Teachers at the Forefront of SDGs: Awareness and Instructional Readiness of Secondary School Teachers in Ibadan Metropolis

Authors

  • S.O. Babalola Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Adeniyi Michael Adeduyigbe Science and Education Technology, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58249/sjse.v6i01.191

Keywords:

Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals, Teachers’ Awareness of SDGs, Teachers’ readiness to teach SDGs

Abstract

Sustainable development education has gained global prominence, yet there is limited empirical research on teachers’ awareness and readiness in the Nigerian secondary school context. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the extent to which secondary school teachers in Ibadan Metropolis are aware of and prepared to teach sustainable development concepts. A descriptive survey design was employed using the Teachers’ Sustainable Development Awareness and Readiness Questionnaire (TSDARQ). Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were applied to select 300 practising teachers across public and private schools. Findings revealed high levels of awareness (M = 3.40, SD = 0.68) and readiness (M = 3.54, SD = 0.59), both exceeding the benchmark threshold of 2.50. However, systemic support and instructional resources remain insufficient to fully enable classroom integration. These findings provide initial empirical evidence from an under-researched Nigerian context and underscore the need for sustained professional development, provision of adequate instructional resources, and policy alignment. It is recommended that continuous training, curriculum integration, and adequate instructional resources be prioritised to empower teachers as effective drivers of sustainability education.

References

Agbedahin, A. V. (2019). Sustainable development, EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, and the 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Emergence, efficacy, eminence, and future. Sustainable Development, 27(4), 669–680. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1931

Alabi, H. I., & Sulaiman, M. M. (2019). SENIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS’AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 12(1).https://jci-ilorin.org.ng/index.php/jci/article/view/80

Alkaher, I., & Carmi, N. (2019). Is population growth an environmental problem? Teachersí perceptions and attitudes towards including it in their teaching. Sustainability, 11(7), 1994. https://doi.org/doi:10.3390/su11071994

Alkahtani, K.D.F. (2022). Professional Development: Improving Teachers’ Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Related to Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. J. Emot. Behav. Disord., 32, 14–23 https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266221130049

Aydın, S., & Keleş, P. U. (2021). Teachers Candidates’ Awareness of Sustainable Development. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(S1-May), 221–227. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v9iS1-May.4015

Bell, D. V. J. (2017). Introduction to Sustainable Development.

Browning, M., & Rigolon, A. (2019). School green space and its impact on academic performance: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 429. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030429

Buchanan, L. B., & Crawford, E. O. (2015). Teaching for sustainability in a social studies methods course: Opportunities and challenges. Social Studies Research and Practice, 10(2), 135ñ158. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-02-2015-B0012

Fan, M.; Leung, L.P.; Hon, S.; Fan, K.L. (2019). Readiness of Hong Kong secondary school teachers for teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools: A questionnaire survey. Hong Kong J. Emerg. Med., 26 (3) 174–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1024907918797532

Goller, A., & Rieckmann, M. (2022). What do we know about teacher educators’ perceptions of education for sustainable development? A systematic literature review. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 24(1), 19-34.

Gough, S., & Scott, W. (2003). Sustainable development and learning: Framing the issues. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203464625

Ikudayisi, A. E., & Taiwo, A. A. (2022). Accessibility and inclusive use of public spaces within the city-centre of Ibadan, Nigeria. Journal of Place Management and Development, 15(3), 316-335. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMD-08-2020-0077

Kabadayi, A. (2016). A suggested in-service training model based on Turkish preschool teachersí conceptions for sustainable development. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 18(1), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.1515/jtes-2016-0001

Malik, M. S. K., Qi, Z., Iqbal, M., Zamir, S., & Malik, B. F. (2022). Education for sustainable development: Secondary school teacher's awareness and perception of integration. Sustainable Development, 31(3), 1515-1525. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2463

Manasia, L., Ianos, M. G., & Chicioreanu, T. D. (2019). Pre-Service Teacher Preparedness for Fostering Education for Sustainable Development: An Empirical Analysis of Central Dimensions of Teaching Readiness. Sustainability, 12(1), 166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010166

Mensah, J., & Enu-Kwesi, F. (2018). Implication of environmental sanitation management in the catchment area of Benya Lagoon, Ghana. Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences, 16 (1) 23-43 https://doi.org/10.1080/1943815x.2018.1554591

Mensah, J. (2019). Sustainable development: Meaning, history, principles, pillars, and implications for human action: Literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), 1653531. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1653531

