Measuring professional action competence in education for sustainable development (PACesd)

Based on the concept of action competence, the current study introduces an integrated framework of Professional Action Competence in Education for Sustainable Development (PACesd) described by three defining features: willingness, knowledge of pedagogical approaches, and self-efficacy. To validate this framework, we developed a questionnaire measurement instrument: ‘PACesd-Q’. This questionnaire was administered to a sample of 557 primary and secondary school in-service teachers in Flanders, Belgium. The instrument’s psychometric quality was assessed in terms of its reliability, construct, and criterion-related validity. Results of reliability analysis and hierarchical (second-order) confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of good measurement properties of the instrument in terms of reliability and construct and criterion-related validity. We suggest the instrument can be successfully used to provide educational practitioners with a tool to monitor and eventually identify professional development needs regarding education for sustainable development.