Mapping the Path to Sustainability: Core Pillars for Transforming Primary and Secondary Educational Institutions

In recent years, education has played a significant role in achieving sustainability goals. Education for Sustainability (EfS) requires transforming schools into sustainable organizations by adopting holistic approaches that permeate every aspect of school life. The Sustainable School (SSch) model, an innovative educational program, emerged in Australia in 2003, aiming to achieve the goals of EfS. While this model promises substantial economic, environmental, educational, and social benefits, its comprehensive implementation remains a significant challenge. Addressing this gap, the primary objective of this paper is to identify and analyze the fundamental pillars necessary for forming an SSch, as well as to describe their specific characteristics. A systematic literature review was conducted in the Scopus database, using “Sustainable Schools” as the keyword, which retrieved 389 articles. This was followed by bibliometric analysis and content analysis. The bibliometric analysis highlighted the most influential documents and authors in the field of SSchs, as well as the most prominent author keywords, leading to the identification of five distinct research clusters. The content analysis identified studies related to SSchs to determine their pillars. The findings are expected to contribute to understanding the progress made in this specific scientific area, serving as a fundamental tool and guide for future research and practice.