Bridging education and environmental awareness: Analyzing geography education students' interest in teaching for sustainable learning

Background: The role of geography educators is crucial in fostering environmental awareness and sustainability education. However, declining interest in the teaching profession among geography education students poses a challenge to future environmental literacy efforts. This study examines the factors influencing students' career choices and their willingness to become educators in environmental and geographical studies. Method: The sample in this study was all students of the 2020 intake totaling 69 respondents with 58 active students by distributing questionnaires and conducting validity and reliability tests. This study is only a single variable study and uses 3 indicators: cognitive, emotional and conation. This study uses a quantitative descriptive method. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling technique. The data collection technique is a questionnaire and documentation. The data analysis technique is descriptive analysis. Findings: The study reveals that 81.03% of students show low interest in becoming geography teachers, instead favoring careers in entrepreneurship and other fields. Key factors contributing to this trend include unclear teaching regulations, low salaries, and insufficient exposure to the profession. The limited motivation for teaching raises concerns about the future of environmental and geographical education in schools. Conclusion: Addressing financial concerns, strengthening teacher training programs, and integrating environmental education into geography curricula could help enhance students' interest in teaching. The study underscores the need for policy interventions to attract future educators in sustainability and environmental literacy. Novelty/Originality of this article: This study highlights the intersection of geography education and environmental awareness, emphasizing the need to cultivate future educators committed to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility in learning.