In the context of climatic emergency, teaching for sustainability is crucial to transform damaging behavioral social paths into sustainable ones. In this contribution, we focus on the relevance of the Degree in Primary Education to reach this change, assessing through the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ) the sustainability awareness of a sample of 151 students of this bachelor’s degree. SPSS and JASP statistical programs were used for data analyses and graphical representations. The results support that this test is appropriate to estimate the different dimensions of sustainability consciousness of Spanish pre-service primary teachers. Specifically, we found that these students assign higher scores to items of sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes above all in the social dimension. Some gender differences are found in sustainability behavior, which is higher in the male subset for the economic dimension. Correlation analysis reveals positive associations between sustainability knowingness and sustainability attitudes, whereas sustainability behavior is positively related to both constructs but only in the social dimension. These results highlight the necessity of teaching sustainability looking for behavioral changes in the Degree of Primary Education.

The Bologna Process and the European Higher Education area require the application of new active methodologies in the classroom that place the student at the center of his or her learning process. In the present work, we analyze the application of a Service-Learning (SL) methodology in the context of a Final Degree Dissertation (FDD) in the degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of Extremadura (Spain). The project deals with an isolated Kichwa community in Ecuador and involves the development of alternative science education materials for the capacitation of in-service science teachers. This paper evaluates how an FDD carried out according to Service-Learning (SL) principles can help in the acquisition of so-called “soft skills” and how these can be focused in the promotion of the sustainable development goal (SDG) knowledge and achievement. To this end, a qualitative study of the experience and a deep evaluation, followed by a final reflection, were carried out. According to the preliminary results, we can conclude that Higher Education should include SDGs in its teaching praxis and could do this successfully using the SL methodology.

Enhancing the emotional dimension of prospective teachers in science subjects—which has become increasingly important in recent decades—is a responsibility of higher education institutions. The implementation of active methodologies has the potential to modify the traditional student-teacher roles that are encouraged by the educational policies implemented in the Bologna Process. Simultaneously, it is possible to promote knowledge of sustainability, as well as the attitudes and behaviors required by UNESCO. The main aim of this work is to describe a project-based learning methodology with a transversal sustainability approach (low-cost and eco-friendly) and to introduce this as a potential resource for the emotional and cognitive improvement of 19 prospective primary teachers enrolled in scientific subjects. This is a qualitative study in the context of a research line focused on higher education for sustainable development. A questionnaire was designed and filled in by students at two different stages, before and after implementation of the activity. The initial feedback from students was surprisingly enthusiastic due to the fact that they were working with rockets, despite this not being considered a common emotion expressed by students in science lessons. The results show the emotional improvement of prospective teachers after implementation of the activity. It is concluded that a good science education, with implementation of sustainable approaches is necessary during the training of teachers, taking into account their emotional dimensions and social repercussions as a consequence of future transmission.

This research offers a descriptive and inferential analysis of the emotions toward the teaching of science felt by 144 second-year students of a Primary Education bachelor’s degree course, identifying their learning styles in accordance with the theory of Multiple Intelligences, studying their perception of self-efficacy concerning the different scientific contents they would need to teach, and establishing correlations between these variables. The investigation is quantitative in character, carried out via a survey, using SPSS and JASP for the data analysis. The results show that these prospective teachers feel greater rejection toward Physics and Chemistry than toward Biology and Geology (they mainly express enthusiasm for the latter). It is possible to establish differences in the emotions that the prospective teachers feel toward science depending on which path they took in their pre-university studies (Arts or Sciences). There are correlations between feeling positive emotions and having greater self-efficacy in teaching those same scientific topics. Those who feel negative emotions, such as fear or rejection, toward Physics and Chemistry have lower self-efficacy. There are correlations between having greater self-efficacy when teaching science and having a predominantly logical-mathematical intelligence. There is also a relationship between having a predominantly logical-mathematical type of intelligence and feeling more positive emotions toward sciences. Predictors of emotional dimension and self-efficacy have been also explored by multiple regression.

Chacras, which are Amazonian agricultural systems, are examples of traditional agricultural management that are sustainable. They are also characteristic of the identities of different ethnographic groups in tropical America. However, information regarding the botanical characterization of chacras is scant. In tropical rural communities, there is a gender bias hypothesis that makes women potential reservoirs of traditional chacras plant knowledge. We present an experimental study in order to demonstrate if this knowledge difference really exists and to plan accordingly. We performed workshops in an isolated Kichwa community from Amazonian Ecuador. We calculated the cultural signififcance index (CSI) for 97 local flora plants. Our results revealed statistically significant differences. They were coherent with the Kichwa worldview and the structure of their society. We concluded that gender perspective must be taken into account in biodiversity conservation programs, such as, for example, those to implement the resilient agricultural practices of tropical contexts promoted by The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SGD2).

Learning processes are undoubtedly linked to affective factors. Motivation, interest, curiosity and emotions have been already detected as the core of learning processes: affective domain modulates learning. In this work, a quantitative longitudinal study (three courses) has been conducted during primary school teacher training. An initial diagnosis of affective variables (emotions and self-efficacy) and scientifical knowledge revealed that prospective teachers claim feeling negative emotions toward physics and chemistry contents whereas these students report low scientific knowledge. Therefore, a metacognitive and emotional program was implemented in order to modify these emotions and to improve learning. After three courses, emotions, self-efficacy and scientific knowledge were assessed again. The results obtained suggest that the implementation of active methodologies for teaching science could promote positive emotions, it could lead prospective teachers to improve their self-efficacy’ perception and promotes their learning. The relationships between the different variables considered in the research were studied, and a significant relationship was found between the affective variables (self-efficacy and emotions) and cognitive variables. Prospective teachers involved in this research reported more positive emotions, an increase in their self-efficacy perception and an improvement in their scientific knowledge. These findings may lead to a deeper understanding of the affective role in science learning and could be extended to other content that also elicits negative emotions.