Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Keywords
ECEfS, Early Childhood Education, Education for Sustainability (EfS), teacher training, early childhood educators, sustainability competencies
Abstract
The research is situated within studies that recognize Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for early childhood educators as key to advancing Education for Sustainability (Evans et al., 2022; Davis & Davis, 2021; Weldemariam, 2022) and that highlight the value of play and active pedagogy in promoting agency and sustainable citizenship from early childhood (Elliott et al., 2020; Engdahl, 2021). Its purpose was to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that scientific evidence, regulatory frameworks, and experts consider essential for educators in the field of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS). Through a methodological approach combining documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews, an integrated view was constructed that aligns with recent literature and provides practical guidance for teacher education. The results emphasize the need to reorient such training toward a transformative paradigm that recognizes children as present citizens with real capacity to act as agents of change in their communities.
Was this research funded?
Yes, research was funded
Recommended Citation
Fermín González, M. C., Valdivieso Aguilera, M., & Echenique Arguinzones, A. (2026). Early Childhood Education and Sustainability: An Analysis of Professional Development Needs for Teachers in Chile. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 51(3). https://doi.org/10.14221/1835-517X.7156
Included in
Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons