Towards a Theory-Based Framework for Assessing the Mainstreaming of Education for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Teacher Education Institutions in Botswana

Abstract

This article presents the development of a theory-based framework for exploring the ways in which different teacher education institutions in Botswana have worked towards the infusion of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the curriculum and the practice of pre-service teacher education. The framework combines a theory of change, a theory of education for sustainable human development and a theory of transformative learning. The objective of this paper is to understand how this theoretical framework can help the analysis and understanding of critical features of ESD pedagogy and projects. The research results obtained in the framework’s application highlight key elements enabling the successful implementation of ESD in two specific teacher education institutions, namely: the educators’ capacity to foster transformational pedagogies in the classroom, their capacity to strategically plan and implement their change projects, and the wider institutional and administrative context.