Evaluating early years education for sustainability in the UK to inform education for sustainability in Gibraltar

Drawing from literature, a conceptual framework is introduced at the start of the thesis to identify primary concepts and values related to sustainability which developed throughout the thesis. This informed the data analysis as a tool for understanding the essential interconnected nature of sustainability necessary for encouraging children to become agents of change. Hence, this study explores evidence of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) across the UK and Gibraltar to inform early years policy and practice in Gibraltar. In light of the current socio-cultural and political context, and the global climate change, the focus in Early Childhood Education tends to be on narrow outcomes and high stakes testing which has resulted in didactic teaching. Previous research indicates that pedagogical approaches to early education which focus on life-long skills such as decision making, curiosity, critical thinking and compassion, offers the potential for empowering children as agents of change. To date, there has been no research conducted in the field of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) in Gibraltar, and very little literature exists, highlighting the original contribution of this study. This study is informed by Social Critical Theory and participatory research methods including semi-structured interviews and participant observations with educators, children, policy makers and researchers within the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) who shared their understandings and experience relating to sustainability. The researcher also kept a reflective journal. Through carefully selected vignettes as part of the findings, from a range of early years settings across the UK, this study highlights the potential of children as confident agents of change for a sustainable future. The vignettes emphasise the importance of an interconnected understanding of EfS, with empathy as central alongside the need for reflexivity, so educators are positioned to question personal values and assumptions that underpin dominant discourses of education. The study concludes by recommending the vignettes as a potential basis for professional development regarding sustainability for Early Childhood Educator stakeholders in Gibraltar.