This paper reports on a research project based in Australia that engaged experts from the United States, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Australia called: Inquiry Arts Pedagogies and Experiential Nature Education (IAPENE). It focused on early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) which has become an increasing feature within the broader education for sustainability movement internationally (Rousell & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, 2020). The introduction of bush kindergarten programs (Warden, 2012), forest schools, engagement in community greening projects and children’s wild play gardens (, Dobia, Truong, Ward & Regalado, 2019; Royal Botanic Gardens, 2017), as well as legislative requirements (Little, Elliot & Wyver, 2017a) are evidence of proliferation of activity in this field. The need for engagement in ECEfS is clearly articulated by numerous researchers (Aitken, Hunt, Roy & Sajfar, 2012; Duhn, 2012; Cutter-Mackenzie & Edwards, 2013; Ward, 2013; Rousell & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, 2020) who assert that young children have a right to sustainability/climate change education and facilitation of their engagement and connection with the natural world.

Theories related to connection with the natural world begin with those situated in the Anthropocentric discourse (Crutzen & Ramanathan, 2000) and include biophilia (Wilson, 1984), ecopsychology (Roszak, 2001) and place-based education (Sobel, 2005; Somerville., 2012). More recently post-humanist approaches to being one with the natural world (Malone, K., Moore & Ward, 2019; Malone, Karen., Tesar & Arndt, 2020) purposely decenter the human,  and theorise planetary co-existence with a focus on regenerative paradigms that reject neo-liberal constructions of society with its focus on consumption, profit and Growth (Jickling, 2017). This research draws upon these theories and builds upon them through Econnection (See conclusion).

The research was conducted in two parts: The first consisted of consulting internationally with community arts and sustainability practitioners, early childhood educators, academics and teachers about the value and meaning of ECEfS and the way in which it could be further explored in early childhood settings using the arts. The arts are a standard inclusion in the early childhood program and present an opportunity for multimodal investigation and perception (Eisner, 2002; Judson & Egan, 2012) that facilitates a focus on the natural world as educational content, highlighting the local environments of children’s home and early childhood settings (Ward, 2017a). Analysis and consolidation of the stage 1 participant perspectives demonstrated strong synergies about the arts-infused curriculum and resulted in a series of Principles, Reflections and Practices that were developed as a pedagogical tool (Ward, 2017b) alongside the emerging theory of Econnection: Eco as in ecology and nnection as in connection. The second part of the research engaged early childhood educators in using the IAPENE pedagogical tool and Econnection for integrating sustainability education with arts-based curriculum and pedagogies to facilitate an increase in content related to the natural world and to normalize this content with a focus on place.

The research outcomes included the IAPENE Pedagogical tool, validated in stage 2, and theory of Econnection which were developed originally in the education context of early childhood. However, Econnection and the Principles, Reflections and Practices are equally relevant for young people in primary and secondary school. Five years on, and in the midst of a climate crisis, the relevance of this work has intensified and now forms the basis of blog conversations with educators about sustainability education in Scotland, the UK more broadly and internationally. These conversations, based on the Principle, Reflections and Practices (Ward, 2017b) bring the research into the present and highlight the need for working with educators to support their practice in incorporating learning for sustainability into their classrooms in a manner that supports children’s learning and agency as active citizens (Jickling, 2017). 

An interpretivist, inductive approach underpins this research, with the qualitative methodology in Stage 1 including mixed methods such as semi-structured interviews (Gray, 2014), photo-elicitation and photo-stories (Bignante, 2010; Wang, 2008). Reflexive thematic analysis focused on searching for patterns of similarity and difference to identify common nodes, subsequently used to generated themes (Clark, 2011). Reliability was conferred through the number of participants in the initial stage (30) and the mixed methods employed (Creswell, 2007). Stage 1 resulted in the development of a series of Principles, Reflections for Econnection Pedagogy and Practices in what is now the Inquiry Arts Pedagogy and Experiential Nature Education (IAPENE) Handbook (Ward, 2017b). Stage 1 of this research asked the following questions: What do international perspectives on outdoor experiential learning incorporating arts based pedagogies teach us about ECEfS learning affordances for young children? Stage 2 trialled the use of the IAPENE Handbook and involved inductively oriented practitioner action research (Groundwater-Smith, 2008; Ponte, Ax, Beijaard & Wubbels, 2004). The findings and analysis focused on the correlations between the applied Principles, Reflections and Practices indicated in the handbook and the outcomes when educators in early childhood settings in Sydney, Australia and Lincoln, Nebraska USA engaged with them. Stage 2 of the research project asked: To what extent are the IAPENE Principles, Reflections for Econnection Pedagogies and Practices useful for incorporating additional content about the natural world and how did educators use them? Stage 2 trialled the IAPENE Handbook at six Western Sydney University Early Learning Centres and at two early childhood settings in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. This work continues by way of discussions with educators about the Principals, Reflections and Practices that are meaningful to them or others that arise during the discussion process. The discursive engagement will be showcased through a professional website blog and the University of Dundee Division of Education and Society: Sustainability in Education and Society Hub (currently under construction). Given the current climate crisis and the need for meaningful climate change education, the value of professional discussion on principles of learning for sustainability and use of pedagogical tools to support educators in incorporating sustainability education in early childhood and school settings, is evident (Rousell & Cutter MacKenzie-Knowles 2019). The process of shared creation of new ways for engaging with sustainability and climate change education as teachers and practitioners has the potential to becomes social activism for climate change.

There were two sets of outcomes in this research: Stage 1 outcomes were the IAPENE pedagogical tool and the theory of Econnection. This concept is described as: ‘A state of being where one feels themselves part of nature, ecologically, ethically and culturally. The natural world is perceived through all the senses as creative melding of embodiment, affective intensities and consciousness on a temporal continuum within which all actors are engaged in mutual flourishing.’ Additional findings include: -Strong synergies between the perspectives of sustainability educators and academics, artists, outdoor educators and early childhood educators with regard to the value, impact and importance of the natural world and the extent to which the arts can play a key role in accessing, understanding, interpreting and expressing econnection with the natural world. -The arts provide a useful means of interpreting the natural world and making content about the natural world more accessible for inclusion in curriculum. -Interpretation of the natural world through the arts, enhances children’s and educators’ awareness of the local and regional natural environment. Stage 2: -Engaging with the Principles, Reflections for Pedagogies, and Practices included in the IAPENE Handbook results in a substantial increase in awareness and knowledge of the local natural environment for children and educators. -Practice suggestions in the IAPENE Handbook are immediately relatable to existing pedagogies in the educators’ repertoires. -Educators reported that sense of place and belonging were positively affected for them and the children with whom they worked. -Educators and children incorporating the IAPENE Principles, Reflections and Practices expressed new understandings about the human/nature connection and interdependence. -Educators working with the IAPENE Handbook reported that cognitive problem solving and imagination were a focus for the children when engaging with natural phenomena and materials during their play and investigations.

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