Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change in Spanish Technology Disciplines’ Curricula: From LOMCE to LOMLOE

Abstract

Understanding the prevalence of climate change and sustainable development in the new curriculum of compulsory secondary education (ESO) and the baccalaureate is crucial for educational communities in Spain. However, there was a lack of studies that examined the integration of climate change and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as cross-cutting themes in the new education framework, particularly in the technology disciplines. This study aimed to address this gap by conducting a comparative analysis of the new legislative content (LOMLOE) and the previous legislation (LOMCE). The analysis quantified the presence of keywords related to climate change and sustainable development in both legal texts, focusing on the definition of objectives, level skills, evaluation criteria, and blocks of knowledge. Additionally, the study assessed the inclusion of SDGs and the ethical implications associated with the use and production of technologies at both education levels. The analysis of the curriculum content revealed a significant presence of references to climate change, sustainable development, and SDGs throughout the LOMLOE curriculum, particularly in the baccalaureate. Notably, education’s role in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development was explicitly recognized as an objective at this level. Regarding technology disciplines, LOMLOE placed considerable emphasis on fostering awareness of the environmental impact of technological development by introducing a new cross-level knowledge block named “Sustainable Technology”, spanning from ESO to the final courses of baccalaureate. This integration was further reinforced by evaluation criteria and specific skills that strongly aligned with sustainability principles, encouraging assessments centred around environmental awareness, ethical responsibilities, and sustainable entrepreneurship. Further studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of incorporating SDGs and climate change into technology disciplines following the implementation of LOMLOE, with the aim of identifying best practices for effectively combatting climate change and promoting sustainability in technology education.