Abstract
The integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into teacher education represents a critical global priority. However, a persistent challenge confronts educators: student teachers demonstrate strong SDG knowledge and positive attitudes yet struggle to translate these into sustainable behaviours and professional practice. This qualitative case study investigates this knowledge-behaviour gap through semi-structured interviews with six teacher educators at a South African university. Drawing on Transformative Learning Theory and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the study reveals three key pedagogical strategies educators employ to bridge this divide: contextual framing that situates SDG learning within authentic socioeconomic realities; temporal consciousness that emphasizes immediate professional relevance; and sustained engagement through iterative, reflective learning experiences. Despite these innovative approaches, educators work largely in isolation, lacking systematic institutional support. The findings challenge linear knowledge-to-practice assumptions in education, highlighting the need for transformative pedagogies that engage cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions, while establishing collaborative professional learning structures to support educators as agents of sustainable change.