Högskolan Dalarnas logga och länk till högskolans webbplats

Purpose of the research

Although 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; and
• to 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 methods

The 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 results

Currently 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.

Conclusion

This 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 2030

This 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. 

Problem formulation

This partial study will investigate how preschool teachers in preschool make children aware of sustainable development and more specifically what methods they use? In recent years, research in sustainable development in preschool has increased, but mainly research on educators' perceptions of sustainable development and how the governing documents prescribe education for sustainability (Almers 2009; Björneloo 2007; Jóhannesson, Norðdahl, Óskarsdóttir, Pálsdóttir & Pétursdóttir, 2011; Sageidet, 2014; Salonen & Tast, 2013; Ärlemalm-Hagsér, 2012). Due to the lack of how preschool teachers teach about sustainability and because of that the new curriculum in Sweden has raised sustainable development to a goal, this study wants to investigate how preschool teachers teach about sustainability today.

Theoretical framework and relevant previous research

I examine what and how preschool teachers do to make children aware of sustainable development. Hedefalk (2014) believes that the factual, normative and pluralistic dimension are parts that are all needed for teaching for sustainable development to be complete. Borg, Winberg and Vinterek (2017) saw in their study that children's participation with teachers and parents in sustainability-related discussions and activities was crucial for children's awareness of sustainable development.  Olsson, Gericke, Chang Rundgren (2015) also believes that a pluralistic approach is required, which Öhman (2008) emphasizes by describing that pluralistic teaching lifts values and avoids indoctrination when children's knowledge is based on their own thoughts and actions. Given the above, I will interpret my empirical with the help of Dewey who bases his theory, that thought and action are required to consolidate knowledge, which can describe just what pluralistic teaching is (S. Hartman, Lundgren & R. M. Hartman, 2004).

Methodology

Sixteen preschool teachers at the same number of preschools in eight municipalities, two preschools in each, have been selected using randomize sampling. In a semi-structured interview, I asked them how and what methods they use to teach about sustainable development.  I recorded the interview to be able to make a deeper and more accurate analysis. (Kvale och Brinkman, 2017). To analyze the material, I have used thematic analys (Bryman, 2011). I started by transcribing the interviews and then looking for different themes to discover different ways that preschool teachers use in their teaching for sustainable development. Whit the help of NVIVO 12, I have been able to find and structure the different themes and as a result discover how the preschool teacher teach about sustainability.

Preliminary findings

Most preschool teachers are aware and active in ecological sustainability. The economical sustainability is difficult but Social sustainability is a matter of course in preschool. Preschool teachers in Sweden today usually have dialogue with the children and let them participate through talks and practical exercises, which can be related to Dewey´s theory that thought and action are required to learn.

Significance of the study

This stydy can show how preschool teachers teach for sustainable development today and hopefully it leads to the development of pedagogical practice in the long run and inspires further research in an unexplore area.

References

Almers, Ellen (2009). Handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling: Tre berättelser om vägen dit (Doktorsavhandling). Jönköping: Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation.

Björneloo, Inger (2007). Innebörder av hållbar utveckling. En studie av lärares utsagor om undervisning (Doktorsavhandling, Gothenburg studies in Educational Sciences, 250). Göteborg: Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis.

Borg, F., Winberg, M. & Vinterek, M. (2017). Childrens Learning for a Sustainable Society: Influences from Home and Preschool. Education Inquiry, 8:2, 151-172, doi:10.1080/20004508.2017.1290915

Bryman, A. (2011). Samhällsvetenskapliga metoder (2. uppl.). Malmö: Liber.

Hartman, S., Lundgren, U. P., & Hartman R. M. (2004). Inledning. I Individ, skola och samhälle. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur.

Hedefalk, M (2014). Förskola för hållbar utveckling. Förutsättningar för barns utveckling av handlingskompetens för hållbar utveckling. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Uppsala universitet.

Jóhannesson, Ingólfur Ágúst; Norðdahl, Kristín; Óskarsdóttir, Gunnhildur; Pálsdóttir, Auður & Pétursdóttir, Björg (2011): Curriculum analysis and education for sustainable development in Iceland. Environmental Education Research 17(3), 375–391

Kvale, S. & Brinkman, S. (2017). Den kvalitativa forskningsintervjun. Lund: Studentlitteratur.

Olsson, D., Gericke, N. & Chang Rundgren, S. N. (2015). The effect of implementation of education for sustainable development in Swedish compulsory schools – assessing pupils’ sustainability consciousness. Environmental Education Research, 1-27. doi:10.1080/13504622.2015.1005057

Sageidet, Barbara Maria (2014): Norwegian perspectives on ECEfS: What has developed since the Brundtland Report? I Julie Davis & Sue Elliott, red: Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability. International Perspectives and Provocations, s 112–124. New York: Routledge.

Salonen, A O., Tast, S. (2013). Finnish Early Childhood Educators and Sustainable Development. Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 6(2).  01/2013. 70-85. doi:10.5539/jsd.v6n2p70

Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E. (2012). Lärande för hållbar utveckling i förskolan: Kunskapsinnehåll, delaktighet och aktörskap kommunicerat i text. Tidsskrift for Nordisk barnehageforskning, 5.

