PREDICTING SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY, ATTITUDE, KNOWLEDGE AND SCHOOL SUPPORT

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the most significant predictors of science teachers’ pedagogical approach to sustainable development (SD) by examining the roles of ESD teaching self-efficacy, attitude towards SD, knowledge about SD, and school support. A total of 896 in-service primary science teachers across Malaysia participated in the study through a structured online questionnaire. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) via AMOS version 26. Results showed that ESD teaching self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of teachers’ pedagogical approach to SD, followed by school support, while attitude and knowledge were not statistically significant predictors. The final model accounted for 25% of the variance in pedagogical approach. These findings highlight the need to enhance teachers’ confidence and provide strong institutional support to promote sustainability-oriented teaching practices. The study offers practical implications for teacher education and policymaking by identifying key factors such as self-efficacy and school support that can enhance the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development in primary science classrooms.