An Example of the Views of Educators on Incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into Engineering and Environmental School Engagement Activities Using Minecraft

The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 as a call to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity”. The UK-based Science Hunters programme uses Minecraft to engage children with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. Its Engineering for Sustainable Societies project engaged children from under-represented backgrounds with engineering and the Sustainable Development Goals. We conducted mixed-methods interviews with eleven teachers, with objectives of exploring their needs and views with regard to this opportunity to use Minecraft and engineering to engage their students with the Sustainable Development Goals. Inductive thematic analysis of the qualitative data indicated that teachers were interested in the appeal and creativity of Minecraft, opportunities to creatively learn about and explore engineering at various ages, and real-world relevancy. Access barriers and the unlimited nature of the game were concerns. They felt that students would gain greater understanding of sustainability and what they can do, and deep exploration of the topic at their own level. Overall, it was felt that engineering and the Sustainable Development Goals, explored in Minecraft, could give children the opportunity to think about the future of the world they live in.