Sustainability Consciousness Among Early Childhood Educators in Thessaloniki, Greece: A Preliminary Examination of Environmental, Social, and Economic Dimensions

Contemporary environmental, social, and economic challenges have intensified the need for educational approaches that promote sustainability consciousness from the early years of education. Within this context, early childhood educators are increasingly expected to foster values, attitudes, and practices associated with sustainable development and responsible citizenship. This study investigates the sustainability consciousness of in-service early childhood educators in Thessaloniki, Greece, focusing on their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors across the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 70 in-service, early childhood educators. Data were collected using the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire–Short version (SCQ-S). The findings reveal generally high levels of self-reported sustainability consciousness, particularly regarding sustainability-related knowledge and attitudes. The social dimension yielded the highest scores, reflecting educators’ strong awareness of issues associated with social justice, equality, and human rights. By contrast, sustainability-oriented behaviors, especially within the economic dimension, appeared less consistently reported, indicating the persistence of an attitude–behavior gap. The study further underscores the importance of linking sustainability education with broader ethical and environmental policy frameworks while recognizing the dual role of educators as both learners and facilitators of sustainability-oriented practices. The findings also point to potential directions for future professional development, although the effectiveness of such approaches requires further empirical investigation.