ERIC Number: EJ1465072
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-4622
EISSN: EISSN-1469-5871
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Early Childhood Education for Sustainable Development in the Nordic National Curricula: Status and Content
K. Norðdahl1; H. Pálmadóttir1; M. P. Heggen2; N. J. Jørgensen3; A.-C. Furu4; S. Thulin5; M. Fridberg5; B. Sandberg5; G. Langholm6; B. Damgaard3; J. Hirvi4; T. Møller3; E. Staffans4
Environmental Education Research, v31 n3 p648-660 2025
This study explores how early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) is directly framed in the Nordic curriculum. The study's theoretical background builds on theories and research viewing ECEfS as a comprehensive approach which integrates the three pillars of sustainability. To explore the status of ECEfS, Nordic curricula were analysed using qualitative content analysis, specifically examining sustainability concepts and the contexts of these concepts in relation to the sustainability pillars. The findings reveal that sustainability education is included in the Nordic national curricula for early childhood education and care (ECEC), but the emphasis varies: ecological and economic sustainability were prioritised over sociocultural sustainability, which is scarcely addressed in some curricula. Incorporating the concept of sustainability into national curricula could encourage teachers to recognise its comprehensive value beyond nature conservation. Additional research is needed to guide the implementation of ECEfS as well as teachers' understanding of policy documents.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Sustainability, National Curriculum, Foreign Countries, Economic Impact, Ecology, Content Analysis, Educational Policy, Policy Analysis, Indo European Languages, Finno Ugric Languages, Swedish, Norwegian, Sociocultural Patterns, Sustainable Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland; Sweden; Norway (Oslo); Norway; Denmark; Iceland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1School of Education, Department of Education and Pedagogy, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland; 2Department of Sport, Food and Natural Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences , Bergen, Norway; 3Department of Early Childhood and Social Education , University College Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark; 4Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland, Faculty of Education and Welfare studies, Department: Early Childhood Education, Vaasa, Finland; 5Faculty of Education, Department of Early Years Education, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden; 6Norwegian Centre for Science Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway