Integrating sustainable development goals in English language and literature teaching

Teaching English provides the possibility for raising students’ awareness of global issues. By bringing relevant global issues into the classroom, teachers can provide students a rich array of activities and topics that increase their engagement with diverse cultures, issues of local as well as global importance. This study explored the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in English language and literature teaching in a state university laboratory school in the Philippines. It focused on the learning experiences and feedback of pre-service teachers and junior high school students on the integration. The phenomenological research design, the interview and focus group discussion were utilized. For a concise description of themes and patterns relevant to the phenomenon, thematic analysis was done after the data gathering. Four dominant themes were revealed in the learning experiences of the teaching interns during the study: Designing for Concrete Action; Applying the Interdisciplinary and Contextualized Approach; Nurturing a Participatory Attitude; and Fostering Personal Accountability. The feedback of the learners on the SDG integration included themes such as Empowerment to Take Initiative, Gaining Meaningful Learning, and Developing a Whole-School Approach. The Integration of SDGs in the English classroom provided a range of benefits for both pre-service teachers and students. Students were given the tools to expand their learning and develop the capacity to proactively address a variety of problems. They were encouraged to view these issues as their own, fostering a sense of ownership and purpose, rather than merely striving for knowledge and comprehension.


Introduction
It is always the aim of educators to make the learning content in the classroom relevant to the lives of the students.Teachers possess the capacity to translate curriculum and policy into opportunities for learning (Amin and Greenwood, 2018).Teaching English provides the possibility for raising students' awareness of global issues.By bringing relevant global issues into the classroom, teachers can provide students a rich array of activities and topics that increase their engagement with diverse cultures, issues of local as well as global importance.
When teachers aim to give classroom activities that inspire students to learn more about the broader world and take into consideration how events affect their lives, the learning becomes meaningful and relevant.English teachers, in many parts of the globe, have spearheaded transformative shifts in education.Communication tasks, collaborative work, Cordova 10. 3389/feduc.2024.1330034Frontiers in Education 02 frontiersin.orglearner autonomy, project work, are all grounded in a concept of learning that recognizes students as engaged participants and thinkers, instead of mere passive absorbers of knowledge (Maley and Peachey, 2017).
In a position to integrate sustainable development and global issues into their lessons are English teachers, inspiring and enabling students to become active, productive, and cooperative global citizens, empowered to face the challenges the world is confronted with (Barber, 2023).At the heart of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) lies educational reform, which entails reflection and putting into practice the essential skills and qualities students require, as well as fostering a conducive learning environment for their development.Action-oriented, pluralistic, as well as holistic teaching integrating the SDGs are considered to be effective in developing the students' action competence (Sinakou et al., 2019).
To achieve this, an integration of environmental, economic, and social approaches is necessary, drawing knowledge from diverse disciplines and promoting international cooperation.This crucial message of education must be conveyed to teachers, students and the wider world.Moreover, if pre-service teachers learn to weave Education for Sustainable Development issues into the curriculum and to use pedagogical techniques associated with quality ESD, then the next generation will be capable of shaping a more sustainable world (International Implementation Scheme, 2005).
With the need to make learning relevant in the lives of students and train future teachers in the integration of the sustainable development goals, this study was conducted in the laboratory school of a teacher education institution in the Philippines.The experience that the pre-service teachers in integrating the SDGs in the laboratory school and the feedback of the students themselves regarding this integration may prove to be of value to teachers not only in the field of language and literature teaching but to all disciplines as well.
This research explored the experiences of pre-service teachers in the integration of the SDGs in English Language and Literature teaching and sought the feedback of Junior High School students on the said integration.

Research design
This study made use of the descriptive qualitative research method, and in order to look into and gain understanding of the learning experiences of the teaching interns and junior high school students, utilized the phenomenological research design.It further delved into the underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations through the analysis of the feedback from these respondents regarding the integration of ESD in the teaching and learning of English.Interviews and focus group discussions and observations were used to gather data in this study.

