There are very few studies concerning the importance of
teaching methods in biology education and environmental education including outdoor
education for promoting sustainability at the levels of primary and secondary schools and pre-service
teacher education. The material was selected using special keywords from biology and sustainable
education in several scientific databases.The article provides an overview of
24 selected articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 2006–2016.
The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Altogether, 16
journals were selected and 24 articles were analyzed in detail. The foci of the
analyses were teaching methods, learning environments, knowledge and thinking
skills, psychomotor skills, emotions and attitudes, and evaluation methods.
Additionally, features of good methods were investigated and their implications
for teaching were emphasized. In total, 22 different teaching methods were
found to improve sustainability education in different ways. The most
emphasized teaching methods were those in which students worked in groups and
participated actively in learning processes. Research points toward the value
of teaching methods that provide a good introduction and supportive guidelines
and include active participation and interactivity.