Motivations to Engage in Sustainability: Exploring Future Primary Teachers’ Perceptions in Spain

Sustainability is a key competence in Spanish higher education and a central axis in initial teacher training. However, future teachers’ motivations have received limited attention. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study analyses the self-perception of knowledge, motivations, and opportunities for sustainability among first and fourth-year students of the bachelor’s degree in primary education at two Spanish universities. The quantitative phase included distributing a Likert-type questionnaire to 396 students, with scales validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, while the qualitative phase was developed through 12 semi-structured interviews analysed via thematic analysis.
The results show a high perception of conceptual knowledge, especially among finalyear students, as well as a partial and predominantly environmental understanding of sustainability. With respect to motivations, intrinsic and transcendent motivation, linked to personal satisfaction and a commitment to the common good, stand out, while extrinsic and collective motivation carry less weight. Likewise, the participants identify numerousinstitutional and community opportunities for sustainability, although they recognise that leading a consumerist lifestyle is a major barrier. The findings reveal significant educational
tensions in sustainability.