Exploring Associations Between Background Characteristics and Pre-Service Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Science Education for Sustainability

Abstract

Initial teacher education plays a key role in preparing future teachers to integrate science and sustainability into educational practice. However, research on pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward Science Education for Sustainability has paid limited attention to how these attitudes are associated with personal, academic, and contextual background characteristics. This study examined the associations between these characteristics and pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward Science Education for Sustainability. A quantitative study was conducted within a post-positivist framework using the Attitudes toward Science Education for Sustainability Questionnaire. The sample comprised 927 students enrolled in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education degree programs at three Spanish universities, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected anonymously and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Mann–Whitney U tests. Statistically significant differences were identified for several characteristics, including sex, degree program, academic year, upper secondary education track, school type, school affiliation, and parental educational level, although the pattern of differences varied across the four dimensions assessed. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of attitudes toward Science Education for Sustainability and suggest that personal, academic, and contextual characteristics are differentially associated with specific dimensions of these attitudes. The study provides empirical evidence that can inform the design of initial teacher education programs addressing science and sustainability.