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Differences in Teachers’ Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development: The Importance of Teacher Co-Learning

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  • Maria Magdalena Isac

    (Center for Political Science Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Italian Institute for the Evaluation of the Education System (INVALSI), 00153 Rome, Italy)

  • Wanda Sass

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Jelle Boeve-de Pauw

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Sven De Maeyer

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Wouter Schelfhout

    (Research Unit Didactica, Antwerp School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Peter Van Petegem

    (Research Unit Edubron, Department of Training and Education Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Ellen Claes

    (Center for Political Science Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

Abstract

This study builds on a research-practitioner partnership embedded within an education for sustainable development (ESD) project and aims to explore the major potential challenges (i.e., disciplinary boundaries set by subject specialization, especially in secondary education) and success factors (i.e., teacher co-learning experiences in ESD) associated with differences in teachers’ professional action competence (PACesd) in a sample of 557 in-service teachers in primary and secondary schools in Flanders, Belgium. The study employed a recently validated PACesd measurement instrument and involved quantitative data analysis in a structural equation modelling framework. The results show that primary education teachers tend to report higher PACesd levels compared to their peers in secondary education. Moreover, regardless of educational level, gender and teaching experience, all teachers participating in a working group or a learning community in ESD are more likely to show higher levels of PACesd. Implications of the findings, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Magdalena Isac & Wanda Sass & Jelle Boeve-de Pauw & Sven De Maeyer & Wouter Schelfhout & Peter Van Petegem & Ellen Claes, 2022. "Differences in Teachers’ Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development: The Importance of Teacher Co-Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-17, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:2:p:767-:d:722067
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Neil Taylor & Frances Quinn & Kathy Jenkins & Helen Miller-Brown & Nadya Rizk & Theodosia Prodromou & Penelope Serow & Subhashni Taylor, 2019. "Education for Sustainability in the Secondary Sector—A Review," Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, , vol. 13(1), pages 102-122, March.
    2. Franziska Bertschy & Christine Künzli & Meret Lehmann, 2013. "Teachers’ Competencies for the Implementation of Educational Offers in the Field of Education for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(12), pages 1-14, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tuba Stouthart & Dury Bayram & Jan van der Veen, 2023. "Capturing Pedagogical Design Capacity of STEM Teacher Candidates: Education for Sustainable Development through Socioscientific Issues," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-26, July.

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