Abstract

In the face of complex global environmental challenges, the concept of teaching and learning for environmental sustainability was first articulated over thirty years ago in the Tbilisi Declaration that proposed that environmental education (EE) become a vital part of all pre-service and in-service teacher education. The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) reiterates the importance of reorienting teacher education toward sustainability. This study gauges whether, midway through the Decade- this objective is being met by Canadian pre-service teacher education programs. Building on the 1977-78 study by John Towler and a follow-up 1996 study conducted by Emily Lin on this topic, a questionnaire was distributed in 2009 to all pre-service teacher education institutions across Canada. The survey findings reveal that, for three decades, the number of Canadian pre-service teacher education institutions offering EE courses has remained low. The report outlines key obstacles to the integration of EE into pre-service teacher education programs in Canada and suggests policy solutions. It argues that reorienting teacher education toward sustainability should be a policy priority not only within teacher-education institutions, but at federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government and within school boards and individual schools.