Assessing Sustainability Awareness in Teacher Education: Validation of a Multidimensional Scale in Pakistan

Developing countries often face challenges in the effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Within diverse sustainability discourses, a context-specific understanding of the SDGs contributes to the development of sustainability awareness (SA), reflecting individuals’ recognition of the importance of sustainability and its dimensions. Empirical evidence highlights the need for reliable and valid measures of sustainability awareness (SA) among learners in educational contexts. In response, this study reports the development and psychometric validation of the Sustainability Awareness Scale (SAS), a self-report instrument designed to assess pre-service teachers’ awareness across three dimensions: economic, environmental, and social. The scale was administered to undergraduate pre-service teachers in Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Education programs at Pakistani universities. The sample was split into two independent subsamples for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 144) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 145). EFA supported a three-factor structure, and CFA confirmed a refined 12-item model with acceptable model fit (χ2/df = 1.68, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.056, CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.91). Construct validity was supported by acceptable composite reliability (CR = 0.715–0.780), average variance extracted (AVE = 0.489–0.569), and heterotrait–monotrait ratio (HTMT = 0.78–0.83) values. Internal consistency was satisfactory for the full scale (α = 0.872; ω = 0.875) and acceptable for all subscales. The findings indicate that the SAS is a reliable and contextually relevant instrument for assessing SA among pre-service teachers in Pakistan. The scale offers a practical tool for evaluating and strengthening Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiatives and supports the design of sustainability-focused educational programs.