Öhman, J. (2008). Environmental Ethics and Democratic Responsibility - A pluralistic approach to ESD. In J. Öhman (Ed.), Values and democracy in education for sustainable development contributions from Swedish research (pp. 1732). Stockholm: Liber.

Förskolans betydelse som arena för implementering av undervisning för hållbar utveckling (UHU) är påvisad i tidigare forskning (Borg 2017). I den svenska förskolan har UHU varit en del i läroplanen sedan 2019, men hur EfS genomförs i praktiken är relativt okänt. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur UHU genomförs på svensk förskola utifrån de förändrade förutsättningarna i läroplanen. För att få svar på syftet har först en intervju och sedan en observationsstudie genomförts. Först intervjuades sexton förskollärare. Dessa valdes slumpvist ut i åtta kommuner i Sverige. Dessa intervjuades individuellt utifrån en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. De utskrivna transkripten analyserades sedan med hjälp av tematisk analys. Därefter valdes två förskollärare ut till en ostrukturerad observationsstudie under tre dagar på vardera förskolan. Observationerna analyserades med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys (Cohen et al. 2018).

I det preliminära resultatet av studien synliggörs fyra EfS-praktiker; Barns agens, Aktivt närvarande pedagoger, Barns erfarande och Kommunikation mellan barn och förskollärare. EfS-praktikerna synliggörs i analysen av intervjuerna och synliggörs i observationsstudien där de förekommer i samtliga undervisningsstrategier. Förutom planerad och spontan undervisningsstrategi beskriver förskollärarna en semi-spontan undervisningsstrategi där miljöer och material tillförts för att specifik undervisning ska kunna ske på barnens initiativ. Semi-spontan undervisning sker inomhus och på gården men i skogen väljer förskollärarna i studien en planerad undervisningsstrategi. Den planerade undervisningen i skogen, till skillnad mot planerad undervisning inomhus, ger barnen begränsade möjligheter att erfara och reflektera. Det behövs mer forskning i ämnet, men studiens resultat visar på ett behov av ökad kunskap hos förskollärarna om hur undervisning utomhus kan bedrivas, och hur barnens erfarande och möjlighet till reflektion tas tillvara. En bidragande orsak till förskollärarnas val av undervisningsstrategi kan vara otrygghet över hur risker i naturen ska hanteras.

Skolinspektionen fick i uppdrag att mellan 2015-2017 granska 82 förskolor för att se om undervisning sker i förskolan så som skollagen (SFS2010:800) föreskriver och konstaterade då att barn visserligen ges möjlighet att utvecklas och lära i förskolan men att det sällan sker genom medveten undervisning (Skolinspektionen 2016). De konstaterade också att barnens nyfikenhet och vetgirighet inte togs tillvara samt att en fjärdedel av de undersökta förskolorna inte stimulerade barnen till att samspela och lära av varandra. Läroplanen har varit tydlig, och är det även i Lpfö18 (Skolverket, 2018), med att man ska vistas både inne och ute och i skiftande miljöer. Utevistelsen ger sinnesstimulans och rörelse vilket borde innebära att möjligheterna att lära ute är väldigt bra. Det som jag vill undersöka i den här studien är om man i förskolan tycker att utevistelsen är en plats för undervisning och hur man tolkar undervisning som begrepp.

Studien vill belysa hur pedagogerna i förskolan ser på begreppet undervisning och hur de förhåller sig till utevistelsen som undervisningsmiljö. Jag har använt mig av en kvalitativ design och samlat in material med hjälp av fokusgruppsintervjuer. För att analysera det insamlade materialet har Tematisk analys använts och fyra teman för respektive frågeställning har fastställts. Teman jag fått fram på frågan om vad undervisning är blev: ”Skolifiering”, ”Lärande utifrån intresse och läroplan”, ”Lek är undervisning” och ”Planerad eller oplanerad aktivitet som leder till ett lärande”. Temana för hur utomhusmiljön fungerar till undervisning blev: ”Upplevelser”, ”Utforskar”, ”Tillsammans” och ”Lek”.

Resultatet av studien visar att pedagogerna först tagit emot undervisningsbegreppet med stor skepsis för att efter ett tag inse att det faktiskt var något som redan pågick i förskolan. Då det var förskolor med en utomhuspedagogisk profil så var det självklart för dem att använda sig av utevistelsen som plats för undervisning. Undervisning i förskolan har gått ifrån en rädsla att skolifiera förskolan till att man gjort en egen tolkning av undervisning i förskolan, en förskolifiering.

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.

Boken ger förslag på hur man kan arbeta pedagogiskt och uppfylla läroplanens mål utomhus- på gården, vid vattendraget, på ängen eller i skogen. Författaren kopplar förskolans uppdrag till olika teorier, forskning och beprövad erfarenhet om utevistelse och utomhuspedagogik.

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.

