Sustainable Development Goals in Elementary School Education: Implications for Curriculum Integration and Teacher Education

Abstract

This study investigates the integration of sustainability concepts, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), into Arabic-medium (Kindergarten-Grade 4) elementary school textbooks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A content analysis has been conducted in 33 textbooks systematically coded to identify and categorize sustainability-related learning content. The findings reveal uneven SDG integration across sustainability dimensions, which emphasizes the need for a more balanced approach to SDG integration and comprehensive teacher education programs that ensure effective and balanced sustainability education. This pioneering effort to examine the integration of SDGs into elementary education in the UAE proposes how teacher education can support such integration based on the findings by offering critical insights for curriculum developers, pre-service teachers, teachers, and policymakers to enhance curricula and align it more effectively with SDG targets.