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Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 11054

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Dr. Álvaro-Francisco Morote

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Department of Experimental and Social Sciences Education, University of Valencia, 46010 València, Spain
Interests: geospatial education; climate change learning; natural hazards education; teacher education; AI-assisted learning; geospatial technologies in education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, the world is experiencing global changes and the effects are being felt across the social, economic, political, and sustainability fields. Climate change, natural hazards, social inequalities, immigration, refugees, and the spread of diseases (COVID-19, etc.) are just a few examples of sustainability issues, and these issues should be dealt with across all stages of education (including university). At present, various problems persist, and these can be linked to the so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for example, “clean water and sanitation” (Goal n.5), “affordable and clean energy” (Goal n.6), “sustainable cities and communities” (Goal n.11), “responsible production and consumption” (Goal n.12), “climate action” (Goal n.13), or “life of terrestrial ecosystems” (Goal n.15).

Teaching about the complexity of today's world is important due to the relationships between human beings and nature; the organization of territories; the mobility of people; accelerated cultural changes; the emergence of new risks; and the training of citizens capable of making environmentally friendly decisions.

This Special Issue answers the following research questions using theoretical and empirical studies:

What are the purposes of sustainability teaching today?
What place do sustainability thought formation and environmental and social problems have in learning/teaching?
How can we teach socio-environmental complexity in a world that seeks immediate solutions?

Dr. Álvaro Francisco Morote
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable development goals (SDGs)
climate change and natural hazards
water resources and landscape
end-purposes of sustainability teaching
relevant social problems
education for democratic citizenship

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

33 pages, 34727 KB

Open AccessArticle

Treatment of Planetary Climate Regulation in Spanish Secondary Education and Bachillerato School Textbooks

by Carmen Brenes-Cuevas, María Armario and Natalia Jiménez-Tenorio

Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 4146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18084146 - 21 Apr 2026

Viewed by 653

Abstract

This exploratory study examines how planetary climate regulation is addressed in 39 Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato textbooks used in Spain, focusing on three key regulating factors, global ocean circulation, atmospheric circulation, and the greenhouse effect, and their integration into a coherent, interrelated model. Textbooks from Biology and Geology, Physics and Chemistry, Scientific Culture, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, published by three anonymised Spanish publishers, were analysed using two complementary instruments—a global presence grid and an analytical grid—examining explanation type, presentation format, didactic resources, and activities associated with each submodel. The results reveal a fragmented and largely disconnected treatment of the three factors across educational stages, with limited explicit articulation of their interrelationships. This fragmentation restricts students’ ability to understand the functioning of each factor, recognise their systemic interdependencies, and appreciate the role of human activity in climate regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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21 pages, 632 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Qualitative Case Study of Socio-Scientific Reasoning in the En-ROADS Climate Simulation

by Shuvra Rahman, Gillian Roehrig and Heba EL-Deghaidy

Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 3873; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083873 - 14 Apr 2026

Viewed by 1093

Abstract

Addressing climate change requires an understanding not only of science concepts but also the social, economic, and political factors that influence decision making. Thus, this study investigated the development of socio-scientific reasoning related to climate change action. This case study explored the six dimensions of socio-scientific reasoning (complexity, perspective-taking, inquiry, skepticism, affordance of science, and multiple perspective-taking) of twenty undergraduate students as they engaged with decision making about climate action. Data were collected from classroom worksheets reflecting small group decision making and individual student reflections. Data were analyzed using a rubric that categorized the level of students’ socio-scientific reasoning across the six dimensions. These categorizations were further supported by qualitative interpretation of students’ responses. The findings indicate strong performance in complexity and perspective-taking, while inquiry, skepticism, and the affordance of science were less consistently demonstrated. The study contributes to understanding how simulation-based learning can support the development of SSR and highlights the importance of structured pedagogical design in fostering higher order reasoning in climate education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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25 pages, 1022 KB

Open AccessArticle

Strategic Competence in Sustainability Education: Conceptual Patterns Identified Through AI-Assisted Qualitative Analysis

by Cathérine Conradty and Franz Xaver Bogner

Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3643; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073643 - 7 Apr 2026

