Abstract

Sustainability has emerged and matured as a significant concept in the last two decades. The World Conservation Strategy (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 1980 cited in Selby, 2006) is credited for using sustainable development in relation to education for the first time. In spite of the popularity of the term, its clarity and definition are still the matters of constant debates. Many and varied approaches to and understandings of education for environmental sustainability are being offered by theorists and practitioners (Dobson, 1996; Sauve, 1999; Sterling, 2001). As a result of theoretical, terminological, and conceptual complexity, many educators find it rather difficult to define, explain, and, therefore, weave the threads of environmental sustainability into practice (Selby, 2006). The quality of teachers’ understanding of the approach is extremely important for what and how they teach. This proposal is based on a qualitative study to examine Canadian pre-service Social Studies teachers’ perception of the benefits and challenges of controversial environmental issues. The findings demonstrate that controversial issues like sustainability are considered challenging but necessary for the development of responsible global citizens. The findings provide valuable insights into the importance of teaching current environmental topics and options for practical application.