Role of Teacher Education Institutions in Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Values

Abstract

The TEIs assume a central crossroads of the quest in the world towards sustainable and equitable societies. Being the major players in educating the future teachers, their curriculum, pedagogical approach, and organizations cultures in essence determine the way the new generation of educators perceives and adopts inclusion and sustainability. In this paper, the authors will look at the complex role played by TEIs in fostering inclusive sustainable values. It posits that in order to achieve the real goal of education to propel the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, especially SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), TEIs should go beyond theoretical outlay to adopt transformative and justice-focused strategies. This paper addresses the conceptual foundations of inclusive education (IE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and shows that the two have a synergistic nature, through a systematic review of the literature. It outlines major TEI objectives such as curriculum redesign, transformative teaching, inclusive practice in institutions, community, and teacher empowerment. The main hypothesis is that TEIs that incorporate ESD and IE in a logical, justice-oriented model will bring up teachers who will be much more effective and dedicated to developing an inclusive and sustainable classroom and community, thus a multiplier effect of societal change. The conclusion highlights the necessity of TEIs as living examples of the values they profess, and it needs a fundamental change in the policy, practice, and evaluation to achieve their potential as vehicles to a more just and sustainable future.