Exploring the Circular Economy in Secondary Education: Teachers’ Perspectives and Reported Classroom Practices

Abstract

As sustainability education becomes increasingly central to school curricula, teachers play a key role in introducing circular economy (CE) principles in secondary education. This study explores teachers’ perceptions of CE, how CE and sustainability concepts are integrated into classroom practice, and factors that influence implementation. The research addresses teachers’ views on CE-based activities as well as pedagogical approaches, topics, skills, and values prioritized in teaching. A mixed-methods research design was used, with survey data collected from 110 teachers in Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece, and focus group interview data collected from 19 teachers through purposive sampling. Quantitative and qualitative analysis captured teachers’ experiences and perspectives. Findings show strong enthusiasm among teachers for integrating CE concepts and high confidence in engaging students through CE-related activities. Teachers reported using a range of instructional approaches, including project-based learning, case studies, games, and simulations that emphasize practical application. However, several challenges were identified, including limited instruction time, curriculum alignment issues, budget and space constraints, insufficient resources, varying levels of student motivation, the perceived complexity of CE concepts, and external barriers. Teachers also expressed mixed confidence regarding assessment practices. These findings highlight both opportunities and constraints for advancing CE education in schools.   Keywords: circular economy, education for sustainable development, teachers’ perspectives, classroom practices, pedagogical approaches