Quality education is crucial to improving the lives of citizens and fostering sustainable development (Annan-Diab & Molinari, 2017; Leal-Filho et al., 2019). Experts agree that one of the cornerstones of this education is the teacher. 

Currently, teacher education in Spain faces several challenges. One of them is to promote professional training to the characteristics and needs of 21st-century society. In this sense, experts agree that to solve global problems such as poverty, inequalities and environmental degradation; teachers must have specific skills, such as systems thinking, anticipatory, normative, strategic, collaborative, critical thinking, self-awareness and problem-solving skills (Bautista-Cerro & Díaz, 2017; Filho & Dahms, 2018; Merma-Molina et al., 2022; UNESCO, 2017). Therefore, from a holistic approach, Brandt and co-workers (2019) assess the development of competencies of student teachers for Sustainable Development. They show the importance of pedagogical knowledge, motivation and changes in beliefs and attitudes and call for learning models that facilitate authentic, real-world encounters and problem-oriented tasks. Furthermore, Timmand and Barth (2021) and Solís-Espallargas et al. (2019) have referred that teachers, to contribute to sustainability, must promote change both at the micro level, i.e. in the classroom and school, and at the macro level, i.e. in society.

Based on the above, it is possible to state that incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into initial teacher education requires a new pedagogical approach and the redesign of curricula. In this regard, experts have a broad consensus that education for sustainability requires active, participatory and experiential learning methods that engage the learner and promote understanding, complex thinking and the ability to act (UNESCO, 2017). Such methods include role-plays and simulations, group discussions and dialogues, stimulus activities, debates, critical incidents, case studies, reflective storytelling, personal development planning, critical reading and writing, problem-based learning and fieldwork. To this list can be added vision, research, proactivity, values and action research. For their part, it is crucial that teacher curricula: (1) systematically and regularly include the eight critical competencies for sustainability, (2) strengthen the link between university and school to develop immersion experiences for future teachers to put these competencies into practice, and (3) use innovative and context-specific pedagogical approaches (Chinedu et al., 2018).

Within this framework of considerations, the objectives of the study were:

1. To identify the sustainability-related competencies of students studying undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Education in Spain.
2. To identify their basic knowledge of sustainable development.
3. To inquire about the type of sustainability training they have received.
4. To find out their opinions on the usefulness of the SDGs in their personal and professional lives.

In order to guide the study, the following questions were asked: What SDG-related competencies do students have, what is their knowledge of basic sustainable development terminology, what are their educational experiences on sustainability, and how do they perceive the usefulness of the SDGs in their personal and professional lives?

In order to achieve the objectives set out, a quantitative methodological approach and a non-experimental design were adopted. The study was descriptive and exploratory. A total of 586 university students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alicante (Spain) participated. The sample selection procedure was non-probabilistic, using random sampling (Mayorga & Ruiz, 2002). 72.3% of the students ranged between 18 and 25 years, 17.9% between 26 and 33 years, 6% between 34 and 41 years, 3.4% between 42 and 49 years and 0.5% were over 50 years old. Most of the participants were studying for a degree in Early Childhood Education (30.45), a degree in Physical Activity Sciences (23.3%) and a Master's degree in Secondary Education Teaching (27.7%). This instrument aims to identify the sustainability-related competencies of teachers and the education and training they have received in this regard. The data was collected using the questionnaire on competencies and integration of the SDGs in teacher training (CISODS-FD). The questionnaire has five dimensions: 1. SDG knowledge (one qualitative question). 2. Student competencies linked to SDGs (20 quantitative items with values from one to five). 3. Integration of SDGs in initial training (5 quantitative items). 4. Perceptions of the usefulness of the SDGs and relevance of the SDGs in their professional t training (19 quantitative multiple-choice items). 5. Perceptions of their contribution to the achievement of the SDGs (two questions: a qualitative question to find out whether the SDGs are relevant to their profession and a quantitative question to find out whether they consider that they could contribute to achieving the SDGs). This study discusses the dimensions of competencies, university training experiences in relation to the SDGs and students' perceptions of the SDGs' usefulness. The quantitative questions were asked on a five-point ordinal rating scale, with one being the lowest and five the highest. Cronbach's alpha statistic was used to determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire. According to this, the instrument has a high-reliability index (α=.929). In order to facilitate its dissemination among students, the questionnaire was developed online using Google Forms. This tool's choice was due to its possibilities for survey administration, such as ease of use, low cost and automatic storage capacity (Sandhya et al., 2020).

The most salient findings show that, in general, students have a mastery of the competencies inherent to their professional profile; for example, positively valuing the diversity of other cultures and races (4.52), and working collaboratively (4.19). However, they have less developed other complex competencies necessary to face current problems, such as being enterprising (3), recognising and understanding relationships, analysing complex systems (3.34), and inferring conclusions (3.42). Regarding their knowledge of the SDGs, they highlight elements that have already been addressed in Spain for over two decades. Thus, they recognise the significance of gender equality (4.28), and climate change (4.02). However, they need to gain better knowledge about other terms strictly linked to sustainability; for example, Agenda 2030 (2.52). These findings are consistent with the university's inadequate and insufficient training on sustainability, as almost half of the student body (44.7%) stated that they had not received any instruction on the subject. Furthermore, only 3.9% of those who had had training experiences reported that sustainability had been addressed in a cross-cutting manner in a subject, i.e. in the activities, content, and assessment process. When asked about the usefulness of the SDGs, they pointed out that they contribute to a greater awareness of the most widespread global issues of environmental damage and to a realisation of personal commitment to provide solutions. However, although with a lower presence, it is alarming that 8.4% of participants did not know any use of the SDGs, and 1.4% thought they were not helpful. In sum, it is concluded that students are not sufficiently educated about sustainability and that the university needs to promote this education adequately. Curricula should systematically and gradually incorporate SDGs and critical competencies in initial and in-service teacher training using sustainability pedagogies (Evans & Ferreira, 2020; Howlett et al., 2016; Rieckmann, 2018; Qablan, 2018).

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