Cultivating Change: Further Education staff views on professional learning for a sustainable future
- Qualitative
- Focus group
- Education
- Sustainability
Climate change, biodiversity loss and wider environmental challenges are increasingly shaping how we live and work. Education has a vital role to play in responding to these challenges, not only by raising awareness, but by equipping people with the skills, values and confidence needed to create a more sustainable future.
Further Education (FE) occupies a particularly important position in this landscape. FE colleges work with diverse learners, including young people, adults returning to education, and those training for vocational careers in industries such as construction, engineering, catering, agriculture and transport. These industries are already being reshaped by environmental legislation and the transition to a greener economy.
Despite this, sustainability education in FE has received far less attention than in schools or universities. Many FE practitioners want to embed sustainability into their teaching, but feel under-supported in doing so. This study set out to explore a simple but important question: What do FE practitioners perceive as the most helpful forms of professional development for embedding sustainability into their practice?
Rather than starting from policy documents or theoretical models, this research centred the voices of FE practitioners themselves.
How the research was carried out
The study used a qualitative approach, focusing on practitioners’ experiences and perspectives. A focus group was held with ten FE practitioners working across different institutions, subject areas and roles. Participants included classroom teachers, advanced practitioners and those with leadership responsibilities, all with some interest or involvement in sustainability education.
The focus group discussion explored participants’ experiences of sustainability-related professional learning, what had helped them most, and what barriers they had encountered. The discussion was recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Five key themes emerged:
- Networking
- Feelings
- Personal needs
- Systemic needs
- Subject-specific needs
Together, these themes paint a detailed picture of how FE practitioners experience professional learning for sustainability.
Key findings
- Networking: learning together matters
The most prominent theme in the study was networking. Participants consistently described professional networks, communities of practice and informal peer connections as the most helpful form of professional learning.
These networks provided more than just information. They offered:
- Moral support and encouragement
- A sense of belonging
- Reassurance that others were facing similar challenges
- Practical examples of how sustainability could be embedded in real teaching contexts
Many participants described sustainability networks as “anti-competitive” spaces, where ideas were shared openly rather than guarded. Learning from peers often felt more relevant and motivating than formal training sessions, especially when participants could see how sustainability was being embedded in different subject areas.
However, access to these networks was uneven. Some practitioners found them through chance or existing contacts, while others did not know where to start. This raised concerns about how inclusive and visible such opportunities are, particularly for newer staff or those outside sustainability-focused roles.
- Feelings: confidence, fear and legitimacy
A second major finding was the importance of emotions. Practitioners spoke openly about feelings of confidence, motivation, uncertainty and imposter syndrome.
Many felt unsure whether sustainability was “their place” to teach, especially if they were not environmental specialists. Others worried about being judged by colleagues, saying the “wrong thing”, or lacking sufficient expertise.
At the same time, emotional connection was a powerful motivator. Personal values, concern for the future, and connection with nature helped sustain engagement, even when institutional support was limited.
Supportive networks played a key role in building confidence. When practitioners felt safe to admit uncertainty and learn alongside others, they were more willing to take risks and embed sustainability into their teaching.
These findings challenge the assumption that the main barrier to sustainability education is lack of knowledge. For many FE practitioners, emotional safety and professional legitimacy were just as important.
- Personal needs: flexibility, choice and time
Participants strongly rejected a “one-size-fits-all” approach to professional development. FE practitioners come from varied backgrounds and start from different levels of confidence and knowledge.
Helpful CPD was described as:
- Flexible in format and level
- Allowing choice and autonomy
- Relevant to individual roles and interests
- Allowing time for reflection and experimentation
Some practitioners gained confidence through formal qualifications or structured courses, while others preferred informal learning, peer discussion or learning through teaching with students. For some, spending time in nature helped deepen their commitment to sustainability.
Across the group, lack of time was a major challenge. Heavy workloads meant reflective space was rare, even though it was seen as essential for meaningful learning and change.
- Systemic needs: leadership, policy and resources
While personal motivation and networks were important, participants were clear that systemic factors had a major influence on what was possible in practice.
Key issues included:
- Leadership priorities
- Funding and time pressures
- Policy volatility in the FE sector
- Inspection and accountability frameworks
Where leaders visibly valued sustainability, practitioners found it easier to embed it into teaching. Where sustainability was peripheral, it could feel risky or “rebellious” to address.
Participants also noted a disconnect between “greening the estate” (such as installing solar panels) and “greening the curriculum”. Environmental initiatives at organisational level did not always translate into support for classroom practice.
These findings highlight the gap between sustainability as a policy aspiration and sustainability as a lived professional reality in FE.
- Subject-specific needs: the strength of dual-professionalism
A distinctive contribution of this study was its focus on subject-specific practice and the dual-professional identity of FE practitioners.
Participants emphasised that sustainability became meaningful when it was directly linked to their vocational areas. FE practitioners are often industry experts as well as teachers, with strong links to workplaces, employers and professional practice.
This dual-professionalism allowed them to:
- Embed sustainability through authentic industry examples
- Use guest speakers and placements to show real-world relevance
- Frame sustainability as employability and professional competence
Rather than seeing sustainability as an “add-on”, practitioners described integrating it into the core of vocational teaching. This approach supported both learner engagement and teacher confidence.
The findings suggest that FE has unique strengths in sustainability education that are often overlooked in wider research.
What this study adds
This research contributes new insights by foregrounding the voices of FE practitioners themselves. It confirms much existing research on the importance of collaboration and practice-based learning, while also challenging assumptions that sustainability education is primarily about content knowledge.
The study highlights the distinctive context of FE, particularly the role of dual-professionalism, emotional labour and systemic constraint. It shows that effective professional learning for sustainability must be relational, contextual and vocationally grounded.
Implications for future practice
The findings suggest that CPD for sustainability in FE should:
- Support and expand access to professional networks
- Recognise and address emotional dimensions of learning
- Allow flexibility, choice and autonomy
- Value vocational expertise and subject-specific practice
- Be supported by consistent institutional and policy frameworks
Sustainability cannot be embedded through isolated training events alone. It requires cultures of trust, collaboration and shared purpose.