Research environment
The research was conducted at a laboratory school of a teacher training institution in the Philippines.The said laboratory school serves as the training ground for pre-service teachers or teaching interns who are in their seventh or eighth semester in the college of teacher education.As it is a laboratory school, studies on designing learning experiences and implementation of initiatives such as integration of the SDGs are conducted.The teacher training institution is located in Cebu City, Philippines.

Research respondents
Ten Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English students who were undergoing their internship in the laboratory school were the respondents of the study.They are called teaching interns and are under the supervision of a teaching internship mentor.They teach both English language and literature classes to junior high school students in the laboratory school.The first few weeks of internship are spent observing classes and after the orientation period, they are assigned topics to teach.They write lesson designs which are checked by their mentor during the pre-teaching conference.During this conference, the mentor and teaching intern discuss both the content and strategies that the intern will use in the teaching demonstration.After the teaching demonstration, a post teaching conference is held where strengths and areas of improvement are analyzed and suggested.
In addition to the pre-service teachers, interviews were conducted with nine junior high school students, with four from Grade 9 and five from Grade 10, to gather insights into their experiences in these classes.
There is only one section for every grade level, each with 40-45 students.These students are mostly above average learners since they go through a stringent process in order to be accepted in the laboratory school.Most of them are eloquent speakers of the English language and perform well academically.

Research instrument
A teacher made interview guide was used to gather data about the learning experiences of the teaching interns during the pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation stages.The interview guide was validated by a panel of experts in the field of English and literature teaching.A separate interview guide was prepared to get the feedback of the junior high school students on the integration of SDGs in their language and literature lessons.The same validation process was done on this interview guide.

Data-gathering procedure
Before the conduct of the study, permission from university officials was first sought and clearance from the university ethics committee was obtained.After which, the teaching interns and the junior high school students were given separate orientations regarding United Nation's Education for Sustainable Development as well as the SDGs.They were given information regarding their roles as participants and respondents.For the teaching interns, models of classroom activities from different countries implementing such programs were presented.They were then given topics on either language or literature and pre-teaching conferences were held to discuss strategies that may be done to integrate an appropriate SDG.Post teaching conferences were also in the form of an FGD to deliberate on the pre-service teachers' teaching experience.After the integration, the junior high school students were interviewed regarding their experience and feedback on the SDG integration in their lessons.

Data analysis
Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method was used in the analysis of data gathered to get the essence of the phenomenon under investigation.Morrow et al. (2015) states that the result will be a brief and condensed description of the phenomenon under study wherein data gathered is categorized in themes and sub-themes for comparison and analysis purposes.Using this method is congruent with the study's data gathering procedure where first-person accounts of experience in the form of face-to-face interviews and discussions were done.
The data gathered were thematically analyzed which were drawn from the focus group discussions and interviews to validate and re-assess the respondents' responses.Thematic analysis was used in this study since it provides an easy and concise description of themes and patterns relevant to the phenomenon.

Ethical considerations
In order to avoid falsification, fabrication, misinterpretation, misunderstanding and dispute of data gathered, and to primarily protect the dignity and safety of the research participants (Silverman, 2009), certain norms of conduct and several ethical concerns or issues were considered to ensure that this study was conducted in an appropriate manner (Babbie and Mouton, 2001).
This research was submitted to the state university's Ethics Review Committee.The interview guides at the same time were validated by experts in the field of English language and literature teaching.Furthermore, compliance to ethical procedures was followed such as providing informed consent in written and verbal form from the participants, their parents or guardians and the organization concerned for the interview.This verbal and written consent includes the explanation of the researcher about the research purpose and processes that participants underwent in participating in this study.
As discussed in the consent form, the purpose and the benefits of the research is discussed with and explained to the participants.The consent form is structured as follows: (1) Participation in the study: The procedure to be followed during the interview process which was explained to the participants; (2) Risks: The possible risks the participant might encounter; (3) Benefits: A copy of the lesson design exemplar, which are the outputs of the study were provided to the teaching interns; (4) Confidentiality: The assurance that the participant's information will not be disclosed, unless needed and consent from participant is taken.Codes were used in place of the participants' real names and not disclose the record of interviews other than the people involved to keep information about the participants confidential, and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure, tampering, or damage; (5) Incentives: The participants received tokens in the form of simple pens, bookmarks and snacks during focus group discussions and interviews; and (6) Rights of the participants: The participants were free to withdraw their participation in the study.Participation in this study was voluntary.The participant had the right not to participate at all or to leave the study at any time.Deciding not to participate or choosing to leave the study did not result in any penalty or loss of benefits and it did not harm the relationship of the respondents with the researcher.

