Opportunities for Education for Sustainability through multidimensional preschool science

This article exemplifies and discusses how pre-school research can contribute to Education for Sustainability (EfS). The research question in the study is: How does pre-school culture interact with teachers’ design of scientific activities?

Through an analysis using the EfS method, the researchers show several examples of how multidimensional science teaching provides children with opportunities to develop independence, authority and creative problem solving in accordance with climate and environmental awareness. The researchers argue that teachers’ active participation is essential to realise multidimensional science teaching in a way that contributes to EfS.

The researchers use data from research-based activities in 14 Swedish pre-schools, where examples of multidimensional science teaching have previously been identified, i.e. teaching related to children’s scientific learning in several dimensions of their lives, such as emotions, imagination, play and aesthetic forms of expression.  The data collection focused on the actions of teachers, their attitudes towards scientific learning and the scientific learning opportunities they offered the children.

Sundberg, B., Areljung, S. & Ottander, C. (2019). «Opportunities for Education for Sustainability through multidimensional preschool science». NorDiNa: Nordic Studies in Science Education, 15(4):358-369.