High quality secondary vocational education (VET) is crucial for a future successful professional career of VET students (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2024). However, according to research, students in secondary VET are prone to demotivation and drop-out (Vugteveen et al., 2016). The creation of a powerful learning environment (PLE) in secondary VET is thus crucial to improve the learning of every student (Placklé, Könings, Struyven, Libotton, van Merriënboer, & Engels, 2020). As Europe strives for climate neutrality by 2050 (The European Green Deal, 2021), schools (Mulvik et al., 2024) and companies (The European Green Deal, 2021) take on a crucial role. The implementation of education for sustainability into the PLEs of practical subjects in secondary VET is thus crucial to achieve this climate goal. Previous research has focussed on the creation of PLEs in secondary VET in general (Wahlgren, & Aarkrog, 2024), or specifically for general subjects within VET (Placklé et al., 2020). Research on the creation of PLEs in practical subjects in VET is rather scarce (Pauwels et al., 2023). Moreover, research on learning for sustainability within the context of practical subjects in secondary VET remains rare. This systematic review aims to create a framework for powerful transformative learning environments for sustainability (PTLES) in practical subjects in secondary VET and the associated student outcomes. This review is guided by the integration of the theoretical frameworks on (1) PLEs in VET (Pauwels et al., 2023), (2) learning for sustainability (LfS) (Mulvik et al., 2024), and (3) transformative learning (TL) (Mezirow, 1978). In the framework for PTLES, all components of the integrated frameworks are present. The framework for PTLES consists of five key building blocks: (1) higher-order thinking and complex skills, (2) high-quality instruction, (3) learning tasks in an authentic learning environment, (4) adaptive education, and (5) classroom management. These key building blocks mainly contain the same interpretation as in the BRIDGE-framework (Pauwels et al., 2023) with the addition of the subprinciples conscious learning and disorienting learning experiences and the refinement of the subprinciples reflection, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary learning tasks. We conclude that current empirical studies on sustainability education within practical subjects in secondary VET scarcely use the transformative learning framework.

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