Given the impact of unsustainable practices, work, and living patterns, it has become increasingly important to raise global citizens as stewards of the earth’s life support system. Thus, developing sustainability literacy has become very crucial. A sustainability-literate professional can make sound decisions and act in environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, and economically viable ways. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) arguably has the potential to educate workers, graduates, and citizens alike in developing sustainability literacy since it is regarded in many nations as the supplier of skilled labour. TVET teacher training programmes in Malaysia have been vastly proficient in developing vocationally competent teachers and workers. Still, there remains uncertainty regarding the extent to which these vocational teaching professionals have been trained to develop sustainability competencies and literacies. The implication is that, when technical and vocational teachers responsible for training workers do not possess the requisite competencies to engage in sustainability education, the potential for TVET to become a viable tool for ESD diminishes. Given this backdrop, this study was undertaken to propose a curriculum framework for sustainability literacy for technical and vocational teacher training programmes. Using a modified Delphi method (MDM) consisting of 15 expert participants from Asian-Pacific countries, four important curricular elements for sustainability literacy were identified and defined. These include the learning outcomes for sustainability literacy, teaching competencies for sustainability literacy, pedagogical approaches to foster effective teaching and learning for sustainability, as well as ESD integration strategies. The specific indicators within this curriculum framework were also defined. The paper concludes with vivid implications for practice within TVET teacher training programmes in realising Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: ENHANCING TVE TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME

In contributing towards the discourse on developing teachers’ capabilities for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this study examines the relationships between sustainability knowledge, readiness, and self-efficacy for teaching sustainability concepts among vocational teachers in Malaysian colleges. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the research assesses the combined effect of teachers’ sustainability knowledge and readiness on their ability to teach sustainability effectively. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a sample of three hundred and seventy-five (375) vocational college teachers and structural equation modeling (SEM), the results indicate no significant link between teachers’ sustainability knowledge and their readiness for ESD. However, a positive relationship between teachers’ readiness and their self-efficacy was found. The study shows that while sustainability knowledge does not directly enhance readiness for ESD, it is a strong predictor of self-efficacy in teaching sustainability. Moreover, readiness has a greater effect on self-efficacy than sustainability knowledge alone, highlighting the importance of conceptual understanding in building teachers’ confidence and competence in sustainability education. Despite focusing specifically on Malaysia and using self-reported data, which to some extent limits the study’s findings, the outcomes offer practical insights for educational policymakers, vocational institutions, and educators. They underscore the need for a comprehensive educational approach beyond just knowledge transfer. This research contributes to the sustainability education discourse and suggests areas for future studies, including exploring contextual differences and adopting longitudinal study designs to better understand the dynamics between sustainability knowledge, readiness, and teaching self-efficacy in vocational education.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology-driven vocational pedagogy in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offers transformative potential in preparing students for the modern workforce. AI enhances skill acquisition, making learning more efficient and improving employability. This chapter explores the convergence of AI and vocational pedagogy in shaping workforce development. It defines key concepts, including AI, vocational pedagogy, and TVET, while examining AI's role in enhancing learning, assessment, and workforce readiness. The chapter also discusses the impact of vocational pedagogy on skill development, the integration of technology in TVET, and AI-driven workforce transformation in Nigeria. Challenges faced by TVET educators in adopting AI and its benefits in equipping students with essential competencies are highlighted. The chapter concludes with recommendations for leveraging AI to create a sustainable, industry-relevant vocational education system.

This article establishes and defines specifically the important elements of sustainability that must be accounted for in the training of new Technical and Vocational Education (TVE) teachers. With more research establishing the role TVE can play in the transition towards a sustainable future, there is the challenge of how TVE teacher training programs can prepare teachers for this important task of teaching for sustainability. TVE educators are often met with the challenge of incorporating sustainability into their lessons. The literature has established that most TVE educators are mystified about how to go about teaching for sustainability, others cannot seem to find tangible intersections between sustainability and the vocational subjects they teach, i.e. they do not understand how sustainability knowledge, values and skills can be taught within their vocational or trade subjects. To this end, it becomes crucial to provide answers to the questions TVE educators are asking with regards the teaching of sustainability. This paper reports the findings from the first round of a Modified Delphi Study aimed at exploring Sustainability expert's perspectives about the important elements of sustainability such as; the learning outcomes and ESD teacher competencies that can be incorporated into the existing curriculum of TVE programs to develop teachers who are not just vocationally competent but are also sustainability competent teachers. The paper also highlights some theoretical and practical implications. Furthermore, the limitation of the study lies in the absence of consensus as the study reports only findings from the first phase of the modified Delphi study.