Mohamed, Z., Valcke, M., & De Wever, B. (2017). Are they ready to teach? Student teachers’ readiness for the job with reference to teacher competence frameworks. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(2), 151–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2016.1257509

Muthersbaugh, D., & Kern, A. (2012). Pre-service teachers use of images in integrating environmental sustainability lessons. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 14 (1) 67-79. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10099-012-0006-8

Nation, M. T., & Feldman, A. (2021). Environmental education in the secondary science classroom: How teachersí beliefs influence their instruction of climate change. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 32(5), 481-499. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2020.1854968

Ogunyemi, B., Ifegbesan, A., Benedict, H. T., Ogunsanya, A. O., Iyunade, O. T., Olubela, A., Itasanmi, B., & Edewor, K. (2022). Knowledge, Perceptions and Readiness of Nigeria’s Beginning Teachers for Sustainability Education. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 24(2), 180–194. https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2022-0024

Omisore, A. G., Babarinde, G. M., Bakare, D. P., & Asekun-Olarinmoye, E. O. (2017). Awareness and knowledge of the sustainable development goals in a University Community in Southwestern Nigeria. Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences, 27(6), 669. https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhs.v27i6.12

Oyeranmi, S. (2023). Environmental management and sustainable development of cities: a case study of Ibadan, Nigeria. Ethics International Press. https://books.google.com.ng/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VRflEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR8&dq=ibadan+is+an+educational+hub+and+a+city+grappling+with+rapid+urbanisation,+environmental+challenges,+and+social+inequalities,&ots=-CER-odeKS&sig=ot-37EupcI3xrMIpzbAXeM3D2q4&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Öztürk Demirbaş, Çağrı. (2015). “Sustainable Development Awareness Levels of Teachers Pre-Service.” Marmara Coğrafya Dergisi, no. 31, pp. 300-316. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12513/2024

Park, M.H.; Dimitrov, D.M.; Patterson, L.G.; Park, D.Y. (2017). Early childhood teachers beliefs about readiness for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. J. Early Child. Res., 15 (3) 275–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X15614040

Rodriguez, V., Lynneth Solis, S., Mascio, B., Kiely Gouley, K., Jennings, P. A., & Brotman, L. M. (2020). With Awareness Comes Competency: The Five Awarenesses of Teaching as a Framework for Understanding Teacher Social-Emotional Competency and Well-being. Early Education and Development, 31(7), 940–972. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1794496

Straková, Z. (2015). The perception of readiness for teaching profession: A case of pre-service trainees. J. Lang. Cult. Educ., 3(1) 32–42.

Sundh, S. (2020). Establishing Sustainable Teacher Education with Weekly School Practice: Identifying Teacher Students' Experiences of Didactic Dilemmas in the Swedish Primary School Classroom. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 22(1), 37-48.

Taylor, S. J. (2016). A review of sustainable development principles: Centre for environmental studies. South Africa: University of Pretoria.

Thomas, C. F. (2015). Naturalizing Sustainability Discourse: Paradigm, Practices and Pedagogy of Thoreau, Leopold, Carson and Wilson: Ph.D Thesis: Arizona State University

Tjarve, B., & Zemīte, I. (2016). The Role of Cultural Activities in Community Development. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 64(6) 2151–2160 https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201664062151

UNESCO. (2021). Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development. https://en.unseco.org/events/ESDfor2030

VARGHESE, T. (2024). NAVIGATING THE PATH OF PROGRES:" A COMPREHESIVE STUDY OF IBADAN'S DEVELOPMENTAL GROWTH AND LIVABILITY" (Doctoral dissertation, St. Teresa's College (Autonomous) Ernakulam). http://117.239.78.102:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4723/1/Teena%20Varghese-%20Project-1.pdf

Vukelić, N. (2022). Student Teachers’ Readiness to Implement Education for Sustainable Development. Education Sciences, 12(8), 505. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12080505

Yang, W., Chinedu, C. C., Chen, W., Saleem, A., Ogunniran, M. O., Ñacato Estrella, D. R., & Vaca Barahona, B. (2024). Building Capacity for Sustainability Education: An Analysis of Vocational Teachers’ Knowledge, Readiness, and Self-Efficacy. Sustainability, 16(9), 3535. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093535

Zhukova, O., Fjodorova, I., & Iliško, D. (2020). Novice Teachers’ Beliefs and Knowledge about Education for Sustainable Development. Acta Paedagogica Vilnensia, 44, 34–44. https://doi.org/10.15388/ActPaed.44.3

Downloads

Published

2026-06-04

Citation Check