Learning experiences of the pre-service teachers
This section presents the experiences of pre-service teachers as they navigated the process of integrating the Sustainable Development Goals in their English lessons.Here, they share their insights into the challenges and rewards associated with crafting engaging lesson plans that go beyond traditional academic approaches.Further, the discussion extends to the interdisciplinary and contextualized approach employed by the pre-service teachers, highlighting the focus on problem-solving skills.The integration of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in English classes is explored, shedding light on both the challenges faced and the gratification derived from fostering active student participation.It also highlights the ongoing need for pedagogical improvement, cultivating a participatory attitude among students, and fostering personal accountability among educators for a holistic and impactful learning experience.

Designing for concrete action
The teaching interns involved in the study related their experiences on creating lesson designs that contain engaging learning experiences that encourage students to take concrete action by arousing interest, enriching understanding, and enhancing problem-solving skills.
They reveal that crafting such lessons required a thorough preparation on their part and involved not only a careful selection of activities that are applicable in real life situations, but also relevant and connected to the subject matter.There was no deviation from the topics included in the K-12 curriculum guide of the Department of Education, and so the designing of the lessons was challenging on the part of the interns.This is supported by Kwee (2021) who point out that integrating the themes of sustainability that align with the learning goals of the students as well as that of the subject content can be challenging if there is no sufficient training or support is given.I really enjoyed writing the lesson designs because I am able to use videos about current issues, but sometimes the challenge is connecting the activities with each other so that they become a united, coherent lesson on a particular topic (Teaching Intern T).
Another challenge that they faced was the amount of time that they needed to prepare for these lessons.
Quality output requires quality effort.Making one's lessons relevant for the students entails that the teacher design engaging activities that will develop their critical thinking and problemsolving skills in real world scenarios.This task is easier said than done, but with commitment, is something that is possible (Teaching Intern V). Preparation of instructional materials used for ESD integration was an interesting part for the interns.They described it as "exciting, " "fascinating, " and "motivating, " but also "not a joke." My topic was on the effective use of adjectives.I demonstrated to them, through an experiment, what happens during soil erosion.The students then were made to describe the plants and the mounds of soil in the diorama before and after I poured water on it.The class was really interactive, but the effort that I placed on the preparation of instructional materials was no joke.In the end, the experience was fulfilling because the students were able to make use of adjectives and discuss environmental issues plus offer solutions for the said problem (Teaching Intern U).
The pre-service teachers designed lessons that allowed students to offer solutions to current pressing societal issues and apply their own suggestions in their own everyday actions.In the crafting of their lesson designs, emphasis was placed not only in the students' communication skills but also their collaborative abilities, the formation of respectful relations and the enhancement of the students' ability to plan and anticipate future scenarios.
Teaching Interns S and W who did team teaching, expressed that they had "a sense of fulfillment" after having designed and implemented lessons that did not only teach students about parallel structures in sentence construction, but also on formulating sentences about their responsibility as global citizens who need to take good care of their environment.
I got positive feedback from parents regarding the homework that we gave to the students.They were asked to write an essay that contains sentences with parallel structures about things that they could do at home that would help the environment and actually do what they have written at home or in their community.The students themselves asked their parents to avoid single-use plastic products and for us teaching interns to get such a positive response means a lot! (Teaching Intern S).
I did not realize that in teaching English grammar, I will be able to spread awareness about environmental protection.I thought that was something Science teachers do, but the satisfaction I felt after having taught this way is so valuable (Teaching Intern W).
The preservice teachers created instructional plans enabling students to propose solutions for urgent societal problems and implement their own suggestions in their daily lives.This allowed the students to take-action and empowered them to believe in their capacity to make a positive difference in the world that they live in.While crafting these lesson designs, the focus of the preservice teachers was not only on enhancing their students' communication or literary skills but also on fostering collaboration, building respectful relationships, and developing their capacity to plan for future situations.As Romero (2005) puts it, the teacher must be one with an outlook that goes beyond narrow parochial frontiers but with a global orientation and has to consider the rich diversity of the cultures existing in the global community.

