BRIDGING THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE SYSTEM: PRESCHOOL TEACHERS’ AGENCY IN IMPLEMENTATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

Abstract

Although the importance of Education for Sustainable Development in Early Childhood (ECEfS) is widely acknowledged, its implementation varies across different national, institutional, and individual contexts. This quantitative study involved 398 ECE teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia. The aim of the research was to identify differences in the implementation of specific dimensions of ECEfS and in the achieved sustainability outcomes among children, with respect to three levels of ECE teachers’ professional context: national, institutional, and individual. Data were collected via an online survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and t-tests. While the study was limited by reliance on self-assessment and purposive sampling, it provided valuable insights into how professional context shapes early sustainability practices and outcomes and raised questions for future research. Findings indicate the existence of differences among respondents from different countries in the level of implementation of certain aspects of early childhood education for sustainable development, as well as in children’s sustainability outcomes. Similar differences were identified between ECE teachers working in eco and non-eco kindergartens, and between those familiar and unfamiliar with the activities of the ECE Academy. The results highlight the importance of institutional context and professional development in supporting sustainability practices in early childhood education settings.