Early childhood educators’ understanding of education for sustainable development

Education for sustainable development (ESD) prepares learners for global citizenship. It is considered the great hope through which Anthropogenic destruction can be halted and a sustainable future created. In Ireland, relevant State departments suggest Aistear, The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, supports ESD in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) practice. However, there is an absence of research concerning how or if Irish educators are facilitating ESD in ECEC. Bringing a children’s rights lens and systems-perspective, this article reports on a quantitative study framed within the Irish policy context. It offers first insight into educators’ practices and engagement with ESD in ECEC. Findings reveal educators feel inadequately prepared to facilitate ESD; they are either unsure or do not believe Aistear contains ESD content or facilitates their practice in this area. When viewed through a systematic lens missed opportunities to realise the goal of ESD in Irish ECEC are evident. It is highly probable large discrepancies exist in ESD implementation. This article joins other voices calling for the current updating of Aistear to ensure the presence of ESD. The implementation of the revised framework must include robust training, as, at present educators lack a foundation on which to base their ESD practice.