From Pedagogical Spaces to Societal Transformation: Advancing Sustainability Education through the Integration of Life Skills and Critical Thinking Competencies

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16980701

Abstract

Background: Sustainability education has emerged as a critical driver for equipping learners with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to address the complex socio-environmental challenges of the 21st century. While global frameworks such as UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) emphasize the integration of sustainability concepts, life skills, and critical thinking into formal curricula, there remains a need for empirical evidence on how such integration translates into practical, long-term societal impact. Objectives: This study aimed to examine how pedagogical strategies and curricular designs facilitate the integration of sustainability concepts, life skills, and critical thinking within formal education, to  investigate the mediating role of life skills and critical thinking in transforming sustainability education into actionable community engagement; and to assess the long-term impact of integrated sustainability education on learners’ contributions to societal transformation toward sustainable development. Methodology: A mixed-methods design was employed across three interconnected phases. Quantitative data were collected through teacher and student surveys (adapted from UNESCO ESD indicators), standardized scales for life skills and critical thinking (LSAS, CCTST), mediation analyses, and longitudinal follow-up surveys of alumni (1–3 years post-completion) using the General Ecological Behavior Scale. Qualitative data included classroom observations, curriculum content analyses, semi-structured interviews, and case studies of school-led community sustainability initiatives. Data triangulation ensured both internal validity and contextual richness. Results: For Objective 1, correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive association (r = 0.46, p < 0.01) between the frequency of sustainability concept inclusion and the depth of life skill integration, with qualitative findings confirming the role of student-centered, competency-driven teaching. For Objective 2, mediation analysis indicated that life skills and critical thinking significantly mediated the relationship between sustainability knowledge and active community engagement (β = 0.38, p < 0.05), supported by thematic evidence of enhanced problem-solving and collaboration in real-world projects. Responding to Objective 3, the longitudinal data found that alumni continued to actively engage in pro-environmental behaviors, local leadership and advocacy, with the local stakeholders of the community claiming significant local changes were attributable to the student-led course, including a reduction in waste sent to landfills and afforestation drives. Conclusion: The results establish a strong case that incorporation of sustainability knowledge with the idea of life skills and critical thinking in formal education needs to be integrated with purposes that go beyond improving just the current academic performance bettering also the long-lasting ability to transform the society wherein one lives. Closing the gap between both worlds, the classroom and the community where action is practiced, this strategy produces a positive and long-lasting ripple effect that can confirm the global sustainability objectives and an educational program that can create positive rippling change.