Teacher Practices and Preschool Physical Environment for Education for Sustainable Development: Eco Vs Ordinary Preschools

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the frequency of and time allocation for education for sustainable development (ESD) practices of preschools teachers and examine the ESD indicators in the physical environment of eco and ordinary schools. The results indicate that the frequency of and time allocated for the ESD practices of eco preschool teachers were significantly higher than those of teachers in ordinary preschools but only with a small effect size. The results also demonstrate that there are more facilities to support ESD in eco-preschools compared to ordinary preschools. In conclusion, the eco-school approach may promote ESD indicators in preschools; however, the small effect size and similar mean scores of teachers in both schools emphasize the necessity of further investigating the issue. On the other hand, the significant differences between eco and ordinary preschools in terms of the physical environment demonstrate the unequal conditions of preschools in terms of ESD.