Early childhood education for sustainability: Outcomes for social and emotional learning

Early childhood influences value formation and mental wellbeing later in life. Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEFS) aims to bolster children’s social emotional skills and instil environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviours through transformative learning. The current study investigated the Learning in Nature Program (LNP), an ECEFS curriculum at an inner city preschool in Melbourne, Australia. Data from the 2021 ( n = 27) and 2022 ( n = 56) cohorts generally supported the expectation that children’s pro-environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviours would increase after completing the LNP, both in the quantitative data analysis and the qualitative data from parent ( n = 17) questionnaires. There were significant decreases in peer problems, emotion problems, hyperactivity, conduct problems and negative coping. There were significant increases in positive prosocial behaviour and empathy.