Exploring patterns of engagement with sustainable development and sustainable development competencies among physical education teachers
A two-step cluster approach
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22164137 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andreas Fröberg (0000-0002-3352-6661, Food & Nutrition), Petter Wiklander (0000-0003-2749-7590, Food & Nutrition), Suzanne Lundvall (0000-0003-1298-8186, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2026.1757998 |
| OpenAlex | W7159571243 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
The purpose of the present study was to explore whether distinct data-driven clusters could be identified based on engagement with sustainable development (SD) and perceived SD competencies (SDCs) among physical education (PE) teachers and to examine whether these emergent clusters differed with respect to background characteristics. This secondary analysis included 2,074 certified PE teachers in Sweden who completed an online survey designed to gather information on their background characteristics and examine perceived SDC in the context of PE. A two-step cluster analysis was conducted to identify distinct clusters. Differences across clusters were examined using chi-square tests of independence, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and one-way analyses of variance. The following three-cluster solution best described the data: (i) experienced teachers with high SDC, (ii) inexperienced teachers with high SDC, and (iii) inexperienced teachers with low SDC. No differences were observed between the clusters in terms of sex ( p = 0.87) and age ( p = 0.97). A larger proportion of participants in the experienced teachers with high SDC cluster taught PE when completing the survey ( p < 0.001) and reported more years of teaching PE ( p < 0.001). They also reported higher agreement that PE has good conditions for addressing sustainability issues based on the current syllabus and that the overall aim of PE relates well to abilities and behaviors that promote SD ( p < 0.001). Overall, the results emphasized the need for targeted professional development and initial teacher education programs that explicitly integrate SD, enhancing competence and confidence among PE teachers in addressing sustainability
Certification · Education for sustainable development · Physical education · Sustainability · Syllabus · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Physical Education and Pedagogy · Sustainability in Higher Education
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |