Professionalisation of Teachers for Education for Sustainable Development in Germany: A Scoping Review

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is considered an internationally endorsed educational concept for dealing with global challenges and qualification of teachers is essential for the implementation. This scoping review explores the structures and dynamics of the scientific field of teacher education for sustainable development (TESD) in Germany using six indicators or key questions as an analytical heuristic. An analysis of 154 publications shows that since 2016 the field has grown and become more differentiated but remains fragmented. Stronger integration exists in the subject didactics of biology, geography, and general studies for primary school. Interdisciplinary collaboration is limited, and the discourse is shaped by a few key researchers. TESD research primarily focuses on primary school and upper secondary school as well as student teachers at university. Empirical studies dominate, whereas theoretical work is rare. Overall, the review reveals significant research gaps and underlines the need for more interdisciplinary approaches in TESD.