Teachers have their say: motivation, skills and opportunities to teach education for sustainable development and global citizenship

Published on February 4, 2022

This report examines how ready teachers are across the globe to meet the promise of Sustainable Development Goal 4 on Education and Target 4.7, which calls on countries ‘to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. This global survey of 58,000 teachers, conducted by UNESCO and Education International, shows that while many teachers are motivated, a quarter still do not feel ready to teach themes related to education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED). Governments, education policy-makers, academics, educators and teacher trainers need to work together to meet this need, and support teachers to address important global challenges in the classroom.

Intensified global warming, increased natural disasters linked to climate change, massive loss of biodiversity and widespread pollution are all signs the Earth urgently needs the sustainable solutions that can only come from knowledge and action. We continue to live beyond our ecological means in ways that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, further entrenching persistent inequalities. In the face of such challenges, there is a pressing need to prepare learners – of all ages – to engage in the world as responsible and concerned citizens contributing to the search for viable and sustainable solutions.

Education must be a path for personal transformation, which can lead to the societal changes needed for us to address global problems and create a more sustainable, peaceful and just world for all. Teachers stand at the forefront of localized change, introducing students to the knowledge, skills, values and abilities to act sustainably, live together peacefully and build a more just society.

This report builds on a global survey of 58,000 teachers and shows that teachers feel least confident to teach sustainable consumption and production, vital for the necessary transformation of behaviour needed to start living within our ecological limits. And fewer than 40% of teachers surveyed are confident in teaching about the severity of climate change even though 95% of teachers believe that it is important or very important to teach.

This report thus identifies challenges faced by teachers in teaching education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED), both of which are central to sustainable consumption. It supports decision-makers to take informed actions to create enabling environments for the teaching of ESD and GCED and promote sustainable consumption.