This book presents an historical and contemporary overview of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS). It is written by pioneering Australian and Swedish researchers and includes commentary from other key academics in the field. It traces ECEfS from its 1980's origins through to contemporary shifts in policy, theory and practice, and considers significant learnings and future directions. It frames this rich and diverse history through changes in thinking about children, educators, nature/environment dualities and sustainability, and how (re)conceptualisations might further advance ECEfS. This book offers fresh perspectives on how sustainability and climate change can be positively addressed with, by, and for our youngest citizens, especially in times of increasing uncertainty, destabilisation, and urgency for action.

Provides a historical overview and critical reflections on ECEfS Contributes to evolving discourses in and on education for sustainability and informs ECEfS research Affirms ECEfS pioneers in research, policy and practice through their narratives and perspectives

Autorentext

Professor Julie M. Davis is Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology. Now retired, she remains an active researcher and writer in early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) and embedding sustainability into teacher education. Julie has over 100 publications, mostly related to teaching, research and service associated with education for sustainability in early childhood education, and in teacher education. Julie co-founded the Queensland Early Childhood Environmental Education Network in 1996, a state-based network for those with an interest in ECEfS and has been awarded life membership. In 2010, Julie initiated the Transnational Dialogues in Research in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability that meets either face to face or online every 2-3 years, and has co-edited two volumes of research based on the work of researchers in this international network. In 2011, Julie was awarded an Australian national Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for her ECEFS work in early childhood teacher education. In 2013, she was awarded the honour of Adlerbert Visiting Professor (Gothenburg University, Sweden) for contributions to Sustainable Development. Julie has edited three editions of the teacher text book "Young children and the environment: Early education for sustainability" (2010, 2015; 2024). Julie, Sue and Eva have presented and published together over many years in ECEfS. Dr Sue Elliott is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of New England (UNE), Armidale, New South Wales, Australia and a visiting scholar at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an experienced practitioner, academic and author in early childhood education with a focus on education for sustainability, outdoor playspaces and nature play. She has previously lectured at RMIT University and the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia. Notably, her sustainability advocacy work began in the 1990's when she established a professional ECEfS network and began publishing and lecturing about ECEfS in Australia. She was commissioned by a state government department in 2003 to write the first national review of Early Childhood Environmental Education in Australia (NSW EPA, 2003) and this document now provides an historical benchmark. She also led a state-based government funded review of Education for Sustainability in Early Childhood (Elliott et al., 2016). Sue has extensive networks internationally as a co-convenor of both the Transnational Dialogues in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (TND) research group and the European Early Childhood Education Research Association Sustainability Special Interest Group. Sue is a consulting editor for the International Journal of Early Childhood Environmental Education and associate editor with the journal Children, Youth and Environments. Sue has enjoyed many writing collaborations with Julie Davis and Eva Ärlemalm-Hagsér (Ärlemalm-Hagsér & Elliott, 2021; Davis & Elliott, 2024; Elliott & Davis, 2023; Elliott et al., 2020); and in 2023, was awarded a Fellowship of the Australian Association for Environmental Education in recognition of her leading role in the field. Professor Eva Ärlemalm-Hagsér is a Professor in Early Childhood Education with a background as a preschool teacher. She works as a Professor in the Division of Early Childhood Education within Early Childhood Teacher Education and the Masters program of Didactics, at Mälardalen University, Sweden. Her research focuses on education for sustainability and children's participation and agency within policy and practices, both indoors and outdoors. Between 2008-2018, Eva was a convener of the Special Interest Group (SIG) Outdoor play and Learning within European Early Childhood Education Research Associ

Inhalt

Preface: Positioning ourselves and the text (makes case for responding to sustainability, urgency of climate change & pandemics such as COVID-19).- Introduction: Defining key terms.- Chapter 1: ECEfS: Historical and international antecedents.- Chapter 2: Changing theories and pedagogies in ECEfS.- Chapter 3: Shifts across research and policy.- Chapter 4: Enablers and turning points.- Chapter 5: Key challenges and learnings: What next?.