Applying the interdisciplinary and contextualized approach
Having been trained on the interdisciplinary and contextualized approaches before the start of the integration of the SDGs in English classes, the pre-service teachers saw the need to focus on the development of problem-solving skills.The competencies and attitudes emphasized in the SDGs relate to developing integrative and multidimensional thinking; the ability to think critically; the ability to foresee possible scenarios and plan accordingly; and the ability to relate global issues to issues that are personally relevant to them.
Despite the challenge of having to integrate global issues to their lessons, the teaching interns saw the beauty of the integration.Teaching Intern Z said, "What I like about the approach is that the students are always actively engaged.They are not simply listeners nor spectators, but active participants in the learning process." Another teaching intern added.Maybe it's because the activities we gave them required them to be really involved.It was really nice to see how interested they were in the topics that we integrated in the English lessons.Maybe they realize that it will be their generation who will be affected the most if we cannot take care of the environment (Teaching Intern Y).
Most interns were satisfied with the way their classes turned out during the integration of the SDGs in their classes.As one teaching interns puts it: As a soon-to-be-professional teacher, it really feels great to be in the midst of students actively engaged in discussing not only language, not only literature, but also issues of global and personal relevance.The preparation may have been arduous and challenging, but seeing that the students were actively participating in the activities, makes all the effort all worth it (Teaching Intern X).

Another teaching intern added:
Life is not compartmentalized, and neither should education be.In order to stay relevant in this fast-changing world, we need to incorporate learning activities in our lessons that use real life situations and lessons that can be used in real life (Teaching Intern V).
The pre-service teachers, despite being daunted by the preparations they had to do were willing to learn in order to improve their craft.This is supported by Yılmaz Fındık et al. ( 2021) who pointed out the eagerness of the pre-service teachers to receive training on sustainable development that involves interactive teaching-learning activities with reference to local and global issues including studying methods of the integration into the teaching practice.Additionally, Petkutė (2012) promotes the interdisciplinary teaching-learning model as a novel approach to examining language study content through various disciplinary lenses, thereby ensuring its contextualization and relevance.

Nurturing a participatory attitude
After the implementation, the teaching interns were made to look back on their experiences in the integration of the SDGs in the language and literature lessons.Most of them, having experienced the challenges in the writing and crafting of their lesson designs and preparation of instructional materials, found fulfillment and satisfaction during the implementation stage due to the interactive and engaging activities that they were able to incorporate including the positive responses from their junior high school students.
When asked what would have to be done to improve the teachinglearning experiences in the English classroom, the interns stated that the participatory attitude of the students has to be nurtured.One teaching intern quipped: There are so many teachers out there that focus only on the acquisition of knowledge.Instead of just giving learning activities, the teacher must analyze which part of the lesson would be most interesting and effective as well as how these should be carried out (Teaching Intern U).
Another teaching intern expressed her difficulty and effort that she must place in making instructional materials and thinking of activities that will actively engage her students in the lesson.
I need to do a lot of research when I write my lesson designs.It was really difficult.Before, teachers needed only to focus on reading comprehension, literary appreciation, vocabulary, grammar, etc.As long as teachers give them opportunities to use their communication skills, that's enough.Now, I have to integrate the SDGs too.It's a lot of work, but when I saw that the students were really participative in group activities that made them work on real-life issues, I felt that all my effort was worth it (Teaching Intern U).
The Guide to Promoting ESD (Japan National Commission for UNESCO, 2016) emphasizes that it is imperative that pedagogies and learning be improved continuously.Educators must aim for learner-centered, proactive learning based on activities that allow students to solve problems and incorporate collaborative learning by using engaging group activities, and allowing students to work together and discuss to carry out investigative activities or creating presentations.
Teaching Intern T said that "It must be clear for teachers what students are learning and why." Instead of merely striving to acquire knowledge and understanding, students should aspire to expand upon their knowledge to foster problem-solving skills and the ability to address a wide range of issues, embracing these challenges as personal responsibilities.
It is crucial that pedagogies and learning are improved continuously, from the three perspectives of "active learning" that include interactive learning, proactive learning, and in-depth learning (Japan National Commission for UNESCO, 2016).The teaching interns noted that most often, students forget the lessons discussed in the classroom because the teacher has failed to establish the relevance of these lessons to the students' very own lives.With in-depth, proactive, and interactive learning strategies, the teacher empowers the students and allows them to make ownership of global issues and not only affording them opportunity to formulate solutions, but to make concrete actions.

