Education for Sustainability in Pre-service Teacher Education: An Opportunity for Change

Abstract

This paper examines the perceived presence of education for sustainability in initial/pre-service teacher education programs at a regional Australian university. The findings of the study indicate that all dimensions of sustainability as specified by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (2005) are perceived to be incorporated into the initial/pre-service teacher education programs, however the coverage is uneven. This results in the identification of important gaps, which are discussed in relation to current national and state policy and curriculum documents, as well the accreditation requirements for initial/pre-service teacher education programs.