Critical Perspectives on Sustainability Literacy in Science Education: A Critical Review Study

This study aims to adopt approaches accepted in the literature on sustainability literacy in science education and to reveal the variables that shape these approaches. In this context, key themes related to sustainability literacy were identified by examining the relationships between the publications included in the set of studies and research trends. In this critical literature review, 16 articles published between 2006-2024 were subjected to descriptive and content analysis. According to the results of the descriptive analysis, there has been an increase in the number of studies since 2020. As a result of the content analysis of the variables and objectives in the articles included in the set of studies, 11 themes were identified; the themes with the most frequently recurring codes are “higher education”, “knowledge”, “pedagogical approaches”, and “skills”. The findings and results presented in the articles were examined from an educational perspective, and the study findings were obtained on the themes of establishing an educational framework for teacher education, examinations at the higher education, determining the level of sustainability literacy, the impact of experimental intervention, and the development of an ecological framework. Upon analyzing the recommendations of the examined articles within the scope of the research, it was concluded that implementing them through concrete, action-oriented steps by educators and policymakers, while taking cultural factors into account, is important in the context of national and international sustainability goals. This research provides a critical assessment of the current state of the field and offers actionable recommendations to develop more effective strategies for integrating sustainability literacy into science education.