Fostering personal accountability
In raising global awareness among their students, the teaching interns have realized that they too, needed to imbibe the very thing that they were trying to inculcate in their students.The experience has broadened their perspectives and has made them see their own personal share in solving global issues and challenges.
Before I had my teaching internship, ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) was something that we only discussed in our classes.I did not really feel compelled to do anything about it.It was all just theories, but it's different when you are already teaching.I realized that I cannot make my students believe in something that I personally do not care about as well (Teaching Intern S).This is supported by Agirreazkuenaga (2019), who pointed out that embedding the sustainable development goals, the role of the teachers' personal involvement and awareness was one challenge that she identified.The effectiveness of the school project geared towards environmental education was implemented with lesser or greater effectiveness and dedication which depend on the teachers.
Teaching Intern Z added: When teaching literature, we always make our students draw the theme of a literary texts such as poems and short stories.In addition, we make our students use their prior knowledge and connect lessons to real-world scenarios.In incorporating the SDGs, I have realized that stories and poems about love does not only include love for other people but also love for the environment and love for our future.
Further, the teaching interns expressed that it is not only the students who should learn and do something about these global issues, but they themselves.Teaching Intern V said that it is a case of "practicing what you preach." She explained: We are asking our students to collaborate with their classmates, find solutions, and do proactive action, but we teachers only do the talking.It is quite difficult to admit at first, but I realized that we ourselves should do something, too.We are only a few years older than our students and whatever we do have a significant impact on the future.
During the interviews with the teaching interns, they have revealed that the whole exercise allowed them to think of their own personal role in solving the interconnected local and global problems.For them, being teachers is a good opportunity to actively advocate for sustainable development and engage their learners in meaningful and impactful learning.

Students' feedback on SDG integration
This section presents the students' feedback on the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their English language and literature classes.It underscores the empowerment of students to take initiative in taking an active role in addressing global challenges, noting their active participation in both classroom discussions and practical actions in their homes and communities.Students express how the integration makes their lessons more meaningful, linking literature to real-life issues and fostering problem-solving skills.The students advocate for a whole-school approach, urging the incorporation of various SDGs across all subjects and grade levels.

Empowerment to take initiative
A crucial element in practicing SDG integration is creating opportunities where students can take initiative.It is imperative to nurture the attitudes and competencies that allow students to take ownership of the pressing issues and concerns that the world is currently facing as well as that of future generations, aside from acquiring knowledge and skills in order to become productive citizens and build a sustainable society.
When asked how they found the integration of SDGs in the English classroom, a Grade 10 student answered, "We've always been fortunate that our lessons did not only revolve around empty sample sentences that talk about Juan or Maria.Our teachers have always found a way to incorporate relevant issues like those found in the newspaper or even online articles, but having a clear picture of the SDGs has made our topics in the subject more meaningful" (Student G10C).
Another student added: "We were also asked to formulate solutions for current problems in the society.We feel that we are involved and that there's something we can do, even though we are still young" (Student G911).
Learning according to the students did not stop in the classroom.
"Sometimes, teachers give us the homework that gives us the opportunity to apply what we have learned in the classroom.My parents were happy because these assignments were not just answering questions or doing research.It required us to do something.Now, we are the ones telling our parent what to dolike, we tell them not to buy single-use plastic anymore, to recycle things in our house, and ways of conserving water and energy" (Student G914).
The students have become conscious of the harmful practices that people do to the environment that they took the initiative of making small changes in their own homes and in school.
"We make sure that we segregate our trash properly at home and in school.Instead of buying junk food wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil, we bring our own healthy food to school placed in containers that we can use for years.We are now aware that small things like this matter." Regularly reminding students that the small actions they do at home and in their community have lasting effect on themselves and the people or things around them create an impact that allow learners to take ownership of these issues and do something about it.

