Curriculum Analysis Regarding Education Sustainable Development Content: Society, Environment, And Economy

Abstract

Sustainable development is an integral part of a successful and planned society. Therefore, this qualitative study investigated the status of education sustainable development (ESD) at all three elementary levels of Punjab, Pakistan. This study explained the status of ESD in social study curriculum and social study books of all three elementary levels. The convergent design was used to achieve the objectives. The content analysis was a source of data collection. The sample of the study was comprised of social studies curriculum and textbooks of elementary level. It has been found that the term sustainable or sustainable development did not practice in the curriculum and in textbooks. Content analysis of the curriculum showed that curriculum at elementary level needs to improve. Key challenges recognized in the curriculum and social study textbooks of elementary level grade 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th were lack of sustainable development competencies and lack of advanced terminology in the curriculum regarding SD. This study also found that there is an extreme need to prepare a curriculum that covered the best knowledge and practices on sustainability and its development. Further, this study recommended that the Government of Punjab need to either develop a social study curriculum about ESD according to developed countries, or follow best practices and framework of the curriculum of other countries.