Education for Sustainable Development Based on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Biology Education: Assessing Teachers' Readiness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15294/jpii.v14i3.22908Keywords:
biology teacher;, ESD, environmental education, TPACK, SDGAbstract
Teachers’ readiness to integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a pivotal role in preparing students to understand and practice sustainable living. This study examined the readiness of 232 in-service biology teachers in South Sumatra, comprising 142 novice teachers (with ≤10 years of experience) and 90 experienced teachers (with>10 years of experience). A descriptive-comparative quantitative design was employed, using two structured questionnaires to measure teachers’ perspectives on ESD and their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Findings revealed that teachers generally showed a strong commitment to ESD but only a moderate conceptual understanding. Within TPACK, attitudes were rated the highest, whereas technological and inquiry-based competencies were rated the lowest. Novice teachers scored higher than experienced teachers, while participation in environmental education training or prior teaching experience in related topics improved readiness. This study highlights the importance of continuous professional development in enhancing teachers’ technological and inquiry-oriented capacities. Strengthening these dimensions is crucial for effectively embedding ESD into biology teaching and science education more broadly. By addressing these gaps, the integration of ESD can move beyond awareness toward transformative learning that equips students with the skills and dispositions needed for sustainable futures.
References
Acosta Castellanos, P. M., & Queiruga-Dios, A. (2022). From environmental education to edu-cation for sustainable development in higher education: a systematic review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(3), 622–644.
Albion, P., Redmond, P., Gharineiat, Z., Feldman, J., Shelley, T., Helwig, A., & Burey, P. P. (2025). Teachers and sustainability education: exploring the views of Australian pre-service and inservice teachers. The Australian Educational Researcher.
Amemasor, S. K., Oppong, S. O., Ghansah, B., Benu-wa, B.-B., & Essel, D. D. (2025). A systematic review on the impact of teacher professional development on digital instructional integration and teaching practices. Frontiers in Education, 10.
Anwar, Y., Riyanti, S., & Dewi, S. P. (2024). TPACK profile of biology teachers in the industrial revo-lution 4.0 era. JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia), 10(3), 1020–1033.
Anwar, Y., Slamet, A., Anggraini, N., Ridhowati, S., & Gantama, R. (2025). Training and assistance in the preparation of teaching modules based on technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) for science teachers in Pali District. Journal of Community Service and Empowerment, 6(1), 165–174.
Ariska, M., Anwar, Y., Widodo, A., Sari, D. K., Yusliani, N., Rahmannisa, A., Az Zahra, L., Milka, I. A., & Al Fatih, Z. (2024). Education for Sustainable Development Based of Techno-logical Pedagogical and Content Knowledge us-ing Mixed-Methods Approach in Physics Teaching. Jurnal Penelitian & Pengembangan Pendidikan Fisika, 10(2), 421–434.
Bhaskar, P., & Gupta, K. P. (2021). Teachers’ intention to adopt virtual reality technology in manage-ment education. International Journal of Learning and Change, 1(1), 1.
Biermann, F., Hickmann, T., & Sénit, C.-A. (2022). Assessing the Impact of Global Goals. In The Political Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 1–21). Cambridge University Press.
Bourn, D., & Soysal, N. (2021). Transformative Learn-ing and Pedagogical Approaches in Education for Sustainable Development: Are Initial Teacher Education Programmes in England and Turkey Ready for Creating Agents of Change for Sustainability? Sustainability, 13(16), 8973.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analy-sis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psy-chology, 3(2), 77–101.
Çam, Ş. S., & Koç, G. (2024). Professional Develop-ment Program to Develop Teacher Educators’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Sage Open, 14(2).
Choudhury, K. (2025). Dependent origination: Reso-nances for the environment and sustainability education. The Journal of Environmental Educa-tion, 56(3), 183–194.
Creswell, J.W., & Plano Clark, V.L.(2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. SAGE.
