In the context of overlapping global crises, particularly climate change and related sustainability challenges, educational research is increasingly concerned with how knowledge translates into meaningful action. Education is widely attributed to a decisive role in empowering leaners to contribute to a more sustainable world. Vocational education and training (VET), in particular, is attributed considerable potential in this regard due to its strong practical orientation, its close connection to the world of work and the economy (Slopinksi et al., 2020). In Switzerland, VET is predominantly organized as a dual system, in which apprentices acquire practical skills in training companies alongside theoretical knowledge at vocational schools, complemented by occupation-specific intercompany courses (SERI, 2026). However, if VET aims to empower apprentices to develop sustainability awareness and encourage action there is a need to go beyond the transmission of operational skills or subject-specific  declarative knowledge, and instead systematically address goal conflicts, ambivalences, and contradictions inherent in professional practice (Fischer et al., 2020). There is little research on the development of sustainability awareness in vocational education and training, and the present contribution therefore focuses on this issue.

Sustainability awareness historically emerged from the concept of environmental awareness and refers to an individual’s recognition of the transgression of natural planetary boundaries and the resulting threat to the living conditions of both present and future generations (Michelsen et al., 2015). This understanding encompasses both the cognitive and the emotional–affective dimensions. In addition, sustainability awareness includes a conative dimension, which reflects individuals’ perception of their ability to actively contribute to change (Franzen, 2023). Only the interaction of all three dimensions leads to a comprehensive form of sustainability awareness.
Adolescents’ sustainability awareness is shaped by influences both outside and within educational contexts (Holfelder, 2018; Wendt & Görgen, 2017). Youth studies indicate that sustainability awareness among young adults is generally high, however, adolescents in VET tend to adopt a more pragmatic approach and show greater distance from sustainability issues compared to peers with an academic background (Holfelder, 2018). Apprentices already bring this emotionally distanced approach with them when they enter VET, as a result of their socialization and their prior encounters with sustainability (Pettig & Singer-Brodowski, 2025). Depending on apprentices` experiences VET, these emotions may be reinforced, remain stable, or be transformed.

Sustainability challenges are particularly permeated by emotions due to their complexity and inherent goal conflicts and contradictions (Grund & Singer-Brodowski, 2020). Moreover, emotions constitute a core element of transformative learning processes, as profound changes in one’s self- or worldview are often accompanied by experiences of emotional discomfort (Grund et al., 2024). When individuals experience negative emotions such as anger or sadness in response to climate change, this may increase their willingness to engage actively and to take action themselves (Trott, 2022). Perceived opportunities for action can also contribute to improved emotional regulation. However, emotions have so far been largely neglected in VET research on sustainability, underscoring the relevance of examining this topic in greater depth (Grund et al., 2024).

Therefore, this contribution examines the development of vocational sustainability awareness within VET, with a particular focus on its emotional–affective component. It explores which emotions are articulated by apprentices in the context of sustainability-related issues in VET and analyzes the role these emotions play in the emergence and further development of sustainability awareness. In addition, the study investigates the influence of apprentices’ experiences in vocational contexts on these emotional processes. The main research question underlying this contribution is: What kind of emotions regarding sustainability do apprentices experience in their educational and vocational contexts, and what role do emotions play in the development of vocational sustainability awareness?

This contribution is based on a PhD-project that forms part of an ongoing larger nationwide Swiss research project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. 100017_219887; Duemmler, 2024). Between February 2024 and January 2026, a total of 23 individual interviews and three group discussions on sustainability in the context VET with approximately ten apprentices each were conducted. All data were collected in German-speaking Switzerland within the vocational fields of heating installation, drafting, gardening, and floristry. Access to the vocational fields was established through vocational schools and subsequently expanded using a snowball sampling approach. Group discussions with apprentices aged 15 to 18 were conducted on site at the vocational-schools and lasted approximately one hour on average. Following the group discussions, in-depth interviews were carried out with selected participants. All participants provided written informed consent. The conversations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed in anonymized form. Data analysis was conducted following a constructivist Grounded Theory approach based on Charmaz (2024), conceptualizing the research process as an iterative cycle between data collection and data analysis rather than as clearly separated phases. Data collection and analysis proceeded concurrently, with ongoing theoretical sampling and continuous refinement of the analysis. For the analysis, interview transcripts were initially open-coded close to the data. Through subsequent stages of focused coding and finally selective coding, the data were progressively abstracted and condensed.

