Sustainable Management of Pre-school Education Centers: A Case Study in the Province of Granada

Abstract

Abstract The following research is aimed to analyze teaching practice related to the sustainable management in Pre-School Education (PE) centers. We understand sustainable management as those behavior patterns related to the treatment of resources in the center which employ them in an environmentally respectful way. As a qualitative method, we consulted 30 teachers using a semi-structured interview composed of 27 questions organized in 7 different analysis categories. The quantitative counterpart was carried out by means of a Likert scale which scored from 1 to 5 the aforementioned categories. In most cases, found weaknesses revolve around the energy, the management of water and waste, as well as the mobility solutions. Those aspects in which teachers have a larger scope for action, such as green areas and responsible consumption, obtained a better score and were considered as strengths. Teachers show a high implication in the greening of the curriculum of regular daily work in the classes and, on the other hand, a low capacity of direct incidence in the management of the resources of the center. This causes difficulties to intervene in environmental problems which require different levels of participation in the decision making process, and which involve multiple agents in the solution of the problems and the adoption of strategic measures. It is utterly important for the centers to carry out a complete and exhaustive eco-audit to elaborate a set of patterns to follow in order to correct and foster the detected weaknesses and strengths.