Young learners have an innate scientific curiosity and capacity for discovery that can be effectively nurtured through STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education that closely aligns with children's everyday experiences. Early childhood educators recognize the critical role of STEM education in cultivating adaptive and…

The earth is drowning in plastic waste. Yet, as the plastic waste crisis grows exponentially, responses to excess waste remain stuck around containment and management processes. These approaches fail to notice that plastics know no boundaries. We now encounter plastic rocks, plastic water, plastic bodies, plastic worlds spilling into oceans and…

This theoretical piece explores the frame of mind required for a Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics (STEM) education in an uncertain time. Predominantly argued from an epistemic standpoint, this paper analyses the relationship between environment, anthropomorphism, the essence of education, and our presumed mastery of nature. In the…

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a pop-up story-based program in fostering environmental awareness and sustainability among first-grade elementary students. Using a quasi-experimental design, the study included experimental and control groups, each consisting of 56 students, randomly assigned to two groups: 28 in the experimental…

This study aims to cement the link between systems thinking (ST) and education for sustainability by presenting an example of systems education for young children. A systems education guidebook focused on water and a learning framework based on the guidebook were developed, together with two ST assessment instruments (a shared reading and a…

Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD SECCYD), we used 2-level random effects models to examine whether the quality of school and home environments during elementary school moderated associations between pre-K quality and math, reading, and vocabulary…

Purpose: The learning environment is not a vacuum, but rather is rich in social contexts with innumerable points, interests, and beliefs. This takes one of the concepts of "social learning" which is not just a natural occurring phenomenon but also a way of organizing learning and communities of learners. Social Learning (SL) tends to…

Purpose: Care is a core concern for early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions. Care may be understood as a basic form of interaction and a foundational need for human beings. For these reasons, care also presents challenges for ECEC staff. The staff must seek practical solutions to problems that philosophers have raised on a…

"Teaching Climate Change to Children" describes the journey of two literacy researchers to learn about climate change and support relevant literacy pedagogy for young children (pre-K-6). The authors argue that climate change and social justice are inextricable from each other; that children in the younger grades are capable of learning…

The Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) program is ever-increasingly being promoted in the field of early childhood education. This proposal is articulated with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO's Education 2030 Agenda, which understands that children may learn and develop competencies on sustainability,…

It is not enough to solve ecological problems only with the agreements put into effect by the states. It is also essential that the citizens adopt the said agreement articles. At this point, the necessity of providing education to individuals of all ages comes into play. For this reason, this study examined the environmental sustainability…

A stronger understanding of the factors influencing implementation of interventions in community-based early childcare settings is needed. The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize existing research on facilitators and barriers to implementation and sustainability of nutrition and physical activity interventions in early childcare…

Early childhood researchers from across the U.S. came together to form the Early Learning Network (ELN) in 2016 with the mission to identify policies and practices that narrow opportunity gaps and help children maintain early learning success. Early Learning Network teams are excited to share what they have learned--and what it means for early…

This study aims to review the scientific papers on Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) published between 2008 and 2020 and reveal changes in the area. This systematic review was carried out in two stages. In the first stage, a systematic review of papers on ECEfS was conducted according to the specified criteria, and all…

Popular instructional approaches in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) are co-construction learning, transformative learning and ecological learning. These rely on constructivism that could challenge human-nature relationships of ECEfS. In this study, we aim to discover and reshape human-nature relationships embedded in the…