Revealing the research ‘hole’ of early childhood education for sustainability: a preliminary survey of the literature

Abstract

In 2007, Environmental Education Research dedicated a special issue to childhood and environmental education. This paper makes a case for ‘early childhood’ to also be in the discussions. Here, I am referring to early childhood as the before‐school years, focusing on educational settings such as childcare centres and kindergartens. This sector is one of the research ‘holes’ that Reid and Scott ask the environmental education community to have the ‘courage to discuss’. This paper draws on a survey of Australian and international research journals in environmental education and early childhood education seeking studies at their intersection. Few were found. Some studies explored young children’s relationships with nature (education in the environment). A smaller number discussed young children’s understandings of environmental topics (education about the environment). Hardly any centred on young children as agents of change (education for the environment). At a time when there is a growing literature showing that early investments in human capital offer substantial returns to individuals and communities and have a far‐reaching effect – and when early childhood educators are beginning to engage with sustainability – it is vital that our field responds. This paper calls for urgent action – especially for research – to address the gap.

Keywords:

• early childhood
• education for sustainability
• environmental education
• pre‐school
• capacity building

Notes

1. From this point on ‘education for sustainability’ will be used to reflect recent developments in the field, except where ‘environmental education’ has been used by an author, refers to a specific title, and/or refers to an earlier representation of education for sustainability.