Förskolans utbildning i antropocen

The study investigates how Swedish kindergarten teachers facilitate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in kindergartens, and how the concept of the Anthropocene – the age of humans – is reflected in their practice. The main focus is on how kindergarten can promote children’s learning about nature and sustainable use of resources at a time characterised by global environmental challenges. The study provides insight into the knowledge and attitudes communicated to the children, and how sustainable principles can be implemented in kindergarten’s daily activities.

The results show that the Anthropocene as a concept is not directly integrated into kindergarten practice, but that sustainable actions such as sorting at source, composting and caring for nature are considered important learning objectives. The kindergarten teachers specifically focused on practical experiences as a method of teaching children about recycling and sustainable use of materials. However, the kindergarten teachers call for clearer leadership and management to incorporate sustainability more thoroughly into the kindergarten’s quality work. The stories suggest that sustainable principles can be strengthened by actively including children in conversations about the environment and use of resources, but that further development requires clear prioritisation from kindergarten management.

The study is based on interviews with four kindergarten teachers from three different Swedish kindergartens, where the kindergarten teachers reflected on their experiences and practical approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Narrative method was used to shed light on the kindergarten teachers’ stories and to identify patterns in how they work with the concept of sustainability, resource conservation and children’s relationship with nature.

Ärlemalm-Hagsér, E. (2022). Förskolans utbildning i antropocen. Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige, 27(3), 96–117.