Although natural playgrounds have originated from an intention to provide greater access to nature for children, these play spaces offer a designed and regulated space that diverges from other natural contexts. This study investigated the perceived and sociomaterially constructed role of nature in natural playgrounds by examining what people (i.e.…

Education for sustainable development is a broad, cross-cutting concept. How teachers in different subject areas prioritise aspects of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) impacts learning objectives and outcomes. The goal of this research was to uncover, characterise and analyse groups of teachers based their perceptions of teaching SDGs. The…

Place-based education (PBE) offers teachers a unique opportunity to increase engagement and academic outcomes while strengthening students' connections to their environment and inspiring future conservation. In most instances, classroom teachers must independently choose to implement PBE, such as when discussing topics surrounding wildlife and the…

The Anthropocene is a geo-stratigraphic unit of the upper Earth's layers, impacted by human disturbances, but also humankind's historical record, and children's place to live on. It is an unfinished narrative. This study explores how garden and soil-related activities with kindergarten children, guided by well-informed teachers, may have the…

Earth's biodiversity decline poses critical biocultural challenges, including food sovereignty and climate change adaptation. Teacher education can play a pivotal role in addressing biodiversity care. This study explores how preservice teachers learn about biodiversity care in teacher education programs, focusing on local biocultural contexts to…

The current evidence base for outdoor and nature-based education in a context of education for sustainability is limited and unrepresentative of the realities of small, urban schools, which tend to be characterised by small outdoor spaces devoid of nature. To address this research gap, we carried out two studies in Malta, as an example of a…

Environmental stewardship education, as a locally oriented concept, benefits from being recast to account for the emergent, multidimensional, and interdisciplinary nature of today's most pressing socio-ecological issues. In an effort to infuse environmental stewardship education with global citizenship, instructional materials on community-based…