Teacher Education for Sustainability in Pakistan

Education plays vital role in sustainable development. Education is permanent modification of creativity and behaviour as the result of new experiences through education (Kaushik, 1997). It is not only a catalyst with potentialities to transform all the aspects of development but contributes in the current challenges of sustainability. The aim of education is to ensure and secure the basic purpose of education, to achieve the tasks of life and to attain basic life skills in an integrated and sustainable manner (Azam, 2003). According to Singh (2008) "Education is essentially a process of growth and development, which goes on throughout the whole life" (p.7). Education for sustainability is less understood and less practiced by teacher educators in Government Colleges of Education offering Associate Degree in education and four years B.Ed program. It is difficult to assume that whether teacher educators have proper acquaintance with education for sustainability, skills and willing to incorporate education for sustainability in teacher education policies and practices. In addition, it cannot be presupposed that through experience teacher educators will attain such skills. Therefore, education for sustainability should be carefully planned and made as integral part of teacher education programs instead of ad hoc based approach for education for sustainability. This study will investigate how Associate Degree for education teacher training program for prospective teachers has been designed or shaped and find out how teacher educators are affianced with education for sustainability in their teaching. The purpose of study is (i) to determine the elements of Education for sustainability before and after Associate Degree program, (ii) to investigate teacher educators knowledge, skills and attitude related to education for sustainability and, (iii) to examine the perception and engagement of teacher educators regarding education for sustainability. The focus of this study will be on five indicators of sustainability which include the social impact of education, education as strategy for development, financial viability, adaptability and capability to bring socio-economic change. A case study approach will be used for this study. Data will be collected through surveys, in-depth interviews and analysis of over five years documents.