Education for sustainable development in early childhood education: a review of the research literature

Abstract

The aim of the study is to describe and analyse research articles relating to the subject of education for sustainable development (ESD) for early childhood education (ECE), published during the years 1996–2013. This is done by answering three specific questions: (1) How is ESD defined by researchers in ECE? (2) What are the major research inquiries and results? (3) What does the research say about young children acting for change in relation to sustainability? Our analysis identified two different definitions of ESD: first, as a threefold approach to education based on questions concerning education about, in and for the environment; and, second, as an approach to education that includes three interrelated dimensions: economic, social and environmental. Two major research areas are identified in this study. The first area relates to how teachers understand ESD, while the second area focuses on how ESD can be implemented in educational practice. During the period studied, the research has evolved from teaching children facts about the environment and sustainability issues to educating children to act for change. This new approach reveals a more competent child who can think for him- or herself and make well-considered decisions. The decisions are made by investigating and participating in critical discussions about alternative ways of acting for change.

Keywords:

• ESD
• child
• education
• sustainability
• ECE

Notes

1. The journals Journal of Education for Sustainable Development (started in 2007) and Cultural Studies of Science Education (started in 2008) were chosen due to the probability that they would contain articles about sustainable educational issues. Cultural Studies of Science Education builds bridges between science education and social studies of science, which is interesting from a sustainability perspective (Jóhannesson et al. 2011).

2. The definition of ECE used in this study is education for up to five years of age.

3. Volume 41, Issue 2, includes five articles from Sweden and two from Australia, for the total of nine articles included in this review. Volume 43, Issue 2, includes three articles from Sweden out of a total of four articles included in this review. This suggested the importance in including Swedish journals in the study. The articles written in Swedish can be translated by the authors as it is their mother tongue.

4. Pearson and Degotardi (2009), Hägglund and Pramling Samulesson (2009), Pramling Samuelsson (2011), Öhman (2011), Prince (2010), Astbury, Huddart, and Théoret (2009), Johansson (2009), Jóhannesson et al. (2011), Filho, Pace, and Manolas (2010), Flogaitis and Agelidou (2003), Siraj-Blatchford and Björneloo (2009), Siraj-Blatchford (2009). Chan, Choy, and Lee use the three dimensions as well as education about, for and in the environment to define ESD.

5. A discussion paper is here defined as an article in which the researcher theorises about an issue.

6. Ärlemalm‐Hagsér and Sandberg (2011), Chawla and Cusing (2007), Engdahl (2010), Filho, Pace, and Manolas (2010), Johansson (2009), Mbebe (2009), Moss (2010), Mueller (2009), Öhman (2011), Pramling Samuelsson (2004), Sandberg and Ärlemalm-Hagsér (2011), Skouteris et al. (2010).

7. Initially, articles dealing with ESD as solely ‘education about the environment’ without a connection to sustainability were excluded from this study. Even though these articles were excluded, this way of understanding and implementing ESD was still found in the study.