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- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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A whole (pre)school approach to sustainability in eco- and non-eco-certified preschools in Sweden : Principals’ views and attitudes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Konferens i pedagogiskt arbete, 2023. - Linköping : Linköping University Electronic Press. - 9789180752831 - 9789180752848 ; , s. 22-23
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although a whole school approach (WSA) to sustainability has been described as one of the most meaningful education approaches, the concept of WSA has not yet been widely explored within the context of preschool education, where the play, learning, and care are preconditions for a wholeness in childhood. The concept of the WSA considers raising quality and standard across entire education institution (Henderson & Tilbury, 2004). This approach also emphasizes the needs for (pre)school to engage children, teachers, parents, and the wider community in sustainability (Mogren, Gericke & Scherp, 2019). The principals have important roles to play in reforming and prioritizing preschools activities towards sustainability (Borg & Vinterek, 2020). This paper explores 50 principals’ views and attitudes towards sustainability from a WSA perspective. Using randomized sampling, the principals were selected from 25 eco-certified and 25 non-eco-certified preschools in 25 municipalities in Sweden, out of 290. A questionnaire was utilized to collect demographic information about the preschools, number of children, number of qualified teachers, principals’ attitudes towards preschool’s activities with sustainability, and also an open-ended question about how the principals themselves integrate sustainability in their planning of preschool activities and what they actually do. The qualitative data was analyzed by using Wals and Mathie’s (2022) six component Whole School Approach Flower Model. The components are: 1. Vision, ethos, leadership and coordination; 2. Institutional practices; 3. Pedagogy and learning; 4. Curriculum; 5. Community connections; and 6. Capacity building. The components were adapted and operationalized within a preschool context. The quantitative data was analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) in the SIMCA statistical software (Umetrics 2020). This study is a part of a project, “Eco-certified preschools and children’s learning for sustainability: Researching holistic outcomes of preschool education for sustainability (HOPES)” (Swedish Research Council, Dnr. 2018-04445). The analyses will be completed by June, 2023. ReferencesBorg, F., & Vinterek, M. (2020). Principals´ Views on and Descriptions of Preschool Education for Sustainable Development. Journal of Applied Technical and Educational Sciences, 10(2), 18-40. doi:10.24368/jates.v10i2.170Henderson, K., & Tilbury, D. (2004). Whole school approaches to sustainability: An international review of sustainable school programs. Report prepared by Macquarie University for the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage. Sydney.Mogren, A., Gericke, N., & Scherp, H.-Å. (2019). Whole school approaches to education for sustainable development: a model that links to school improvement. Environmental Education Research, 25(4), 508-531. https://doi:10.1080/13504622.2018.1455074 Umetrics. (2020). SIMCA-P+. In (Version 16.0) [Computer software]. Sartorius Stedim Inc. https://www.sartorius.com/en/products/process-analytical-technology/data-analytics-software/mvda-software/simca?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvvKBBhCXARIsACTePW-oD9sm_Ng1dgNBivHH9GFSApdp5wo2G0EDOydryNnzZQ-20Xoj_vIaApIwEALw_wcB
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| 2. |
- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Methodological and ethical issues when interviewing preschool children : Experiences from a study on sustainability in Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: 31st EECERA ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Children’s Curiosity, Agency and Participation: Challenges for Professional Action and Development. ; , s. 135-135
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- To contribute to the methodological and ethical discourse on children’sparticipation in research on complex issues, this case-study critically discusses experiences from a large-scale randomized interview study about preschool education for sustainability in Sweden. Young children’s ability to express their views has been subject to debate, resulting in them often being excluded asresearch participants. Hence, age-appropriate methodological approaches are needed to ensure their participation.This study draws from Josefsson and Wall’s(2020) concept of children’s “empowered inclusion” and Lundy’s (2007) model of voice, space, audience, and influence.Employing a qualitative case-studyapproach, methodological approaches and ethical considerations and experiences of a randomized study are scrutinized. A total of 403 children from 50 preschools were interviewed about sustainability using illustrations. An interview instrument was developed and pretested in two iterations. Data were analyzed thematically. The Swedish Ethical Review Authority did not raise any objection to the interview study. Consent to participate was collected from parents and children.They were informed that the children could withdraw at any time if they wanted. The findings demonstrate that research with young children can be undertaken in an ethically acceptable manner. The use of illustrations was helpful in creating a friendly environment and supporting children’s understanding of complex issues. Individual and pair interviews were effective while group interviews were problematic. Children’s attention dropped after 12-15 minutes. These findings suggest that preschool children can express their views on important matters under ethically acceptable and methodologically appropriate conditions.
