What is it about?
This study investigated how often Higher Education language teachers in Finland integrate cultural, social, ecological, and economic dimensions of sustainable development and identified what supports or hinders this integration. Our study showed a clear imbalance - cultural/social themes are taught most, economic least - and that higher self-efficacy, motivation, and access to available and adequate materials are linked to more frequent SD teaching, while lack of time and/or expertise suppresses it.
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Why is it important?
Our study presented new insights into the current state of Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education language education in Finland. In this study we emphasize the access to and availability of essential means and resources including adequate teacher training, institutional support, as well as suitable and available materials to strengthen Education for Sustainable Development within language education.
Perspectives
The presented study is part of the SustainLANG-project (2024–2028) which explores the current state of and possibilities for Education in Sustainable Development in language education in Finland and a potential adaptation for international contexts. To learn more of our ongoing project, visit our homepage https://sites.utu.fi/sustainlang/en/ or follow us on social media: LinkedIn: SustainLANG Bluesky: @sustainlang.bsk.social
Dr. Eva Malessa
University of Turku
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Implementation of ESD in language education in Finland – Higher education language teachers’ views and experiences, European Journal of Applied Linguistics, May 2026, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/eujal-2025-0064.
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