At the present stage, the analysis has not yet been completed, however, results will be available by the time of the conference in Tampere. Initial examination of the data, with a focus on emotions related to sustainability and the role of the emotional–affective component in the development of vocational sustainability awareness, indicates that feelings of concern and even hopelessness related to sustainability can be transformed into optimism through the experience of concrete opportunities for action in vocational contexts. In this process, apprentices come to perceive their professional activities as meaningful and impactful. For example, draftsmen and women specializing in spatial planning regularly engage with topics such as land use and river restoration in their professional activities. On the contrary, feelings of hopelessness and frustration may be further intensified when learners receive confirmation in their vocational contexts that their work cannot make any difference and they do not experience any sense of agency. The results underscore the importance of the interplay between cognitive, conative, and emotional–affective dimensions in the development of vocational sustainability awareness. Sustainable action can become durably embedded in apprentices` vocational self-concepts if they have possibilities for conscious reflection on vocational practices on their ecological, economic and social implications. However, vocational learning also considers emotional engagement and disengagement among apprentices. Given the close interconnection between emotions and learning, there is considerable potential to deepen vocational sustainability awareness by more closely examining the relationship between apprentices’ occupational activities and the emotions experienced through and within these activities. Transformative learning processes that ultimately leads to the integration of sustainability into apprentices’ vocational self-concepts, can thereby emerge.

Charmaz, K. (2024). Constructing Grounded Theory. Sage. Duemmler, K. (2024). Forschungsprojekt «Nachhaltige Entwicklung in den beruflichen Identitäten von Lernenden in der Schweizer Berufsbildung.» finanziert vom Schweizerischen Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Nr. 100017_219887) Fischer, A., Casper, M., Kiepe, K., Hantke, H., Pranger, J., & Schütt-Sayed, S. (2020). Theoretische Reflexionen zur Didaktik der Berufsbildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BBNE) aus der Perspektive der Modellversuchsforschung. In E. Wittmann, D. Frommberger, & U. Weyland (Eds.), Jahrbuch der berufs- und wirtschaftspädagogischen Forschung 2020. (pp. 65–79). Verlag Barbara Budrich. Franzen, A. (2023). Umweltbewusstsein. In M. Sonnberger, A. Bleicher, & M. Gross (Eds.), Handbuch Umweltsoziologie. Springer VS. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-37222-4 Grund, J., & Singer-Brodowski, M. (2020). Transformatives Lernen und Emotionen: Ihre Bedeutung für die außerschulische Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung. Ausserschulische Bildung, 3, 26–28. Grund, J., Singer-Brodowski, M., & Büssing, A. G. (2024). Emotions and transformative learning for sustainability: a systematic review. Sustainability Science, 19, 307–324. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01439-5 Holfelder, A.-K. (2018). Orientierungen von Jugendlichen zu Nachhaltigkeitsthemen: Zur didaktischen Bedeutung von implizitem Wissen im Kontext BNE. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Michelsen, G., Grunenberg, H., Mader, C., & Barth, M. (2015). GREENPEACE NACHHALTIGKEITSBAROMETER 2015 – NACHHALTIGKEIT BEWEGT DIE JÜNGERE GENERATION. Pettig, F., & Singer-Brodowski, M. (2025). Learning in Relation with a Changing World: Thinking Beyond ESD 1 and ESD 2 Towards ESD 3. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 18(2), 176–201. https://doi.org/10.1177/09734082251347383 State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI (2026, January 29) Berufliche Grundbildung. https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/de/berufliche-grundbildung Slopinksi, A., Porath, J., & Križan, G. M. (2020). Nachhaltigkeit in der Lebenswelt Betrieb – Verständnis, Wahrnehmung und Relevanz von Corporate Social Responsibility aus Sicht kaufmännischer Auszubildender. bwp@ Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik – online, Ausgabe 38, 1–20. Trott, C., D. . (2022). Climate change education for transformation: exploring the affective and attitudinal dimensions of children’s learning and action. Environmental Education Research, 28(7), 1023–1042. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2021.2007223 Wendt, B., & Görgen, B. (2017). Der Zusammenhang von Umweltbewusstsein und Umweltverhalten: Eine explorative Studie zu einem Kernproblem der Umweltsoziologie am Beispiel von Wissensarbeiter*innen. readbox unipress in der readbox publishing GmbH.