Background

The Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030), adopted by UN member states, aim to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for a sustainable future by 2030. Achieving this goal depends significantly on teacher education, as teachers play a critical role in fostering sustainability and global responsibility, creating a powerful multiplier effect (Bourn, 2015). While extensive research exists on preparing teachers for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Education (GE), the literature largely focuses on Western European contexts (Brundiers et al., 2021; Wiek et al., 2016), where these initiatives have longer traditions. In contrast, ESD and GE remain underexplored in Central-Eastern Europe, where socio-political and historical contexts differ significantly (Hodorovská & Rankovová, 2024; Kuleta-Hulboj, 2020; Mayblin, Piekut, Valentine, 2016; Mónus, 2020; Müller, 2018; Varga, 2020).

This symposium examines the state of ESD and GE in teacher education in the Visegrad countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), highlighting shared challenges and opportunities shaped by their common history of socialism, post-1990 socio-economic transitions, and quite recent EU integration. Drawing on findings from a collaborative international research project “Teachers for Sustainable Future” funded by the International Visegrad Fund, the symposium addresses ESD and GE's presence, depth, and institutionalisation in pre-service teacher education programs. The presentations focus on institutional strategies, organisational practices, and the perspectives of academic staff on incorporating ESD and GE into teacher education.

Methodology

Employing a qualitative research approach, the study used individual semi-structured interviews conducted in several higher education institutions in each country. The respondents were academic teachers training future teachers and individuals in managerial positions responsible for academic teaching. Interview transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis approach (Braun, Clarke, 2012). The second research method was document analysis of publicly available institutional data, such as mission statements, sustainability strategies, and course descriptions.

Findings
Findings reveal significant barriers to integrating GE and ESD, including social resistance, limited systemic support, insufficient resources, and gaps in knowledge and awareness. Nonetheless, the research identifies promising practices, committed educators, and opportunities for advancing these critical areas. In addition, findings suggest that while sustainability and ESD are more established and integrated into teacher education, GE lags behind due to systemic and cultural challenges. The symposium emphasises the need for a new perspective on teacher education in the analysed countries and the introduction of changes in the teacher education system. It also seeks to contribute to advancing GE and ESD in teacher education by offering actionable insights and fostering dialogue among policymakers, educators, and researchers.

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