Gaining meaningful learning
When asked how they found the integration of the SDGs in English language and literature classes, the students' responses were unanimous that the lessons were made more meaningful for them.
"Before, we did not really see the point of discussing poetry and those stories, but when our teachers connected them to our own lives and our problems in the community, I realized how important they are.I also realized that we can sharpen our minds so that we can come up with solutions to our problems" (Student G1004).
When the topic on interpreting non-linear text was presented by the teacher, he used graphs and tables that showed data on poverty in the Philippines.Furthermore, he asked the students to group and plan out livelihood programs that might alleviate poverty among these people.The students were very enthusiastic and designing and presenting their programs.Student G902 said, "I wish we could have gone to a community who needed this and actually implemented our program.It is not enough that we discuss the problem, but we must do something about it." Issues on students' safety and security arise if they go out of the school campus, that is why activities are limited inside the school premises, but to have the students realize the need for action is at least a step closer to a better world.

Developing a whole-school approach
The learners, when asked which of the SDGs they most prefer to be integrated in their English classes, a majority answered that it must be "Life on Land" and "Life below Water" because of pressing environmental problems.However, they emphasized, that one or two SDGs cannot be more important than the others, thus, teachers must aim to include all the SDGs to be integrated in not only the English subject, but all the subjects in all levels.
Student G9016 said, "Ma' am, can you include bullying and how to deal with bullies as one of the topics to be discussed?It's part of peace education, right?"Student G1008 replied, "Maybe it will be more effective if the implementation is not only in one subject, but in all subjects.The whole school should be involved in this." Indeed, this echoes the aims of UNESCO to establish ESD schools similar to those in Japan and other countries.The sustainable development goals should be as an integral part of language and literature teaching and this may also be applied in all other subject areas especially in basic education.Other educational institutions practice whole-school approaches to sustainability in diverse ways, typically encompassing integration into curriculum, real-life issuebased learning, adopting sustainability ethos, student involvement in decision-making, leading to adoption and maintenance of sustainable practices (UNESCO, 2012).

The essence
This study sought to explore the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in English language and literature teaching in a state university laboratory school in the Philippines.It focused on the learning experiences and feedback of pre-service teachers and junior high school students on the integration.This exploration not only sheds light on the challenges and rewards encountered by teaching interns but also delves into the transformative impact on students.The study's essence lies in its potential to inform educational practices, offering valuable insights for educators and institutions aiming to infuse global issues into the curriculum.Therefore, education emerges as the great hope for creating a more sustainable future (United States Teacher Education for Sustainable Development Network, 2014), with teacher education institutions serving as key change agents in transforming both education and society.
Moreover, the research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable development by showcasing how the integration of SDGs transcends traditional academic boundaries.It empowers students to proactively address real-world problems, fostering a sense of ownership and purpose in their educational journey.This study is not merely an exploration of experiences but a guide for teachers towards a holistic and purpose-driven approach to education, aligning with the global agenda of sustainable development and cultivating a generation of socially and environmentally conscious learners.

Conclusion
The Integration of the SDGs in English Language and Literature teaching provides a range of benefits for both the teachers and students.Students are empowered to build on learning to develop the ability to solve problems, plan, and take-action, taking ownership of these societal problems as their own concerns instead of just aiming to acquire content knowledge and understanding.Pre-service teachers design learning activities for their students that are relevant, using contextualized and interdisciplinary approach to nurture a participatory attitude among students in solving societal problems.