Campaign S4 S3, S5, S6 Seek funding S5 activities ….’ (S2, student) ‘I will create awareness

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the recommendations and future work of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Facing Economic Gap: Assessing the Multidimensional Sustainability Awareness of Pre-Service Science Teachers (2026) · Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education · doi

  The results of the study indicate that pre-service science teachers are cognitively and affectively prepared to engage in the sustainability process; however, this readiness remains weak in the economic dimension and is not supported by practical Facing Economic Gap: Assessing the Multidimensional Sustainability Awareness … 167 pedagogical skills. In light of the current findings and the synthesis of international literature, the following recommendations are proposed: Whole-Institution Approach: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) should no longer be an add-on course in the curriculum, but rather be transformed into a holistic structure that permeates all science disciplines, as emphasized by Özdemir- Yılmazer (2025) and Hurd & Ormsby (2020). Systems Thinking and 4C Skills: The curriculum should be enriched with systems thinking tasks to enable candidates to analyze the interaction between economic and environmental systems. Furthermore, "4C" skills (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity) (González-Salamanca et al., 2020) should be placed at the center of teacher training. Systems-Oriented Pedagogical Scaffolding: Following the recommendations of Peretz (2025), teacher training should move beyond one-time activities toward sustained integration of conceptual modelling and visual representations, such as causal-loop diagrams or DPSIR frameworks. These tools allow candidates to externalise their mental models and confront cognitive biases that simplify complex sustainability issues. Furthermore, providing teachers with ready-to-use frameworks and rubrics is essential to reducing the implementation burden and bridging the identified 'knowledge-action gap'. Economic Sustainability Literacy: For the economic dimension, which is the weakest area for candidates, "sustainable production and consumption" themed modules should be added from the first years of university education to create a "multiplying effect," as suggested by Vega-Cervera and Gallardo-Vazquez (2024). Action-Oriented Education and Self-Efficacy: To enable candidates to move from 'knowing to doing,' action competencies should be developed through community service applications and project-based learning (Sass et al., 2022; Baena-Morales et al., 2023). Technological and Artificial Intelligence Integration: In line with the TALIS 2024 vision (OECD, 2025) and the work of Kayaalp et al. (2025), candidates should be equipped with the skills to utilize AI-supported educational technologies to address and teach complex sustainability issues. Sustainable Lifestyle Role Modeling: In light of Özdemir-Yılmazer's (2025) findings, training programs should incorporate an awareness process that not only transforms the professional knowledge of candidates but also their personal life choices, such as sustainable consumption habits, to ensure they serve as authentic role models.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: candidates sustainability economic skills sustainable systems education thinking training action service science teachers process dimension
• Reimagining transformational environmental leadership: Higher education students’ perspectives within the context of climate change – A South African baseline case study (2026) · Transformation in Higher Education · doi

  Campaign S4 S3, S5, S6 Seek funding S5 activities ….’ (S2, student) ‘I will create awareness and tell them what they must do to address climate change, tell them how climate change affects their health and lives.’ (S6, student) ‘I will make a discussion in my class, ask my colleagues, what they think about climate change … actively write my thoughts down and ask others what they think about it.’ (S4, student) ‘Maybe I can really get some help from like school [university], whereby I’m going door to door approaching people in their homes.’ (S3, student) ‘I think maybe may be if you can hold awareness campaigns. whereby you, you are talking to them about this issue of climate change ….’ (S5, student) ‘Approach people by not being harsh to them.’ (S6, student) ‘… and maybe try to secure funds. Those funds can be used to buy plants to make the community green.’ (S5, student) TABLE 3: Responses in the questionnaire to environmental leadership actions (agency enactment) within the context of climate change (N = 40). No. Category

  generalfuture workevidence 5/5
  Keywords: student climate change them think maybe awareness tell make whereby door people funds campaign seek
• An Investigation of Science Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Environmental Behaviors Regarding Global Warming in Relation to Various Variables (2026) · Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi · doi

  Since female teachers demonstrate higher levels of environmental knowledge, environmental attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors, they can be considered as exemplary practitioners and role models within the scope of environmental education. For male teachers, it may be beneficial to develop environmental awareness training programs aimed at supporting their levels of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Given that teachers in the early years of their profession exhibit higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes, and stronger pro-environmental behaviors regarding global warming, these teachers can be supported to take on roles such as lead teachers, peer educators, or project coordinators within environmental education initiatives. Conversely, in-service training and professional development activities may be organized to enhance the knowledge and awareness levels of more experienced teachers. It has been determined that science teachers who do not perceive themselves and their students as responsible actors in combating global warming, and who attribute responsibility solely to broader and external groups such as governments, companies, or society at large, exhibit lower levels of knowledge, positive attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors. In this regard, it is important to strengthen teachers’ perceptions of individual impact. Therefore, in-service training programs may include activities focusing on the individual’s role in climate action or carbon footprint calculation exercises. The finding that teachers with higher levels of concern about global warming also demonstrate higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes, and stronger pro-environmental behaviors suggests that emotional awareness is a critical component of environmental education. Accordingly, awareness- raising activities such as documentary screenings, seminars, and school-based projects may help enhance teachers’ sensitivity to environmental issues. The fact that teachers who believe that global warming is “currently affecting the world” exhibit higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes, and stronger pro-environmental behaviors highlights the importance of current awareness and threat perception. In this context, local climate data studies such as analyses of temperature increases, changes in precipitation patterns, extreme weather events, droughts, and floods can be organized to make the “here and now” impact of global warming more visible to teachers. Teachers’ willingness to make certain lifestyle changes in order to combat global warming strengthens their knowledge, attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors. Accordingly, awareness activities that make the impact of lifestyle changes visible such as monthly reports on waste reduction and mini-seminars can be organized in schools. It is considered that teachers’ close monitoring of current environmental developments increases their knowledge about global warming, and that this knowledge positively influences their attitudes and pro-environmental behaviors. This highlights the importance of continuous information flow in 992 Uğur & Çavdar / Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2026 14(2) 971-1018 environmental education. In this regard, regular environmental and climate bulletins or announcements can be prepared for teachers in schools. The finding that teachers who implement environmental projects with their students have higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes, and stronger pro-environmental behaviors indicates the importance of project-based activities. Therefore, it is recommended to promote project-based learning within schools and to provide teachers with the necessary infrastructure and material support. Finally, only quantitative data collection tools were used in this study. In order to examine the underlying reasons behind the findings in greater depth, further studies employing qualitative data collection techniques (e.g., interviews, focus groups, observations) are needed.

  generalrecommendationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: environmental teachers knowledge levels attitudes behaviors global warming higher awareness positive activities education stronger within

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