Exploring the Sustainable Development Goals: Beyond the environmental dimension

When early childhood educators think beyond the environmental dimension of sustainability, they may begin to identify and connect early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) with broader early childhood practices, such as promoting social inclusion and participation. We aim to demonstrate how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)(UNESCO, 2015) offer a framework to support educators to amplify children’s agency and build collective participation in and advocacy for social-political-economic issues. This paper draws on Lamb’s (2019) doctoral research exploring barriers and enablers for refugee families and Sonter and Kemp’s (2021) exploration of the SDGs and Australian ECEfS practices. This paper sits within a constructivist framework. Qualitative methods including grounded theory, document analysis, and case studies are drawn on. The University of New England’s Human Research Ethics Committee approved Dr Lamb’s study; the practice case studies were ethically collected in situ with consent to publish. Of particular significance to sustainable futures is children’s capacity to engage and participate as citizens. Transformative pedagogies promote children’s meaningful and authentic participation and decision-making in events that affect them and the world around them. The practice case studies showcase Australian early childhood educators working with children as social agents to foster change and envision equitable and hopeful futures. Alignments between practice and the SDGs are mapped to illustrate transformative pedagogies.

This paper will assist educators to realise the connections between children’s curiosity, agency and participation and transformative ECEfS pedagogies aligned with the SDGs.

early childhood education for sustainability, sustainable development goals, collective participation, social inclusion, transformative pedagogies.