Sustainability and Climate Change Education in Teacher Education: a survey report

Lengthorn, Elena ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4816-1361, Vare, P., Baker, T., Bamber, P., Jowett, L., Kitson, A., Reed Johnson, J., Simcock, A., Wilson, S. and Wynne, J. (2025) Sustainability and Climate Change Education in Teacher Education: a survey report. Project Report. Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, London.

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Abstract

This research set out to provide a picture of current sustainability and climate change education (SCCE) provision within teacher education in the UK against which future priorities could be determined. Our principal research instrument was an online survey, which attracted 79 Responses from 47 institutions. We also gathered 19 case studies from specific institutions; these are presented in a special issue of the NAEE-UK Journal, Environmental Education (published January 2026).
Key findings of the survey are:
• Knowledge of the Department for Education’s SCCE Strategy is widespread but by no means comprehensive
• The vast majority of responding institutions implement some form of SCCE
• This provision is driven, above all, by committed staff and in many cases by institutional commitment
• SCCE is taught mostly through the Science and Geography curriculum although there are many cases of inter-disciplinary approaches
• The key challenge faced by many is a lack of time which can be translated as a lack of priority assigned to SCCE
• There is also a perceived lack of confidence or know-how in relation to SCCE within some institutions
• Professionals draw on a wide range of resources and frameworks with DfE SCCE Strategy being the most widely cited
• The lack of any clear direction on SCCE either in the ITEECF or the National Curriculum obstructs progress in this area at local, institutional and national level

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