DETERMINANTS OF IMPLEMENTING EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS: SPONTANEOUS, PLANNED, AND PARTICIPATORY ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Sustainable development represents a key challenge of modern society, and improving the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in preschool institutions is of great importance for shaping children’s awareness and responsible behavior. Therefore, the goal of this mixed-methods empirical research was to examine the determinants of ESD implementation in preschools, viewed through differences related to educator characteristics (years of service) and the age of children in the group (nursery vs. older kindergarten groups), as well as through the prevalence of different forms of activity implementation – planned, spontaneous, and participatory activities in cooperation with the local community. The Quantitative Part was conducted engaging 110 educators in the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and using an online attitude scale in the form of a five-point Likert scale. The Qualitative Part included a focus group of 8 educators with relevant experience, addressing four issues derived from the quantitative findings. The results show that the duration of educators’ service is not associated with significant differences in the prevalence of ESD, while differences were observed in the types of activities relative to the children’s age. Spontaneous implementation of ESD is the most prevalent, while activities in cooperation with the local community are less frequent. The findings point to the need for planning, systematic support, and professional development for educators, providing a basis for improving preschool education and future research.