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| 4. |
- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-
(författare)
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A case study of a Green Flag-certified preschool in Sweden
- 2019
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Ingår i: Hungarian Educational Research Journal. - : Akademiai Kiado Zrt.. - 2064-2199. ; 9:4, s. 607-627
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper presents findings from a case study intended to develop understanding of the practices within education for sustainable development at a preschool in Sweden and highlights its work with two themes: The Health of People and the Planet and Human and Animal Societies. This case study was part of a large school development project conducted by a university in collaboration with a municipality between 2017 and 2019. The preschool had two units with a total of 36 children aged 1–6 years, and 8 preschool teachers. Empirical materials were collected from observations of educational activities at two events, as well as group discussions with teachers and the preschool head teacher. Findings show that the interconnectedness of, and interdependencies between, the environmental, social, and, to some extent, economic aspects of sustainable development were present in educational practices of the preschool. They also indicate that young children, with support and encouragement from their teachers, can take responsibility for activities that are meaningful to them. In this preschool, children’s opinions were respected, and they were given the opportunity to participate in decision-making activities of relevance to their lives.
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| 6. |
- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Children’s Empowered Inclusion in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability
- 2023. - 1
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Ingår i: International Perspectives on Educating for Democracy in Early Childhood. - New York and London : Routledge. - 9781032135014 - 9781003229568 ; , s. 241-260
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- "This book brings together established and emerging scholars from around the globe to highlight new directions for research on young children as active, engaged citizens of classrooms. Divided into three sections, the volume draws on innovative methods to explore diverse conceptualizations of citizenship, children’s understandings, and effective practice. Rejecting traditional views of children as citizens-in-preparation, the volume explores how young children can and do live as citizens, and how early childhood educational settings serve as civic forums. Chapters discuss the child-as-citizen in relation to issues including gender, class, race, tribal status, and linguistic diversity, and ultimately illustrate how sociocultural processes in early years settings can be harnessed to promote the development of democratic dispositions and skills.This book establishes citizenship enactment in early childhood education as a robust and growing research area with the potential to shape research, policy, and practice worldwide. As such, it will appeal to researchers and academics with an interest in citizenship education, democracy, and early childhood education, as well as postgraduate students of teacher education and those working across international and comparative education more broadly."
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| 9. |
- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Developing a Whole (Pre)school Approach to Sustainability : Insights from Global Citizenship and Early Childhood Education Across Nordic Countries
- 2024. - 1
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Ingår i: Whole School Approaches to Sustainability. - Cham : Springer Nature. - 9783031561719 - 9783031561740 - 9783031561726 ; , s. 167-175
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Early childhood education aims to support children to develop cognitive, social, and motor skills, alongside values and ethics central to sustainability. From a Nordic perspective, this chapter reflects on how global citizenship education in preschool can illuminate possibilities and barriers to developing a whole school approach to sustainability. A review of Nordic policy and research identified four perspectives rooted in the global citizenship tradition that can support a whole school approach to sustainability: The greening of the whole preschool; The whole child’s learning; Wholeness in preschool teaching; and Thematic approach as a perspective on a whole preschool. We propose that efforts to implement a whole school approach to sustainability could be aligned with these perspectives. Nonetheless, Nordic preschools currently lack robust engagement with society—a perspective that requires further cultivation. To advance, empirical studies are needed to explore how a whole school approach to sustainability can be developed and implemented within preschool education.
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| 10. |
- Borg, Farhana, Lektor, 1967-, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-certified Preschools and Children's Learning for Sustainability : Researching Holistic Outcomes of Preschool Education for Sustainability (HOPES)
- 2020
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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.
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