Teaching sustainability: an analysis of teacher education in Kazakhstan

When completing my master thesis on the topic of citizenship education in Kazakhstan at Central European University, I have analysed teacher education materials in order to understand how the discourses on the relations... [ view full abstract ]

When completing my master thesis on the topic of citizenship education in Kazakhstan at Central European University, I have analysed teacher education materials in order to understand how the discourses on the relations between society, law and citizens are shaped through teacher curriculum. The preliminary analysis to be completed in June 2015 revealed that teachers are provided with detailed guidance of how to conceptualise and explain certain concepts pertinent to the UN’s sustainability goal 16 such as justice, societal inclusivity, civic responsibilities and the ideals of sustainability for social harmony. While existing research on teacher education for sustainability in liberal democracies is developing, there is a lack of knowledge on this topic in other world regions. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the topic of teacher education curriculum in regards the sustainability in Kazakhstan, since this country claims to be a champion of UN’s MDG and sustainability goals in the Central Asian region. I employ an understanding of sustainability with an emphasis on the cultural, societal and political vision of stability for sustainable futures. By analysing teacher education curriculum in Kazakhstan, I attempt to show the importance of the national and local contexts in shaping a highly localised understanding of the universalist sustainability agenda.