Dewi, N. R., & Listiaji, P. (2024). Jurnal Pendidikan Ipa Indonesia Comparative Analysis Of Indo-nesian And Malaysian Pre-service Teachers’ Understanding Of Tpack And Education For Sustainable Development. JPII, 13(4), 562–571.
Durdu, L., & Dag, F. (2017). Pre-Service Teachers’ TPACK Development and Conceptions through a TPACK-Based Course. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 42(11), 150–171.
Eliyawati, Widodo, A., Kaniawati, I., & Fujii, H. (2023). The Development and Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Science Teacher Competency to Teach ESD. Sustainability, 15(4), 3276.
Erlina, N. (2021). Kesiapan Calon Guru IPA dalam Pengembangan Rencana Pembelajaran Berbasis Education for Sustainable Development. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran Sains Indonesia (JPPSI), 4(2), 142–150.
Fahadi, M., & Khan, M. S. H. (2022). Technology-enhanced Teaching in Engineering Education: Teachers’ Knowledge Construction Using TPACK Framework. International Journal of In-struction, 15(2), 519–542.
Fatimah, Y. A., John, M., & Hasibuan, Z. A. (2025). Sustainability education development in Indo-nesia. In The Routledge Handbook of Global Sus-tainability Education and Thinking for the 21st Century (pp. 900–917). Routledge India.
Fiel’ardh, K., Torkar, G., Rožman, H., & Fujii, H. (2023). Sustainable development goals in teach-er education: comparing syllabi in a Japanese and a Slovenian university. Frontiers in educa-tion, 8.
Guo, C., Huang, Y., & Chen, X. (2024). Research on Integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Teaching Practices in a Future Teacher Science Education Course. Sustainabil-ity, 16(12), 4982.
Hariyono, E., Abadi, A., Liliasari, L., Wijaya, A. F. C., & Fujii, H. (2018). Designing Geoscience Learning for Sustainable Development: A Pro-fessional Competency Assessment for Post-graduate Students in Science Education Pro-gram. Jurnal Penelitian Fisika Dan Aplikasinya (JPFA), 8(2), 61.
Huang, R., Adarkwah, M. A., Liu, M., Hu, Y., Zhuang, R., & Chang, T. (2024). Digital Peda-gogy for Sustainable Education Transformation: Enhancing Learner-Centred Learning in the Dig-ital Era. Frontiers of Digital Education, 1(4), 279–294.
Huang, Z., Fu, X., & Zhao, J. (2025). Research on AIGC-Integrated Design Education for Sustain-able Teaching: An Empirical Analysis Based on the TAM and TPACK Models. Sustainability, 17(12), 5497.
Husin, A., Helmi, H., Nengsih, Y. K., & Rendana, M. (2025). Environmental education in schools: sustainability and hope. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 41.
Joshi, S. (2023). TPACK and Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 49(2), 1–23.
Khan, R., & Gul, F. (2022). Exploring the relationship between digital literacy skills and Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) among secondary school teachers. Global Social Sciences Review, VII(II), 196–206.
Kim, G., Yu, E.-J., Ryu, K., & Kim, K. (2025). Mov-ing toward interdisciplinary approaches in eco-logical education: Converging and diverging viewpoints of South Korean teachers. The Jour-nal of Environmental Education, 1–17.
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technologi-cal pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (Vol. 9, Issue 1).
Kolvoord, R. A. (2021). Fostering spatial thinking skills for future citizens to support sustainable development. Cultures of Science, 4(1), 17–24.
Leicht, A., Heiss, J., & Byun, W. J. (Eds.). (2018). Issues and trends in education for sustainable devel-opment. UNESCO.
Loughran, J., Berry, A., & Mulhall, P. (2012). Pedagog-ical Content Knowledge. In Understanding and Developing Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (pp. 7–14). SensePublishers.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006a). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 108(6), 1017–1054.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006b). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 108(6), 1017–1054.
Morales-Aguilar, R., Arenas, A., Cisternas, D., Bas-copé, M., Salazar, D., Becerra, R., Solís-Pinilla, J., & Merino, C. (2025). Transforming educa-tion for a sustainable future: an analysis of teacher education in the context of climate change. Frontiers in Education, 10.
