Norwegian kindergarten children demonstrate knowledge about sustainable development

The curriculum framework for kindergartens in Norway indicates that young children should gain an early understanding of sustainable development and nature conservation. Yet, in Norway and elsewhere research on the effectiveness of early childhood programs that focus on environmental sustainability is scarce. This study addressed this concern by investigating levels of knowledge on environmental sustainability and sense of belonging to nature in Norwegian children during their last year of kindergarten.

Fifty-six children (age 5-6) from eight kindergartens in Norway participated in one-on-one interviews focusing on their understanding of nature, human actions having an impact on nature, and humans as a part of nature. Pictures of landscapes and actions were used during the interviews to help children better understand and respond to the interview questions and prompts. The interviews were conducted near the end of the children’s kindergarten experience. Additional data were collected through teacher and parent questionnaires which included items addressing the frequency of (a) children being outside in nature and (b) of discussions with children about environmental challenges. Teachers provided additional information about activities conducted with the children to promote understanding of the environmental component of sustainable development. Parents provided additional information about their level of education. Three of the participating kindergartens had a “farm profile”; the other five did not have a specific profile but were noted as being “eco-certified.”

Children generally defined nature in terms of such natural elements as trees, animals, water, and stones; yet more than one-third (38%) of the children indicated that pictures of urban landscapes heavily impacted by humans also represented nature. Additionally, most (64%) of the children – whether in farm or eco-certified kindergartens – also indicated that humans are a part of nature. Many children were aware of human actions impacting environmental sustainability, especially as related to garbage disposal, deforestation, and air pollution from vehicles. Some of the data suggested a link between children’s knowledge of environmental sustainability issues and frequency of being outside in nature with parents. Most of the parents (63%) reported being outside in nature with their children “once a week” or “2–3 times a week.” Most of the parents (65%) indicated that they discuss environmental challenges with their children “sometimes”; 14% said “often”; 18% “seldom”; and about 5% “very often.” All the kindergartens involved the children in conservation activities (e.g., recycling and reusing materials) and discussed environmental challenges with children. Only 38% of the kindergartens took the children outside more than once a week.

These results indicate that upon completing kindergarten, many children had acquired an early understanding of the impact of different human actions on environmental sustainability. To achieve global environmental and sustainability education targets, however, more research is needed. Such research should include investigations into various factors influencing children’s knowledge and motivation to act for sustainability.