kth.sePublications KTH
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Key competencies for sustainable development in technology education - from preschool through secondary school
Mälardalen Univ, Dept Educ Sci & Arts, Västerås, Sweden.
KTH, School of Industrial Engineering and Management (ITM), Learning, Learning in Stem.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4918-1298
2026 (English)In: International journal of technology and design education, ISSN 0957-7572, E-ISSN 1573-1804Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Key competencies for sustainability (KCS) have been identified as essential for individuals to develop in order to address the complex and interconnected challenges of modern society, many of which involve technology in various ways. Education at all levels-from early childhood to higher education-should provide opportunities for students to cultivate these competencies. This study explores how education prior to university (from preschool to secondary school) can create opportunities for young people to develop KCS, with a particular focus on the subject of technology. The research questions guiding this study are: (1) which KCS are included and taught in technology education at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels? (2) what does the progression of KCS in technology look like from preschool through primary and secondary school? To address these questions, we conducted a systematic literature review and analysed Swedish curriculum documents. The findings reveal that all eight KCS outlined by UNESCO (2017) are relevant and can be developed within technology education at the preschool, primary, and secondary school levels. However, three of the KCS are particularly prominent in the Swedish technology curriculum, while international research studies highlight the relevance of four competencies to technology education. We also identified a progression in KCS development described in the literature, which begins with a focus on "soft" transversal competencies during the early years and advances toward more disciplinary competencies in later years. Finally, we highlight significant gaps in existing research that warrant further investigation.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature , 2026.
Keywords [en]
Technology subject, Key competencies for sustainability, Literature review, Curriculum documents
National Category
Environmental Management
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-379518DOI: 10.1007/s10798-026-10064-zISI: 001705143700001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105032235518OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-379518DiVA, id: diva2:2056521
Note

QC 20260429

Available from: 2026-04-29 Created: 2026-04-29 Last updated: 2026-04-29Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textScopus

Authority records

Engström, Susanne

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Engström, Susanne
By organisation
Learning in Stem
In the same journal
International journal of technology and design education
Environmental Management

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
urn-nbn
Total: 15 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf