A Model for Sustainable Early Childhood Education and Care

Strengthening the Sustainability Paradigm in Early Childhood Education and Care

Authors

• Juhani Tähtinen Turun yliopisto
• Johanna Kortessalo-Ainasoja Turun yliopisto
• Marita Neitola Turun yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.152470

Keywords:

sustainable development, education for sustainable development, eco-social education, planetary education, early childhood education

Abstract

In recent years, the framework and goals of sustainable development have been more prominent in Finnish and international policies and curriculum texts at different levels of education and training. This also applies to early childhood education and care. However, studies - and general messages from the field - in Finland and elsewhere show that there is still much to be desired in terms of putting the framework into practice. In this article, we therefore present 1) the UN Framework for Sustainable Development and 2) related national and international policies on education and training, 3) ecosocial and planetary theories of civilisation, 4) general pedagogical principles and starting points for early childhood education and care, and 5) a model for sustainable development in early childhood education and care, based on the research literature in the field, as a basic framework for curricula and practice in the field. We believe that the "wicked problems" of our time require that a model along these lines be set as the primary basic framework for all early childhood education and care activities. In addition to this basic model, we present the 11R model, which concretises how the long-term objectives of sustainability can be translated into concrete operational targets and practices in early childhood education and care units. In doing so, we want to underline the importance of seamless and holistic integration of distance and local targets into all early childhood education and care practices in order to make the model's goals a reality.