Infusing sustainability in secondary school economics education

Abstract

This research article discusses the theme of the infusion of sustainability in school economics. It stems from the researcher's study that explores teaching and learning in secondary school economics in Malta. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism, which offers an understanding of the world that is real, but which may be differently experienced and interpreted by different observers (Alderson, 2021; Bhaskar, 1979; Fletcher, 2017). This paper draws upon observation sessions and interviews with fourteen economics teachers. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyze data (Braun & Clarke, 2006) with the help of Nvivo software. The participants regarded education for sustainable development as a prominent theme. Furthermore, they educated their students to reflect on how their choices affected not only themselves but also others and cultivated an awareness of social justice in them. The considerations raised by this paper can assist teachers, teacher educators, and researchers in their reflections and efforts relating to enhancing the sustainability dimension in school economics education and other subjects.