'We Are All Interconnected.': Relationships and Hierarchies among Preschool Teachers' Conceptions of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability
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| Title: | 'We Are All Interconnected.': Relationships and Hierarchies among Preschool Teachers' Conceptions of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Anna May L. Navarrete (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Early Childhood Research. 2025 23(3):294-307. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education Preschool Education |
| Descriptors: | Preschool Teachers, Early Childhood Education, Sustainability, Futures (of Society), Teacher Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Environmental Education, Cross Cultural Studies, Self Concept, Educational Practices |
| Geographic Terms: | Sweden, Philippines |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1476718X251325664 |
| ISSN: | 1476-718X 1741-2927 |
| Abstract: | As a response to the growing recognition of the importance of ensuring a sustainable future for humanity and the planet, there has been a push by various stakeholders for the integration of sustainability education in the early years. This small-scale, exploratory study uses a phenomenographic research approach to examine a variation of conceptions early childhood educators may adopt when practicing sustainability in their respective settings. Four preschool teachers from the Philippines and three preschool teachers from Sweden participated in this study, taking part in semi-structured interviews to explicate their present understandings and practices related to early childhood education for sustainability. From the responses, four preliminary categories of description were identified--"connecting with the self"; "connecting with humans"; "connecting with more-than-humans"; and "interconnections"--wherein there is a hierarchy in how these categories are related, beginning with the self and then radiating outwards. Participants do not necessarily practice from only one category, but rather embed the different categories of connections in their practice. This study offers an initial investigation of alternative ways of organizing preschool teachers' practices in education for sustainability in a logical, hierarchical structure, as well as allowing considerations for ways in which categories could be expanded or made more inclusive through further research. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1481167 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | As a response to the growing recognition of the importance of ensuring a sustainable future for humanity and the planet, there has been a push by various stakeholders for the integration of sustainability education in the early years. This small-scale, exploratory study uses a phenomenographic research approach to examine a variation of conceptions early childhood educators may adopt when practicing sustainability in their respective settings. Four preschool teachers from the Philippines and three preschool teachers from Sweden participated in this study, taking part in semi-structured interviews to explicate their present understandings and practices related to early childhood education for sustainability. From the responses, four preliminary categories of description were identified--"connecting with the self"; "connecting with humans"; "connecting with more-than-humans"; and "interconnections"--wherein there is a hierarchy in how these categories are related, beginning with the self and then radiating outwards. Participants do not necessarily practice from only one category, but rather embed the different categories of connections in their practice. This study offers an initial investigation of alternative ways of organizing preschool teachers' practices in education for sustainability in a logical, hierarchical structure, as well as allowing considerations for ways in which categories could be expanded or made more inclusive through further research. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1476-718X 1741-2927 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1476718X251325664 |
