Teaching in transformation – preschool teachers' multifaceted motives about educating for sustainability in Swedish early childhood settings

• The purpose of the study was to explore what motives preschool teachers describe about teaching education for sustainability (TEfS) in early childhood education (ECE) in Sweden. This in light of the new formulations about sustainability in the National Preschool Curriculum (Skolverket, 2018). This research builds on previous research on ECEfS (Davis, 2009, 2014) and the need  to deepening the knowledge of teachers different understandings (Hedefalk et al., 2015) such as motives for TEfS . The study has a critical theoretical base where ECE can be described as a place of specific historical, ideological and theoretical traditions and contemporary understanding of children, childhood and children's learning. A place that meets and is influenced by the prevailing political discourses in society and the prevailing education policy. This study within a critical paradigm and methodology presents a survey with 153 Swedish ECE teachers within a research and development program describing the most important motives for TEfS. Ethical guidelines from the Swedish Research Council (2016) and EECERA (2014) where followed in the design. Information as a consent form were provided to all participants. Approved 2021 by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. The study shows that in the ECE teachers' descriptions, a wide range of motives emerges regarding why it is important to TEfS from being guided to doing this through the curriculum to the importance of taking responsibility for change towards a more sustainable world. This study is part of a research and development program, deepening  knowledge on both practice and policy.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

education for sustainability in early childhood education

Swedish early childhood teachers

critical theory

teaching education for sustainability

research and development program

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)