Eco-certified Preschools and Children's Learning for Sustainability : Researching Holistic Outcomes of Preschool Education for Sustainability (HOPES)

• Purpose of the researchAlthough Sweden being an active initiator in the promotion of education for sustainability (EfS), there is a knowledge gap about children’s learning for sustainability and the pedagogical practices of sustainability in preschool education. Moreover, there is an overall lack of generalizable studies in this field. The purpose of this study, funded by the Swedish Research Council 2019-2022 (VR 2018-04445), is to contribute to evidence-informed development of pedagogical practices that facilitate children’s learning for sustainability at preschools. The objectives are:to explore and compare knowledge, attitude and behaviors among children, who attend eco- and non-eco-certified preschools;to identify and compare preschool teachers’ self-reported pedagogical practices of EfS at eco- and non-eco-certified preschools; andto investigate the extent to which eco-certification and preschool teachers’ pedagogical practices in EfS relate to children’s learning for sustainability.In this study, eco-certified preschools refer to those preschools that work explicitly with EfS and have been awarded with the certifications, either Green Flag by the Keep Sweden Tidy or Preschool for Sustainability by Skolverket. The study uses:  integrated perspective on sustainability, in which environmental, social, and economic aspects are interconnected; pluralistic teaching methods; and transformative learning.Research design and methodsThe study applies a mixed methods design that combines cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Two-stage cluster random sampling is used to select participating preschools (n=50). A sampling frame consisting of all municipalities in Sweden that have at least two eco-certified preschools and two non-eco-certified preschools is created based on information from municipalities and organizations that award eco-certificates. A randomized sampling is used to select 25 municipalities from all over the country. Preschool children (n=300) and teachers (n=16) are interviewed, a questionnaire study is conducted among preschool teachers (n=300), and video observations of preschools’ (n=4) pedagogical practices of EfS is carried out. Demographical information of 25 eco- and 25 non-eco-certified preschools is collected from preschool principals. Content analyses, as well as descriptive and inferential statistics are applied.The Swedish Ethical Review Authority did not have any ethical objections about this project (EPN 2020-00005). Major resultsCurrently the pilot studies are going on, and so far, children’s (n=12) from 3 preschools, teachers’ (n=3) from 3 preschools as well as video observations of one preschool’s pedagogical practices of EfS were conducted. The analyses of the findings from the pilot studies are expected to be ready and presented at the symposium.ConclusionThis study will provide insights into the role of EfS in preschool education in relation to children’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors concerning sustainability, preschool teachers’ pedagogical practices, as well as the importance of eco-certification in relation to sustainability education in Sweden. Relevance to sustainable development and Agenda 2030This project is explicitly connected to education for sustainability that addresses issues related to taking actions for saving the planet and living in harmony with people and its surrounding environments. It also addresses goal 4.7 of the 2030 Agenda for sustainability that urges that all learners must acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainability.  

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogiskt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogical Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

eco-certification; education for sustainable development; holistic perspective; pedagogical practices: preschool education; teacher

Education and Learning

Utbildning och lärande

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