Climate literacy, sustainability and culturally responsive language teaching: Reimagining teacher education in Fiji

Josaia Tulomana, Varanisese Tagimaucia and Kasanita Nayasi
Fiji National University, Fiji

This study examines the integration of climate literacy and cultural responsiveness within i-Taukei and English language courses for pre-service teachers and language educators at a teacher training college in Fiji. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, our research identifies key barriers, including limited resources, time constraints, and the urgent need for culturally relevant pedagogical approaches. The findings underscore the necessity for embedding climate literacy within language curricula, enhancing professional development focused on cultural responsiveness, and fostering collaborations with local communities to attain sustainable educational practices. These insights advocate for curriculum reforms promoting sustainable development within language education in teacher training programs.
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Authors: Mr Josaia Tulomana is an assistant lecturer at the Fiji National University and is passionate about language and literature. He is also pursuing a masters in education and teaching English as a second language. His writing focuses on key challenges in ESL instruction, emphasising culturally responsive teaching within Fiji's multilingual environment. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0413-8582 Email: josaia.tulomana@fnu.ac.fj Ms Varanisese Tagimaucia (corresponding author) is an assistant lecturer in education at the Fiji National University's School of Education. Currently pursuing her doctoral studies at Mangalore University in India, she is an active researcher interested in innovative approaches to teaching methods, indigenous learning frameworks and professional practice. She specialises in physical education and sports performance profiling. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8200-3544 Email: varanisese.tagimaucia@fnu.ac.fj Dr Kasanita Nayasi is an assistant professor of education in the Department of Primary & Early Childhood Education, School of Education, Fiji National University, Fiji. Her research interests include indigenous education, indigenous knowledge and pedagogy, inclusive education, and decolonising research methodologies. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8032-0535 Email: kasanita.nayasi@fnu.ac.fj Please cite as: Tulomana, J., Tagimaucia, V. & Nayasi, K. (2025). Climate literacy, sustainability and culturally responsive language teaching: Reimagining teacher education in Fiji. Issues in Educational Research, 35(3), 1265-1288. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/tulomana.pdf