DOI
10.1080/13504622.2013.833591

Summary
The study is concerned with the level at which early childhood educators understand sustainable development. The strength of professional development (PD) sessions is explored for its contribution to learning the theory and practice of sustainability in general as well as early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) specifically. The particular PD used for this study is titled ‘Living and Learning about Sustainability in the Early Years’ and was delivered on three occasions across Tasmania. Over the three sessions, 99 relevant participants took part. Pre- and post-survey questionnaires were conducted adopting the Likert scale for the questions. Participants were also challenged to write out 5 words pre- and post-survey in consideration of what the word sustainability meant to them. The theoretical background is detailed in the introductory sections covering ECEfS in Australia and PD for ECEfS. The specific PD session is described by the authors as well the data collection and data analysis that they implored for the study. The content of the PD session including the coverage of:

Conceptualising sustainability in accordance with UNESCO (2010)
The four dimensions of sustainable development (UNESCO framework)
The Australian governments five components of EfS

Dyment et al. deliver detailed description of the results using various tables and figures and the ANOVA test analysis results. The overall results and conclusions found that the PD session proved to be effective in enhancing teacher participants knowledge from an initial narrow awareness of sustainability, primarily related to the environment, to the eventual development of a broader understanding comprising of the social and economic aspects as well.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This study is relevant to the knowledge of sustainable development and provides a clear depiction of the need and value of furthering early childhood teachers understanding of such topics. The study does not appropriate any relevance to complex systems knowledge in a specific manner but the overall aim and conclusion of the study adds to the education system for sustainable development and could then be considered as a contribution to the topic. The use of PD sessions to enhance ECEfS knowledge is described here as a useful method for achieving the study goal.

Dyment et al. introduce the background context to the study and bring the reader’s attention to Australia’s range of policies with particular mention of ‘Living sustainably: the Australian Government’s National Action for Education for Sustainability’.

Some participants demonstrated a clear development of sustainability knowledge as a result of the PD. The 5 words challenge proved to be most useful in drawing the conclusion that the PD sessions enhanced participants sustainability knowledge from being generally narrow and environmentally based to developing a broader knowledge base, incorporating more economic and social aspects of sustainability. Figure 2 and 3 deliver a useful visual aid for the progression of participants knowledge.

Point of Strength
The methods mentioned here, including PD sessions, Likert scale questionnaires, 5 word pre- post-survey challenge and the model for professional growth by Clarke and Hollingsworth may be useful in a similar context for the reimagining of sustainable development curriculum. They could also be used as a new teaching or learning activity.




The Australian governments education plan for sustainability, as mentioned above, is likely to hold a large amount of resources relevant to the education of sustainable development and it is also possible that resources on complex systems and systems thinking are also available here.