Abstract:
Climate change is more relevant today than ever before. It is important than we teach our youngest generation how to navigate this changing future and how to create sustainable lifestyles. While international and national policies have started to provide a framework for this process, much still needs to be done. The key to this process is education. This thesis examines how three early childhood centres in Aotearoa New Zealand are trying to engage with sustainability in their centre policies and their everyday practice with children. Each was on a journey and each was at a different stage of development. The thesis begins by setting out the primary definitions of sustainability, followed by an outline of how international and national policy has set the context and expectations for those working in education. Discussions also focus on the types of local (national) initiatives that have been put in place. The research used a qualitative methodology, within a constructivist paradigm, to gather narratives from six early childhood teachers and managers through semi-structured interviews. The data was gathered and analysed thematically to identify key ideas and perspectives. The findings revealed that sustainability policy plays only a minor role in early childhood education, and teachers are navigating their sustainability journey independently of one another. The results of the investigation highlight the importance of the 'sustainability journey' and the need for more policy and resource support to make this more effective. This thesis discusses the complex, multi-faceted lenses of sustainability and places significance on the role of children as active agents of change. It concludes with suggestions for further research into creating policies for early childhood education, with support and guidelines relating to practice rather than theory.
