New teacher strategies to support children’s active participation in early childhood education for sustainability. : Paper presented at the EECERA the international on-line conference, 1st - 17th September 2021.

• The aim of this study was to analyse how preschool teachers give opportunities for children to develop competences by using the Environmental Rating scale for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood (ERS-SDEC). The research questions were: How do preschool teachers’ in the work with the scale ERS-SDEC support children’s participation and as agents of changes? Which strategies are needed according the preschool teachers to be developed so children can be active participants and agents of change in the everyday preschool practices? This research builds on previous research on Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) (Davis, 2009, 2014) and studies about ERS-SDEC (Larsson & Pramling-Samuelsson, 2020; Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2016). The study answers to the need for more research about children’s active participation and agents of changes in education for sustainability. The theoretical underpinning is built on critical theories (Fraser, 2010; Mouffe, 2008) and theoretical perspectives on children’s participation (Hart, 1992). Education for Sustainability, children’s active participation and children as agents of changes (Davis, 2014) are used as conceptual frameworks in the study. This qualitative research is inspired by action research. An in-service research project with participatory, collaborative and cyclical ways in order to produce knowledge and change (Rönnerman, 2004). The preschool teachers received information about the research aim, method, process and consent was collected from all nine participants. Ethical guidelines from the Swedish Research Council (2016) and EECERA (2014) were considered during the design and process of the research. In this study, the teachers’ developed new knowledge and understandings about education for sustainability, children’s active participation and agents of change when using ERS-SDEC in this in-service research project. The study has implications for both policy and practice.

Ämnesord

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

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

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

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

Nyckelord

Sustainability

children’s participation

early childhood education

teachers’ professional development

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