Teachers conception of education for sustainable development: a case of secondary school teachers in Gweru peri and urban, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the teachers conceptualisation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This was an exploratory study whereby a questionnaire was administered to 80 teachers teaching different subjects in the secondary schools in Gweru peri and urban. The questionnaire was divided into three sections namely: demographic data, conceptualisation of sustainability challenges, methods and processes of ESD and ESD related capacity building received by the teachers. Questionnaire contained closed and open ended questions. Data from closed ended question was analysed quantitatively using descriptive statistics which included calculation of percentages, while content analysis was used to analyse data obtained by means of open ended questions. Results showed that the majority of teachers had a general knowledge of the sustainability challenges. It seemed, however that there is no clearinghouse to the teachers conception of these challenges, as shown by the ratings of issues which seemed to vary according to category and locality. Environmental sustainability challenges were rated higher than economic, social and political challenges in that order. Environmental challenges not common in Zimbabwe were also, rated lowly as compared to those locally experienced. Results also showed that although sustainability topics in the curriculum have increased to include social, political and economic related topics which span across different subjects rather than limited to science subjects, they are still taught as compartmentalised issues according to the subject domains This shows that the interdisciplinarity of ESD is not fully, implemented, conceptualised and practised because if it was implemented there would be a common teaching of the issues across the disciplines. Interpretation of the results also indicate that there is little and unsystematic effort put to equip teachers with ESD skills hence the paper suggests that deliberate effort at national level be done to in-service teachers otherwise ESD will continue to face marginalisation and compartmentalisation in the school curriculum.