Alternative Perspectives on Environmental and Sustainability Education: A Study of Curriculum Policies across India, China and Japan

Sylvia Christine Almeida, Aihua Hu () and Michiko Inoue
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Sylvia Christine Almeida: School of Education, Culture and Society, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Aihua Hu: Department of Pedagogy, Religion and Social Studies, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Inndalsveien 28, 5063 Bergen, Norway
Michiko Inoue: Faculty of Education, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka 584-8540, Japan

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in the formal sector is evolving rapidly across global contexts. Early Childhood settings are increasingly being seen as fertile grounds for promoting ESE values, attitudes and life-long pro-environmental behaviours. This article provides an in-depth understanding of the Early Childhood policy frameworks in India, China and Japan, focusing on how these support ESE implementation in Early Childhood settings. The study provides a comparative analysis of the key commonalities in the policy frameworks, the main enablers and vital challenges. It also offers a deep conversation on the convergences and divergences that bring together these three Asian countries in their goals of ESE implementation. Finally, the paper appeals to a global audience by offering a review of non-dominant approaches in these three countries, drawing upon their distinctive social, cultural and political contexts. The paper showcases the commonalities and divergences in Eastern cultures and also provides a lens to decipher key shifts from dominant Western philosophies. Overall, the paper responds to the call of this special issue to look at alternative perspectives and understand ESE in different contexts.

Keywords: environmental education; sustainability; early childhood education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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