INTEGRATING SDGS INTO THE GRADE 9 GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM OF NAZARBAYEV INTELLECTUAL SCHOOL

A. M. Kasymovа, T. Z. Kasymov, Aray Nurbaeva, G. O. Akhmet, M. Alkeev

2026

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DOI 10.48081/btoup3.2026/344-356
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

Integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into educational curriculums is essential for many nations to develop globally competent and environmentally responsible citizens. By exploring interactions between individuals and the environment, as a discipline geography offers a critical foundation for fostering sustainability literacy. This study investigated alignment of the themes and learning objectives of the Grade 9 Geography curriculum at the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To implement this, qualitative content analysis was applied, thematic content, curriculum objectives, and learning outcomes were mapped to the SDGs. Findings from the study indicate strong alignment with environmental SDGs (6, 13, 14, 15), moderate integration of economic sustainability (8, 9, 12), and limited coverage of social sustainability themes (3, 5, 10, 11). While the course plan displays awareness of environmental issues, explicit references to the SDGs are limited, and there is a noticeable gap in the implementation of transformative pedagogies. Recommendations of the study include curriculum revision, organizing training sessions for teachers in sustainability pedagogy, and promoting contextually grounded projects to reinforce SDG-oriented education. Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals, geography education, curriculum analysis, NIS.