Viewed by 584

Abstract

This study investigates how participants conceptualise sustainability and sustainability citizenship, as well as how these conceptualisations relate to perceived agency. Drawing on two open-ended prompts, it analyses participants’ visions of a sustainable future and the roles they would like to play within it. The dataset was based on 1714 coded response segments from 164 participants. Methodologically, the study combines qualitative content analysis, independent human-AI double coding, manual validation, inter-rater reliability assessment, and residual-based co-occurrence analysis within a qualitatively grounded mixed-methods design. The results show that sustainability is predominantly framed in civic, symbolic, and ecological terms, whereas strategic competence and professionally articulated agency remain less visible. Sustainability meanings and role conceptions also vary systematically across disciplinary contexts. In addition, the analyses reveal patterned gaps between participants’ future visions and their self-attributed roles in sustainability transformations. The study contributes empirical insights into sustainability meaning-making and perceived agency and shows how LLM-assisted coding can be embedded in a transparent mixed-methods workflow. For sustainability education, the findings underline the importance of strengthening strategic and systemic dimensions of competence and linking civic engagement more closely to professional pathways of action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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28 pages, 6524 KB

Open AccessArticle

Transfer in Teacher Training: Integrating Socio-Environmental Issues Through an Educational Trail

by Gema Sánchez-Emeterio, Cristina Honrubia Montesinos, Alberto Gómez Pozos and David Sanchez-Ramos

Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8098; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188098 - 9 Sep 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1527

Abstract

Education through geotourism plays a key role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. This study presents the results of a service-learning project in which a pre-service teacher, conducted under the academic supervision of university faculty members within the framework of a Bachelor’s thesis course, collaborated with public entities to design and implement an educational trail, establishing strategic partnerships to promote Sustainable Development Goals outcomes. The objective of this article is to present the outcomes of the implemented service-learning methodology project: on one hand, the creation of the trail; on the other, the analysis of the perceptions of the stakeholders involved in its development. To assess stakeholder perceptions, a qualitative approach was applied through focus groups. As a result, an accessible educational trail was successfully created. Moreover, the results evidence a consensus among participants regarding the value of the trail as an educational, touristic, and environmental infrastructure. Consequently, teacher training is reinforced as a platform for sustainability-driven action, enabling the creation of partnerships that facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the experience and methodologies developed through this project demonstrate potential for replication in other educational and social contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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19 pages, 13079 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Crisis from Children’s Perspective: Lessons Learned and Their Importance in Shaking Up Social Awareness

by Inmaculada C. Jiménez-Navarro, Catia Prandi, José Giner Pérez de Lucía, José M. Cecilia and Javier Senent-Aparicio

Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 10824; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162410824 - 10 Dec 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1955

Abstract

The Mar Menor (Murcia, Spain) has faced a eutrophication crisis in recent decades, significantly affecting local residents, including children. Considering the importance of involving children in scientific activities and the potential societal benefits of working with them, we conducted two environmental citizen science activities with students from the Los Nietos school. The study aimed to evaluate their knowledge about the Mar Menor crisis, understand their opinions and experiences, and assess the broader social impact of these activities. The children first created drawings related to the Mar Menor during a visit to Los Nietos beach, followed by a survey completed weeks later. Analysis of the drawings and survey responses revealed that while children may not fully grasp the causes of the ecological catastrophe, they are aware of its existence and maintain a hopeful perspective on the lagoon’s future. Additionally, a social network analysis of texts referencing children highlighted the societal reach of their actions and voices regarding the Mar Menor crisis. Our findings demonstrate that citizen science activities not only engage and educate children but also position them as influential communicators within their communities. This underscores the potential of such initiatives to amplify environmental awareness and drive social change by empowering younger generations as advocates for ecological sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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15 pages, 1161 KB

Open AccessArticle

Preventing through Sustainability Education: Training and the Perception of Floods among School Children

by Álvaro-Francisco Morote and Jorge Olcina

Sustainability 2024, 16(11), 4678; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114678 - 30 May 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3941

Abstract

The global warming process is altering the atmospheric dynamics at mid-latitudes, fostering an increase in the frequency of extreme events. Of these events, floods are those that cause the greatest loss of human life and economic damage in Spain. Education is a key element in preventing these hazards. The objective of this study is to analyze the training, knowledge, and perception that school children (Primary and Secondary education, Baccalaureate) in the Region of Valencia (Spain) have of floods. The research was based on a questionnaire that was administered in different schools and in which 926 students participated. The main results show that only 36.1% have received training in these phenomena, and more than half (54.2%) do not know whether floods are explained in the textbooks. With respect to the perception of these risks, half of the respondents indicate that climate change is increasing the damage caused by floods, and 57.6% believe that it will accelerate them in the future. The study advances the knowledge necessary to establish learning contents and guidelines at the basic levels of education on natural hazards and disaster prevention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Teaching in the Face of the Global Challenges of the 21st Century)

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