites, focus on self or society, and imagine immediate and distant futures, as well as imaginary worlds and fantasies. The findings of the research demonstrate that efficient cognitive development not only strengthens pre-school children’s capacity to recognize and interpret elements of their surrounding world but also creates the basis for more sophisticated information processing skills. The findings offer evidence-based insights that can guide policymakers, institutional leaders, and sector stakeholders in designing development agendas aligned with Education for Sustainable Development.
Understanding the interconnected facets of human experience, including emotional states, is essential for advancing sustainable education. However, human emotional functioning remains strongly influenced by anthropocentric, egocentric, and increasingly technocentric perspectives, which can limit students’ capacity for meaningful engagement in the study process. This study explores university students’ emotional states and their role in shaping sustainable academic engagement. A total of 407 undergraduate students from two Latvian universities studying in STEM participated in the research. The findings indicate that, on average, students experienced a moderate level of emotional strain. An analysis of gender differences in emotionally influenced academic behaviors revealed that emotional states had a stronger impact on academic engagement among female students than among male students. These results suggest that emotional distress consistently affects both the academic and social dimensions of student engagement. Furthermore, age showed no meaningful correlation with any emotional or academic variable, indicating that the emotional impact on learning is independent of students’ age. These findings highlight the importance of acknowledging and addressing students’ emotional states as a critical factor shaping sustainable engagement in higher education.
Encouraging sustainable consumption behavior requires more than just knowledge of environmental and social issues. This study investigates the relationships between knowledge of consumption impacts and sustainable behavior, focusing on the mediating role of sustainability awareness. Surveying 385 informed consumers, experienced in sustainability, structural equation modeling analysis was conducted. Results indicate interrelations between variables and highlight sustainability awareness as a mediator between environmental/social impact knowledge and sustainable behaviors. The findings underscore the necessity of awareness-raising initiatives to enhance understanding of the benefits of addressing environmental and social concerns. Ultimately, empirical evidence confirms that sustainability awareness drives sustainable consumption.
Abstract This study examines the psychological well-being of teachers as a key factor in promoting sustainable professional practice within the contemporary educational landscape. A quantitative research design was employed, using the Teachers’ Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (Renshaw, 2020) to collect data from a sample of 100 teachers. The research examined both overall levels of psychological well-being and differences based on socio-demographic indicators. The results indicate that Latvian teachers generally report high levels of selfefficacy and a strong sense of belonging to their schools. These findings suggest a favorable environment for the development of professional expertise and the promotion of deeper learning among students. Additionally, a trend was observed indicating that teachers with more extensive work and life experience, as well as those employed in regional and rural schools, tend to report slightly higher levels of psychological well-being. The study concludes that psychological wellbeing supports teacher resilience and professional performance. The findings affirm that sustainable professional practice is rooted in teachers’ personal sustainability, shaped by their values, lived experiences, and self-efficacy, thus reinforcing their long-term employability and adaptability in an ever-evolving educational system.
Abstract Job satisfaction plays a crucial role in employee motivation, performance, and retention across various professions, including academia. It is commonly defined as an individual’s overall sense of fulfillment and contentment derived from their work, shaped by both motivators and hygiene factors. The present study examines the motivational factors influencing job satisfaction among 16 EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) lecturers at a Vietnamese university through the lens of Herzberg et al.’s Two-Factor Theory. Using NVivo 15 for qualitative data analysis, this study systematically identifies key motivators and hygiene factors affecting EMI lecturers’ job satisfaction. The findings reveal that important drivers include students’ progress, recognition from colleagues and institutions, and opportunities for professional growth. These elements enhance lecturers’ commitment to teaching and their overall job satisfaction. Conversely, several hygiene factors negatively impact job satisfaction, including excessive workload, insufficient professional development training, mentoring and program assessment, low compensation, lack of collegial collaboration, and inadequate working conditions. This study highlights that while motivators foster engagement and teaching effectiveness, the presence of demotivating hygiene factors undermines lecturers’ long-term job satisfaction and retention. Consequently, the study underscores the need for universities, particularly in Vietnam and other non-native English-speaking countries of similar contexts, to foster a more supportive work environment by mitigating workload pressures, implementing well-designed professional development programs, aligning compensation with job demands, enhancing collegial collaboration, providing good working conditions. The findings offer some valuable implications for policymakers, institutional leaders, and EMI practitioners in sustaining and improving the quality of EMI programs.
Abstract This study investigates the integration of sustainability concepts, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), into Arabic-medium (Kindergarten-Grade 4) elementary school textbooks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A content analysis has been conducted in 33 textbooks systematically coded to identify and categorize sustainability-related learning content. The findings reveal uneven SDG integration across sustainability dimensions, which emphasizes the need for a more balanced approach to SDG integration and comprehensive teacher education programs that ensure effective and balanced sustainability education. This pioneering effort to examine the integration of SDGs into elementary education in the UAE proposes how teacher education can support such integration based on the findings by offering critical insights for curriculum developers, pre-service teachers, teachers, and policymakers to enhance curricula and align it more effectively with SDG targets.
