Key Elements of Education for Sustainable Development in Turkey’s Education: An Analysis of Policy Documents

Education is both a powerful agent of change and an effective tool to disseminate the vision of sustainable development and global citizenship by equipping generations with the necessary skills and competencies of the 21st century. Individuals who are able to contribute to a sustainable world in all aspects by adopting those skills and competencies and by living accordingly are considered as ‘global citizens’, and education is the primary space in which and by means of which we could reach those individuals. Thus, Education for Sustainable Development has more frequently and extensively appeared on the agenda of education systems all over the world. As one of the emerging economies, Turkey has also prioritized this vision in its educational policiesconsidering its importance for its own and the world’s future. Educational policy documentsappen to be essential collections of information for the representation and integration of the elements of Education for Sustainable Development regarding all formal, non-formal, and informal learning environments and processes. Therefore, this chapter presents an integrated document analysis performed on Turkey’s key policy documents, demonstrates how global perspectives of education find a way into the local educational policies, and provides insights for future directions to accelerate the adoption and integration of Education for Sustainable Development in all processes of education.