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Education for sustainability in preschool: Swedish preschool teachers’ perspectives
Dalarna University, School of Teacher Education, Educational Work.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6727-2196
Dalarna University, School of Teacher Education, Educational Work.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4937-8413
Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8735-2102
2024 (English)In: Cogent Education, E-ISSN 2331-186X, Vol. 11, no 1, article id 2353477Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development
SDG 4: Quality education, SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, RECAST
Abstract [en]

Worldwide, preschool is recognized as an important arena for the implementation ofeducation for sustainability (EfS). In Swedish preschools EfS has been a part of thenational curriculum since 2019, but little is known about what this means in practice.Therefore, the purpose of this study is to increase our understanding about preschoolteachers’ perspectives on teaching for sustainability. Using individual semi-structuredinterviews with 16 randomly selected preschool teachers in Sweden, the results ofwhich were analyzed thematically and then quantitatively, this study examines howteachers put EfS into practice. Four teaching practices were identified: actively presentteachers, children’s experiences as a basis for learning, children’s opportunity for agency –a democratic approach, and communication between children and teachers. Takentogether, these four teaching practices demonstrate a pluralistic teaching tradition.The analysis also demonstrates a holistic perspective on subject content where environmental,social and economic issues are addressed. A third result is that EfS is carriedout using three teaching strategies planned, spontaneous and semi-spontaneous. Theidentification of semi-spontaneous teaching is an important finding which is madepossible in created learning environments aiming to stimulate children’s agency, whichis of central importance in EfS and an important contribution from this study.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis Group, 2024. Vol. 11, no 1, article id 2353477
Keywords [en]
Education for sustainable development; pluralism; preschool teachers’ perspectives; teaching strategies; thematic analysis
Keywords [sv]
Undervisning för hållabar utveckling, pluralism, förskollärares perspektiv, undervisningsstrateier, Tematisk analys
National Category
Pedagogical Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:du-48642DOI: 10.1080/2331186x.2024.2353477ISI: 001237543000001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85194008995OAI: oai:DiVA.org:du-48642DiVA, id: diva2:1864125
Projects
HOPES
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2018-04445Available from: 2024-06-03 Created: 2024-06-03 Last updated: 2024-11-19Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Undervisningsstrategier och praktiker i förskolans undervisning för hållbar utveckling
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Undervisningsstrategier och praktiker i förskolans undervisning för hållbar utveckling
2024 (Swedish)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The thesis aims to describe education for sustainable development (ESD) in Swedish preschools and the factors affecting its implementation. The new Swedish preschool curriculum from 2019 mentions teaching explicitly for the first time and highlights the sustainability perspective, hence the importance of this study. This study investigates how ESD is conducted in Swedish preschool and also explores how the learning environment, implementation support in the form of eco-certification, and the new curriculum affect ESD in preschool. Empirical data comprises interviews with 16 randomly selected preschool teachers from 16 preschools in eight municipalities; in addition, two teachers at two preschools were observed teaching, and the former and current curricula were analysed. Data was analysed through thematic and content analysis based on a pragmatic perspective of ESD where teaching practices and teaching strategies are central concepts. The results identify four ESD practices that describe a pluralistic view of teaching and a new teaching-strategy, semi-spontaneous teaching. What characterises semi-spontaneous teaching is that it occurs on the initiative of children in an environment well-considered by the teacher or with the teacher’s teaching material. The study also identifies a ESD characterised by a holistic perspective on sustainable development. An investigation of these influencing factors gives the following results: the learning environment affects ESD in terms of the preschool teachers' choice of teaching strategy; implementation support resulted in only minor differences where teachers at eco-certified preschools describe a more structured and planned ESD than teachers at non-eco-certified preschools; and the new curriculum presents a holistic perspective on sustainable development that leans towards pluralistic teaching and that therefore has greater potential to influence ESD in a pluralistic and holistic direction than the former curriculum.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Falun: Högskolan Dalarna, 2024
Series
Dalarna Doctoral Dissertations ; 36
Keywords
Curriculum analysis, Early childhood education, Eco-certification, Education for sustainable development, ESD practices, Learning environments, Outdoor education, Pluralistic perspective, Preschool, Preschool teachers ‘perspectives, Sustainable development, Sustainability, Sustainability education, Teaching practices, Teaching strategies, Eko-certifiering, Förskola, Förskollärarperspektiv, Hållbarhet, Hållbarhetsutbildning, Hållbar utveckling, Lärmiljöer, Läroplansanalys, Pluralism, UHU praktiker, Undervisning för hållbar utveckling, Undervisning i förskola, Undervisningspraktiker, Undervisningsstrategier, Utomhuspedagogik
National Category
Didactics Pedagogical Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:du-48775 (URN)978-91-88679-77-2 (ISBN)
Public defence
2024-09-20, lecture hall F135, campus Falun, 13:00 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2024-08-15 Created: 2024-06-18 Last updated: 2024-08-15Bibliographically approved

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Ohlsson, AndersBorg, Farhana

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