Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities

Tinilau, Soseala S.; Hemstock, Sarah L.; Mercer, Theresa G.; Hannaford, Matthew; Kythreotis, Andrew P.

doi:10.3390/su17094119

Open AccessCommentary

Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities

by

Soseala S. Tinilau

^1,*

,

Sarah L. Hemstock

²

,

Theresa G. Mercer

³

,

Matthew Hannaford

⁴ and

Andrew P. Kythreotis

¹

Department of Geography, University of Lincoln—Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK

²

Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice, University of Lincoln Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK

³

Cranfield Environment Centre, Cranfield University, College Rd, Wharley End, Bedford MK43 0AL, UK

⁴

School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094119

Submission received: 11 November 2024 / Revised: 14 April 2025 / Accepted: 29 April 2025 / Published: 2 May 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Education and Sustainable Development: Practice and Challenges)

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Abstract

This commentary is the second in a two-part series on Environmental Stewardship Education (ESE) in Tuvalu. While Part 1 examined the alignment between education and environmental policies, this follow-up focuses on how those policies are—or are not—translated into formal curriculum and classroom practice. Drawing on both academic research and professional experience in government, this article explores the gap in curriculum design, student engagement, and teaching strategies. It argues for the early integration of ESE in primary education, greater inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge, and participatory teaching approaches. These insights are grounded in Tuvalu’s context but offer valuable lessons for other small island developing states striving to align sustainability policy with educational delivery.

Keywords: environmental stewardship; education policy; curriculum integration; climate resilience; Tuvalu; small island developing states; traditional ecological knowledge

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tinilau, S.S.; Hemstock, S.L.; Mercer, T.G.; Hannaford, M.; Kythreotis, A.P. Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities. Sustainability 2025, 17, 4119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094119

AMA Style

Tinilau SS, Hemstock SL, Mercer TG, Hannaford M, Kythreotis AP. Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities. Sustainability. 2025; 17(9):4119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094119

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tinilau, Soseala S., Sarah L. Hemstock, Theresa G. Mercer, Matthew Hannaford, and Andrew P. Kythreotis. 2025. "Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities" Sustainability 17, no. 9: 4119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094119

APA Style

Tinilau, S. S., Hemstock, S. L., Mercer, T. G., Hannaford, M., & Kythreotis, A. P. (2025). Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities. Sustainability, 17(9), 4119. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094119

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Environmental Stewardship Education in Tuvalu Part 2: Insights into Curriculum Integration and Classroom Realities

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