Integrating Sustainable Development Goals in Saudi Arabia’s Secondary Curriculum: A Qualitative Analysis of Selected Textbooks

Abstract

Due to the mounting pressures of social inequity, unwanted ecological changes, and unceasing economic expansion, education systems around the globe have been tasked with the responsibility of teaching youth how to recognize and possess the skills needed to tackle these problems. This research analyses how the public 3rd Grade Secondary School Curriculum of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the academic year 2022-2023 reflects three of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equility (SDG 5), and Climate Action (SDG 13). Employing qualitative content and discourse analysis, the study examines the presence, frequency, and instructional framing of sustainability-related concepts in ten official textbooks. The results showed Gender Equality with most references, followed by Quality Education, while Climate Action appeared least and was concentrated in Ecology and Biology. Other Humanities subjects, such as Arabic and Life Skills, were the dominant contributors to the integration of sustainability discourses, while a number of STEM subjects addressed them only marginally. The data indicates the increasing alignment of Saudi curriculum with the global sustainability agenda and the Vision 2030 priorities, although the integration remains subject fragmented across subjects. This research sheds light on the processes of curriculum integration with sustainability, and reforming education in centralized systems for better global citizenship. Additional research should focus on how classroom practices implement these commitments and how these practices impact students learning.