Nilsson, P. (2022). From PCK to TPACK - Supporting student teachers’ reflections and use of digital technologies in science teaching. Research in Sci-ence and Technological Education.
Pegalajar-Palomino, M. del C., Burgos-García, A., & Martinez-Valdivia, E. (2021). What Does Edu-cation for Sustainable Development Offer in In-itial Teacher Training? A Systematic Review. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 23(1), 99–114.
Purnamasari, S., & Hanifah, A. N. (2021). Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) dalam Pembelajaran IPA. Jurnal Kajian Pendidikan IPA, 1(2), 69–75.
Rundgren, S.-N. C., & Yamada, N. (2023). Does Teacher Training of ESD Help In-service Teachers to Implement ESD in School? Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 17(2), 131–161.
Sandri, O., & Holdsworth, S. (2022). Pedagogies for sustainability: insights from a foundational sus-tainability course in the built environment. In-ternational Journal of Sustainability in Higher Edu-cation, 23(3), 666–685.
Schina, D., Esteve-González, V., Usart, M., Lázaro-Cantabrana, J.-L., & Gisbert, M. (2020). The Integration of Sustainable Development Goals in Educational Robotics: A Teacher Education Experience. Sustainability, 12(23), 10085.
Shulla, K., Filho, W. L., Lardjane, S., Sommer, J. H., & Borgemeister, C. (2020). Sustainable devel-opment education in the context of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Interna-tional Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 27(5), 458–468.
Sund, P., & Gericke, N. (2020). Teaching contributions from secondary school subject areas to educa-tion for sustainable development – a compara-tive study of science, social science and lan-guage teachers. Environmental Education Re-search, 26(6), 772–794.
Sunarya, E. N., & Suwarma, I. R.(2024). The Devel-opment of Teaching Learning Application in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Improve Students Critical Thinking and Sus-tainability Awareness in Biodiversity. In Sus-tainability Education (Vol. 1, Issue 1).
Suwarto, R. S., Sanjaya, Y., & Solihat, R. (2021). Im-plementation of education for sustainable de-velopment and pupils’ sustainability conscious-ness in Adiwiyata School and ESD-based school. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1806(1), 012153.
Tran, H. U. (2024). Environmental education in pre-school teacher training program: A systematic review. Natural Sciences Education, 53(2).
Tseng, J.-J., Chai, C. S., Tan, L., & Park, M. (2022). A critical review of research on technological ped-agogical and content knowledge (TPACK) in language teaching. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(4), 948–971.
UNESCO. (2017). Education for sustainable develop-ment goals: Learning objectives .
UNESCO.https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247444
UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: a roadmap. UNESCO.
Valderrama, D. A., Garzón Velasco, M. D., & Alfonso Chaparro, L. P. (2024). Física, Ambiente y Ed-ucación Ambiental; Percepciones desde los do-centes de Ciencias Naturales en formación. Re-vista Perspectivas, 9(2), 89–100.
Veyis, F., & Ciğerci, F. M. (2025). The Role of Sus-tainable Education and Digital Competence in the Relationship Between Teachers’ TPACK Levels and Performance Self-Assessments. Sus-tainability, 17(14), 6585.
Vidal, S., & Kuckuck, M. (2025). Pre-Service Teacher Action Competence in Education for Sustaina-ble Development: A Scoping Review. Sustaina-bility, 17(9), 3856.
Vilmala, B. K., Karniawati, I., Suhandi, A., Permana-sari, A., & Khumalo, M. (2022). A Literature Review of Education for Sustainable Develop-ment (ESD) in Science Learning: What, Why, and How. Journal of Natural Science and Integra-tion, 5(1), 35.
Widodo, A., Riandi, R., Sriyati, S., Purwianingsih, W., Rochintaniawati, D., Solihat, R., & Siswandari, P. (2023). Pengembangan Nilai-Nilai Keberlanju-tan Melalui Pelajaran Sains (1st Ed., Vol. 1). UPI Press
