Approaches to Foster Young Children’s Engagement with Climate Action: A Scoping Review

Jane Spiteri ()
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Jane Spiteri: Department of Early Childhood and Primary Education, Faculty for the Education, University of Malta, MSD2080 Msida, Malta

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Climate change poses a significant risk to young children (birth to eight years). Early childhood education and care is believed to play a pivotal role in guaranteeing young children’s understanding of sustainability issues and climate change. Yet how education translates into climate action in early childhood is still unknown, and there is a need for research to explore the approaches that may be deployed to foster young children’s engagement with climate action. This scoping review aims to identify and describe the existing literature highlighting the approaches used in early childhood education to foster climate action amongst young children; map the gaps in this emerging field of inquiry; and make recommendations for areas of future research to address this problem. These findings offer potential priorities for educators, researchers and policymakers to develop climate change education programmes that are meaningful to young children in the early years. Based on the findings, areas for interventions related to climate literacy and climate change education, which may be helpful in raising awareness of climate change among young children, will be outlined.

Keywords: young children; climate action; early childhood education; pedagogical approaches; climate change education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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