Pre-service Technology Teachers' Experiences of Project Based Learning as Pedagogy for Education for Sustainable Development

This paper reports on a qualitative study, which embraced the interpretative paradigm.The study explored Pre-Service Technology Teachers' (PSTTs) experiences of Project-based learning (PBL) as pedagogy while learning about Education for Sustainable development (ESD) at a university in South Africa.The paper advances the rationale that adopting a pedagogy that contextualised PBL has allowed for transformation in the perception and behaviour of PSTTs about sustainability issues, critical citizenship as well as their role as future teachers.Furthermore, it improved the capacity of people to address environmental and developmental issues.Mezirow, theory on transformative learning guided the study theoretically.Fifty-four PSTTs, who were enrolled for the processing module in technology education in 2016, were purposively selected to participate in the study.Participants were assured of confidentiality and anonymity.Data was generated in three stages.This paper reports on stage two and three of data generation, which required PSTTs to participate in focus group interviews and maintain a reflective diary of their experiences of PBL and ESD.Data was subjected to thematic analysis.The findings revealed that PBL increased application of content to solve sustainability problems.Furthermore, the findings bring to the fore new dimensions to the learning that PSTTs experienced when they engaged in PBL, such as overcoming prejudices, team work, awareness of their social responsibilities to the community and the development of skills for sustainability change agents.These finding have implication for pedagogy used to infuse ESD within the curriculum and overcome social cultural stereotypes.