The Role of the Green Economy Approach in Developing Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Development Among Egyptian STEM Candidate Teachers

Abstract

With the growing concern over major environmental issues, higher education institutions have increasingly focused on equipping students with the knowledge and skills to address these challenges. One effective approach is the integration of the green economy into education, which can contribute to reducing environmental problems. This study aims to identify the extent to which the green economy approach is applied in sustainable development within the Faculty of Education at Assiut University and its significance in developing teaching and learning processes in university education. A mixed-method approach was employed, utilising both a questionnaire and interviews administered to a sample of 126 STEM student teachers and nine faculty staff members.  The findings reveal that students' perceptions of the role of the green economy in sustainable development were highly positive, with a mean score of 2.271 and a standard deviation of 0.512. This shows that integrating this approach can support the university in fostering a green educational environment, promoting green thinking and training, and strengthening green community engagement. Additionally, faculty members emphasised the necessity of establishing new policies for university teaching and learning to facilitate the transition to a green economy, ensuring the achievement of sustainable development goals.