Mainstreaming the sustainable development goals in teacher education curricula: opportunities, challenges, and best practices

Introduction This mixed-methods research examined the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into teacher education curricula during the 2025–2026 academic year, focusing on opportunities, challenges, and best practices. Methods The study involved 330 preservice teachers. Quantitative data were collected through a researcher-designed questionnaire assessing perceived SDG integration, awareness, attitudes, and preparedness to teach the SDGs. Qualitative data were gathered through focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson correlation at a 0.05 alpha level, while thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. Results Findings revealed a high perceived extent of SDG integration across pedagogy, cross-disciplinary approaches, and institutional support. Preservice teachers demonstrated high awareness, positive attitudes, and strong preparedness to integrate SDGs into their future teaching. A significant positive correlation was found between SDG integration and awareness, attitudes, and preparedness. Opportunities were linked to supportive policies, professional development, experiential learning, research, innovation, and collaboration. Key barriers included overcrowded curricula, limited policy guidance, inconsistent support, inadequate training, lack of contextualized resources, time constraints, and resistance to change. Discussion Effective SDG integration practices were found to be experiential, contextually grounded, interdisciplinary, and creatively delivered, supported by strong institutional frameworks and enhanced through strategic use of technology.