Exploring Experiential Learning to Promote Education for Sustainability: A Case Study on teacher perspectives.

• In Event: The Power of Pedagogy for Sustainability Transformation

Proposal

Introduction
Education based on experiential learning is not a new concept. Proposed as a pedagogical model by John Dewey during the first half of the 20th century, it continues to empower learners to construct knowledge through the exploration of activities based on their physical and social environment. In the quest for survival in today’s world, one important focus should be on how to sustain the natural environment and its resources while developing the social welfare, health, and economic well-being of all. The literature demonstrates that nurturing experiential learning opportunities for children can play an important role in fostering skills that support education for sustainability (Paujik et al., 2021; Pauw, 2015). Although there are studies that explore this from the perspectives of researchers and policymakers, it is crucial to learn about teachers’ perspectives, their knowledge and understanding of experiential learning, and how they translate it into practice.

The Problem Statement
Although education for sustainability has caught the attention of educators, researchers, and policymakers in recent years, its implementation in early childhood and early elementary education through experiential learning is limited. (LeBlanc et al., 2015; Salay, 2018 García-González et al., 2020). Relatively few studies have investigated the practice and the impact of education for sustainability in early childhood and elementary education (MacDonald, 2015; Mondi et al., 2021, Pauw, et al., 2015). This can pose a significant problem since today’s children will have to bear the brunt of socioeconomic disparities and other global inequities (Ärlemalm‐Hagsér & Elliott, 2017).

Purpose of the research
The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of how experiential learning, during early childhood and elementary years, supports children’s understanding and awareness of education for sustainability. This study will explore how early childhood and elementary teachers at a Montessori model school in Darjeeling, India, perceive experiential learning and implement it into practice to teach children about sustainability.

Research Questions
1. What are teacher perceptions of education for sustainability in early childhood and elementary education and how do they translate it into their practice?
2. To what extent is experiential learning used to teach education for sustainability within the early childhood and elementary school curriculum?
3. How do teachers describe their experience of experiential learning and its impact on the development of social and behavioral skills in young children that influence sustainable thinking and habits?

The Perspectives and Significance of the research
Keeping in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), researchers have explored ways for integrating the SDGs into the school curriculum nationally and globally (Haslip & Penn, 2019). Education is viewed as a crucial pathway to bring positive change in human behavior (Gracia-Gonzales et al., 2020). Ärlemalm‐Hagsér & Elliott (2017) argues that early childhood and early elementary education have a vital role to play and act for sustainable development in creating a safe future for all. Educators and thinkers such as John Dewey and Maria Montessori emphasized the idea that children learn best through practical, hands-on, real-life experience, and active interaction with their environment. Nurturing activities that engage the five senses during early childhood and elementary years have lifelong influences on the nerve cells and neural pathways of the brain (Isenberg, 2002; Lynch, 2015). Therefore, recognizing experiential learning as a significant educational approach to teaching about education for sustainability is extremely important.

Methods
A qualitative case study research methodology will be used for this study. A within-site case study approach is selected to explore the phenomenon of how experiential learning supports young children’s understanding of education for sustainability. A within-site case study is a form of qualitative research that provides an in-depth description and analysis of a bounded system (Merriam & Tisdel, 2016). A case study allows exploration of contemporary, real-life phenomena, within a bounded system, that is in progress and presents an in-depth understanding of the case (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
The participants of this research will be the teachers of early childhood and elementary grades (Pre-K to grade 8), at Darjeeling Montessori House in North India. The sample size will be approximately 18-20 participants. Purposeful sampling criteria (Creswell & Gutterman, 2019) will be employed to select teachers who have been teaching in the school for more than two years. Data will be collected via semi-structured interviews and focus groups. In-Vivo coding will be utilized to code the data. Data will be analyzed to derive themes relevant to the research questions of this study.

Conclusion
The hope is that the findings of this study will provide significant information that will add to the existing literature and help educators, researchers, and policymakers gain insight into the significance of experiential learning for education for sustainability. The findings can also be beneficial to classroom teachers and practitioners as they may encourage them in designing and implementing experiential learning activities within their classrooms.

Author

• Sarala Thapa, Drexel University