Cultural Aspects of Sustainable Development in Teacher Education

Abstract

Education for sustainable development (ESD) cannot be realized without a teacher, who thinks systematically and critically, reflects cultural and sustainable values, is authentic, self-conscious, creative, self-confident, and communicative. The aim of this study is to analyze the cultural aspect of sustainable development (SD) in education and to interpret the opportunities and risks for successful development towards the sustainability in teacher education and through the findings to make connections to general education. To reach the goal, qualitative research was conducted. The data was obtained through interviews; teacher educators were asked to share their beliefs, expectations, and experiences about the incorporation of SD into teacher education. The data were proceeded by hermeneutic analysis of text. As a result of the analysis, various combinations of study content and methods related to the cultural aspects of SD in teacher education practice were generalized. The research results identified possibilities for the development of SD through cultural aspects in teacher education.