Preschool children’s agency in education for sustainability: The case of Sweden

The study investigates how children’s participation and agency are addressed in the revised Swedish preschool curriculum Lpfö 2018, particularly within the framework of education for sustainability. The researchers investigate the major changes in the curriculum regarding sustainability and discuss these findings in light of national and international policy documents as well as previous research The purpose is to understand how children’s right to participation and agency have been recognised and incorporated into the curriculum in the light of sustainability.

The results show that the revised curriculum Lpfö 2018 has introduced the concept of sustainability in a holistic way, integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions. Children are recognised as competent actors who can actively participate and influence their own learning. Furthermore, the curriculum shows an emphasis on transformative learning, facilitating changes in children’s way of thinking, acting and learning about sustainability. Despite this recognition of children as active agents, the study shows that kindergarten teachers still face challenges in implementing these principles in practice.

The study used a critical content analysis of the Swedish preschool plan Lpfö 2018. The researchers conducted a digital review of the curriculum using the keywords ‘participation’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ to investigate the use of these terms and their context. The entire curriculum was thoroughly read and discussed to identify information about children’s participation and agency in relation to sustainability.

Borg, F., & Samuelsson, I. P. (2022). Preschool children’s agency in education for sustainability: The case of Sweden. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 30(1), 147–163.