Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review

This scoping review aims to evaluate the impact of professional development programmes on the curriculum design and implementation of sustainability education in high schools. Reviewing literature published between 2010 and 2025, the study explores how these programmes prepare teachers to integrate...

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Main Authors: Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani, Samantha Govender
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ERRCD Forum 2025-04-01
Series:Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubs.ufs.ac.za/index.php/ijer/article/view/1731
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author Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani
Samantha Govender
author_facet Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani
Samantha Govender
author_sort Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani
collection DOAJ
description This scoping review aims to evaluate the impact of professional development programmes on the curriculum design and implementation of sustainability education in high schools. Reviewing literature published between 2010 and 2025, the study explores how these programmes prepare teachers to integrate sustainability concepts into their teach­ing practices, thereby promoting sustainable development. A systematic review of existing studies identifies key themes, challenges, and best practices in professional development for sustainability education. The findings reveal that well-de­signed professional development programmes significantly enhance teachers' knowledge and skills, leading to more comprehensive curriculum design and effective implementa­tion. However, challenges such as inadequate resources, lack of administrative support, and insufficient ongoing training persist. The study highlights the importance of continuous, structured professional development to ensure integration of sustainability education into high school cur­ricula. These insights are intended to guide policymakers, ed­ucators, and stakeholders in developing and maintaining ef­fective sustainability education programmes at the second­ary level.
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series Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research
spelling doaj-art-167ad9c5d74f43cba520375fa67e5e6d2025-08-20T02:26:46ZengERRCD ForumInterdisciplinary Journal of Education Research2710-21142710-21222025-04-017s1a01a0110.38140/ijer-2025.vol7.s1.011697Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping reviewOluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6545-0203Samantha Govender1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4754-5361University of Zululand, South AfricaUniversity of Zululand, South AfricaThis scoping review aims to evaluate the impact of professional development programmes on the curriculum design and implementation of sustainability education in high schools. Reviewing literature published between 2010 and 2025, the study explores how these programmes prepare teachers to integrate sustainability concepts into their teach­ing practices, thereby promoting sustainable development. A systematic review of existing studies identifies key themes, challenges, and best practices in professional development for sustainability education. The findings reveal that well-de­signed professional development programmes significantly enhance teachers' knowledge and skills, leading to more comprehensive curriculum design and effective implementa­tion. However, challenges such as inadequate resources, lack of administrative support, and insufficient ongoing training persist. The study highlights the importance of continuous, structured professional development to ensure integration of sustainability education into high school cur­ricula. These insights are intended to guide policymakers, ed­ucators, and stakeholders in developing and maintaining ef­fective sustainability education programmes at the second­ary level.https://pubs.ufs.ac.za/index.php/ijer/article/view/1731professional developmentsustainability education curriculum design teacher trainingsecondary education
spellingShingle Oluwatoyin Ayodele Ajani
Samantha Govender
Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research
professional development
sustainability education
curriculum design
teacher training
secondary education
title Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
title_full Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
title_fullStr Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
title_short Evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools: A scoping review
title_sort evaluating the impact of professional development programmes on curriculum design and implementation for sustainability education in high schools a scoping review
topic professional development
sustainability education
curriculum design
teacher training
secondary education
url https://pubs.ufs.ac.za/index.php/ijer/article/view/1731
work_keys_str_mv AT oluwatoyinayodeleajani evaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammesoncurriculumdesignandimplementationforsustainabilityeducationinhighschoolsascopingreview
AT samanthagovender evaluatingtheimpactofprofessionaldevelopmentprogrammesoncurriculumdesignandimplementationforsustainabilityeducationinhighschoolsascopingreview