Introduction

In 2019, the Swedish national curriculum for pre-school education (Lpfö18) was revised and for the first time sustainability was included in the curriculum. Education for sustainability (EfS) have been described as an overriding idea under the heading “Sustainable Development, Health and Well-Being” (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2018, p.  9). The curriculum describes sustainable development in a holistic way with an ecologic, economic, and social dimension. Teaching is also a new concept in the curriculum, although it has been included in the Swedish education law since 2010 (SFS 2010:800).  Therefore, it is important to investigate how the concept of teaching has been included in the curriculum.

Research Question

The aim of this study is to investigate how the concept of teaching in relation to sustainability has been addressed in the new curriculum for preschool Lpfö 2018 in Sweden and also how preschool teachers integrate sustainability in their teaching.

Methodology

Using content analysis, we have analyzed how the concept of teaching has been addressed in the preschool curriculum in relation to education for sustainability. A contextual analysis was also conducted that involved an interpretation of the meaning of concepts. In addition, using semi-structured interview question, a pilot study has been conducted with three preschool teachers to explore how they view teaching for sustainability in preschool. 

Findings

Our study indicates that not only that Lpfö 18 describes sustainability from a holistic perspective, but also that teaching for sustainability now becomes clear in the curriculum, both that it should be included in the preschool's activities and how it should be done[A1] . The curriculum used terms such as participation, challenge, experience, and development when describing learning and often using the word together in the same sentence. These words show that children should be involved and challenged, in teaching, by practically creating their own understanding of what sustainability is and what they can do to create sustainability. 

The findings from the pilot study show that the preschool teachers use some figures to make their teaching of sustainability more interesting for children. They also include other methods such as investigation, participation, games, and theatre in their teaching practices. Practical activities they do with children can be recycling, and reuse. 

Conclusion & recommendations for theory and practice and possible References

The findings indicate that the concept of teaching in relation to sustainability has been explicitly mentioned in the preschool curriculum Lpfö 19. The curriculum provides a holistic view of sustainability and that EfS takes place in preschool teaching. 

The aim of this study is to provide a content analysis of the new Swedish preschool curriculum in comparison with the previous preceding curriculum to investigate how sustainability and education for sustainability (EfS) have been described, and whether there have been any changes in terms of the scope of their inclusion in the new curriculum. The study adopts a holistic view of sustainability, meaning that the environmental dimension, social dimension, and economic dimension, along with a pluralistic and transformative view of EfS, form the analytical framework. Using content analysis, the frequency of explicit and implicit descriptive words for sustainability and EfS in both curricula were investigated. A contextual analysis was also conducted that involved an interpretation of the meaning of the implicit words. Two main findings could be identified in the new curriculum in comparison to the previous curriculum. The first was that the term sustainability is now used from an explicit and holistic perspective that includes all three dimensions. The second was that the new curriculum provides guidance as to how to incorporate EfS where such words as investigating, participation, collaborate and develop are used. Together with the context in which these words appear, a picture forms of a pluralistic teaching tradition in preschool curricula. Overall, the analysis provides a picture of change in the Swedish preschool curriculum that is in line with the intentions of international policy and research relating to a need for increased focus on sustainability and EfS.

Introduction

In 2019, the Swedish national curriculum for pre-school education (Lpfö18) was revised and for the first time is sustainability included in the curriculum. Education for sustainability (EfS) have been described as an overriding idea under the heading “Sustainable Development, Health and Well-Being” (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2018, p.  9). Previous research has shown that EfS was not present in the previous curricula. Teaching is also a new concept in the curriculum providing the opportunity for preschool teachers to develop EfS. Therefore, we choose to investigate whether and how the curriculum describes EfS, and how teachers address the new possibilities given by the new curricula.

Research Question

The aims of this study are to:

• Investigate how EfS has been made possible in the new curriculum for preschool Lpfö 2018 in Sweden and report how preschool teachers view teaching for sustainability.

Methodology

Using content analysis, we have analyzed how the concept of teaching has been addressed in the preschool curriculum in relation to education for sustainability. A contextual analysis was also conducted that involved an interpretation of the meaning of concepts. In addition, a pilot study has been conducted to explore how teachers view teaching for sustainability in preschool. We have used semi-structured interviews to investigate how preschool teachers view teaching for sustainability.

Findings

Our study shows that EfS becomes evident in the new Swedish curriculum, by descriptions of the preschool's activities. The curriculum used terms such as participation, challenge, experience, and development when describing learning and often using the word together in the same sentence in relation to sustainability issues. These words show that children are supposed to be involved and challenged, in teaching, by practically creating their own understanding of what sustainability is and how they can do to create sustainability. The preschool teachers align to this and in the interviews by describing teaching methods  for EfS that include, investigation, participation, games, and theatre. Practical activities they do with children can be recycling, plastic slimming and reuse. 

Conclusion & recommendations for theory and practice and possible References

Overall, the analysis provides a picture of change in the Swedish preschool curriculum that is in line with the intentions of international policy and research relating to a need for increased focus on sustainability and EfS. Interestingly, Swedish preschool teachers also seems to adopt to these teaching methods in the daily practices.