From Environmental Education to Education for Sustainable Development: Knowledge and Perceptions of Social Studies Teachers and Inspectors Toward This Transition

Abstract

    This article aims to examine the perceptions, knowledge, and engagement of Social Studies teachers and inspectors regarding the transition from Environmental Education to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), as well as to explore the dimensions of this emerging concept. The scope of the study was limited to teachers and inspectors, without including textbooks or official documents, given that the concept of Education for Sustainable Development does not explicitly appear in the curricula or official pedagogical documents of Social Studies.

    The research was guided by a central research question: What is the level of knowledge and engagement of Social Studies teachers and inspectors regarding this transition? And which of the three dimensions (environmental, economic, or social) predominates in their perceptions? From this central question, three sub-questions and three hypotheses were derived.

   The study drew on three previous studies, both Arab and international, to inform its theoretical and empirical frameworks. A descriptive-analytical approach was adopted, and the research instrument consisted of a questionnaire administered to 70 Social Studies teachers and 10 inspectors.

    The findings confirmed the first and second hypotheses while rejecting the third. The results also revealed a limited level of knowledge among teachers and inspectors regarding the concept of Education for Sustainable Development, with a clear dominance of the environmental dimension at both the knowledge and classroom practice levels, compared to the relatively weak presence of the economic and social dimensions. These findings highlight the need to strengthen professional training in this field.