AWARENESS, ATTITUDES, AND CHALLENGES OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN INTEGRATING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD)

The paper explores pre-service teachers' awareness, attitudes, and challenges in integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into their future teaching practices. ESD aims to equip learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to shape a sustainable future, addressing global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and social inequities. Given the critical role of teachers in fostering sustainable mindsets, this study explores pre-service teachers' awareness of ESD, their attitude toward the concept, and the challenges to implementing it in the classroom. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected through surveys from pre-service teachers in various training programs. The findings reveal diverse levels of awareness, with many pre-service teachers recognizing the importance of sustainable education yet expressing uncertainty about effective integration strategies. The study highlights the need for curriculum adjustments in teacher education programs to ensure that pre-service teachers have the content knowledge and practical skills to incorporate ESD into their teaching confidently. These insights offer valuable implications for educational institutions aiming to strengthen sustainability-oriented teaching frameworks and contribute to global efforts toward a more sustainable future.