Climate change education in early childhood: a pan-Canadian document analysis of early learning curriculum frameworks

As climate‑related challenges intensify globally, developmentally appropriate climate change education is increasingly essential for fostering foundational knowledge, pro‑environmental behaviours, and positive relationships between young children and the natural world. Early learning curriculum frameworks shape educational environments, teaching priorities, and pedagogy, yet little is known about how climate change is represented in these policy documents. This study examined how climate change education is positioned and conceptualized within 12 provincial and territorial early learning frameworks in Canada. Using qualitative document analysis, the study applied a conceptual model comprising four interrelated dimensions: climate change concepts, sustainability practices, nature connectedness, and transformative pedagogies encompassing active, inquiry-based, and holistic approaches. Findings revealed that British Columbia was the only framework to explicitly refer to climate change. Sustainability practices varied considerably, as they were absent from four frameworks, yet comprehensively represented in three. In contrast, active learning was comprehensively represented in all 12 frameworks, and nature connectedness was comprehensive or prominent in ten. These findings indicate that while many of the Canadian early learning frameworks already contain important pedagogical foundations for teaching age-appropriate climate change education, there remains considerable variation. This unevenness raises questions about policy coherence and support available to early childhood educators for understanding the importance of climate change education and integrating it into practice. This study contributes to emerging scholarship on climate change education in early childhood by identifying both gaps and possibilities within curriculum frameworks and by offering a conceptual model to support future research, policy revision, and educator guidance.