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Research in the field of education and teaching for sustainability in preschool has highlighted the importance of communication for knowledge development in the field of sustainability. This article presents a study of the variations that appear in preschool teachers' perceptions of the importance and the experience of having carried out systematic child talks in preschool. The experience is covered by 60 written comments from preschool teachers after they, within a research and development program (R&D program) in the spring of 2022, conducted systematic child talks in the children's groups where they are working. The data has been analysed based on a phenomenographic theoretical perspective. The result of the analysis shows that in the preschool teachers' perceptions of carrying out systematic talks with children, four varying perceptions emerge: Becoming aware of one's own actions; Exciting and educational to discuss with the children about sustainability; Talking with children was difficult;and,Sharing children's thoughts and experiences was the retention. In the preschool teachers' comments, it appears that some of them, through the systematic child talks, have deepened their reflection and their awareness of talking with the children about aspects of sustainability. At the same time, several difficulties are highlighted regarding the task itself and how to ask questions and maintaining children's interest during the talks. Finally, the study indicates that systematic child talks as a method and workingtool are not common in preschool, as several preschool teachers point out that they do not talk to the children in this way in everyday life.

This book presents an historical and contemporary overview of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS). It is written by pioneering Australian and Swedish researchers and includes commentary from other key academics in the field. It traces ECEfS from its 1980’s origins through to contemporary shifts in policy, theory and practice, and considers significant learnings and future directions. It frames this rich and diverse history through changes in thinking about children, educators, nature/environment dualities and sustainability, and how (re)conceptualisations might further advance ECEfS. This book offers fresh perspectives on how sustainability and climate change can be positively addressed with, by, and for our youngest citizens, especially in times of increasing uncertainty, destabilisation, and urgency for action. 

The aim is to deepen the knowledge of preschool teacher students’ constructions of a future professional identity in reflection texts and the dilemmas that emerge in relation to a changed educational context for preschool. 40 reflection texts have been analyzed based on teachers’ personal interpretative framework (Keltchermans, 2009). The result shows that professional self-understanding is expressed in the form of a democratic role model with relational skills who work for different content with the child in the center, anchored in the democratic mission. Based on policy documents, previous experiences and pedagogical theories, subjective educational theories are expressed. An implicit dilemma is how the democratic role model is described in terms of actions that are characterized by instruction and adult control. An explicitly expressed dilemma concerns the limitations of the framework factors for pedagogical choices. At the same time, the frame factors are understood to form the basis for reflective actions that respond to the changing conditions of preschool.

Syftet är att fördjupa kunskapen om förskollärarstudenters konstruktioner av en blivande yrkesidentitet i reflektionstexter och vilka dilemman som framträder i relation till en förändrad utbildningskontext för förskola. 40 reflektionstexter har analyserats utifrån lärares tolkande referensram (Keltchermans, 2009). Resultatet visar att professionell självförståelse uttrycks i form av en demokratisk förebild med relationskompetens som verkar för olika innehåll med barnet i centrum, förankrat i det demokratiska uppdraget. Med utgångspunkt i styrdokument, tidigare erfarenheter och pedagogiska teorier uttrycks personliga värdesystem. Ett implicit dilemma är hur den demokratiska förebilden beskrivs utifrån handlingar som karaktäriseras av instruktion och vuxenstyrning. Ett explicit uttryckt dilemma berör ramfaktorernas begränsningar för pedagogiska val. Samtidigt förstås ramfaktorerna utgöra grund för reflekterat handlande som bemöter förskolans förändrade villkor.

This study examines five preschool teachers' narratives about using the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource for children's play, learning and experiences in Swedish preschools. Participants were asked to reflect on both opportunities and challenges in outdoor play and learning. The present study responds to the need for further research on how the outdoor environment is used in daily pedagogical practice through the lens of preschool teachers' own descriptions. The study is built on interpretive qualitative research, a form of narrative inquiry that uses concepts such as place and didactic sensitivity in the analysis. The findings show how the participants highlight many opportunities for children to engage in play and learning activities in the outdoor environment. The importance of educators' involvement and pedagogical commitment is also emphasised. However, constraints related to lack of variation, access, and teacher commitment are clearly identified as hindering the use of the outdoor environment as a pedagogical resource.

This article shares what Swedish preschool teachers are working with in the field of early childhood education for sustainable development (ESD) as e, merged in talks with their children, aged two to five years. The tasks carried out as the basis for the present analyses were informal child talks about a topic related to sustainability that the teachers and children had worked with in practice. The teachers themselves chose what content to talk about. The 200 teachers participated in the Swedish research and development programme Sustainable Preschool. The aim of the present study was to make visible the content of teacher-child talks about sustainable development in early childhood education. The research question is: What content areas do teachers communicate about with children 2-5 years of age related to ESD? The teacher-child talks were initiated by the teachers, but through the use of interpretative content analysis the children’s voices were also made visible. The main result is narratives about the content, the most common topics being recycling, growing plants, and animals, areas which have long been common topics in Swedish preschools. For many preschools, however, the talks show an integration of transformative and transactional perspectives in how the content was handled together with the children. ESD in early education in Sweden is no longer dominated by the environmental dimension, as earlier content studies have shown; a new common content relates to the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.7 regarding sustainable lifestyles and human rights and sustainability is a long process, founded in empowerment, action competence, and changed policy.