Information
| Unit | INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES |
| PRESCHOOL EDUCATION (MASTER) (WITH THESIS) | |
| Code | OÖ726 |
| Name | Sustainable Development and Environmental Education |
| Term | 2026-2027 Academic Year |
| Term | Fall and Spring |
| Duration (T+A) | 3-0 (T-A) (17 Week) |
| ECTS | 6 ECTS |
| National Credit | 3 National Credit |
| Teaching Language | Türkçe |
| Level | Belirsiz |
| Type | Normal |
| Mode of study | Yüz Yüze Öğretim |
| Catalog Information Coordinator | Doç. Dr. İNANÇ ETİ |
| Course Instructor |
The current term course schedule has not been prepared yet.
|
Course Goal / Objective
The aim of this course is to enable students to understand the theoretical foundations, pedagogical approaches and practical dimensions of sustainable development and environmental education in early childhood. The course will cover children’s processes of forming a relationship with nature, ecological literacy, ecological ethics, the biophilia approach, environmental responsibility, sustainable lifestyle habits, the 7R approach, permaculture principles, climate change awareness, play-based environmental education, and school-family-community collaboration. The aim is for students to design age-appropriate, experience-based, nature-centred and ethically sensitive sustainability practices within early years education settings
Course Content
Can explain the developmental importance of environmental education in early childhood. Can interpret the concept of ecological literacy within the context of early childhood education. Can adapt the principles of ecological ethics to educational processes involving children. Can assess the effects of the biophilia approach on children’s love of nature, sense of belonging and well-being. Can adapt the 7R approach into activities suitable for pre-school children. They can adapt the fundamental ethical principles of permaculture to early childhood education. They can design learning environments that support children’s interaction with nature. They can develop environmental education activities based on play, exploration and experience. They can plan family participation and community-based sustainability projects. They can contribute to the creation of an environmentally friendly and ecologically sensitive school culture within early childhood institutions.
Course Precondition
None
Resources
Davis, J. (Ed.). (2015). Young children and the environment: Early education for sustainability (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Elliott, S., & Davis, J. (2009). Exploring the resistance: An Australian perspective on educating for sustainability in early childhood. International Journal of Early Childhood, 41(2), 65–77. Siraj-Blatchford, J., Smith, K. C., & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (2010). Education for sustainable development in the early years. OMEP.
Notes
Wilson, R. (2018). Nature and young children: Encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments (3rd ed.). Routledge. UNESCO. (2020). Education for sustainable development: A roadmap.
Course Learning Outcomes
| Order | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
| LO01 | Can explain the developmental importance of environmental education in early childhood. |
| LO02 | Can interpret the concept of ecological literacy within the context of early childhood education. |
| LO03 | Can adapt the principles of ecological ethics to educational processes involving children. |
| LO04 | Can assess the effects of the biophilia approach on children’s love of nature, sense of belonging and well-being. |
| LO05 | Can adapt the 7R approach into activities suitable for pre-school children. |
| LO06 | They can design learning environments that support children’s interaction with nature. |
| LO07 | They can develop environmental education activities based on play, exploration and experience. |
| LO08 | They can plan family participation and community-based sustainability projects. |
Relation with Program Learning Outcome
| Order | Type | Program Learning Outcomes | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLO01 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Describes and defines different scientific research methods and analyses used in social sciences. | |
| PLO02 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Thoroughly explains the educational and developmental issues related to early childhood education. | 3 |
| PLO03 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Defines, describes and explains teaching strategies, methods and techniques. | 2 |
| PLO04 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explains the interactions among different disciplines related to her/his field of study. | |
| PLO05 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Relates knowledge in the field of early childhood education to the knowledge in other fields. | 2 |
| PLO06 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Explains the theoretical and applied knowledge in the field of study at expert level. | |
| PLO07 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Critically reviews and reflects on the national and international approaches to early childhood education. | 4 |
| PLO08 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Plans and executes a scientific research study. | 3 |
| PLO09 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Applies different teaching strategies, methods and techniques. | |
| PLO10 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Independently executes a study that requires expertise in his/her field. | |
| PLO11 | Bilgi - Kuramsal, Olgusal | Works in a team and/or acts as a leader to solve problems in her/his field. | |
| PLO12 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Questions and inquires into the social and scientific topics in a critical manner and is open to new perspectives. | 5 |
| PLO13 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Executes studies in her/his field of study in accordance with the life long learning perspective. | |
| PLO14 | Beceriler - Bilişsel, Uygulamalı | Becomes sensitive to and follows the social and technological developments. | |
| PLO15 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Presents a research study that s/he conducted in the field of early childhood education to a group of experts or non-experts orally, visually or in writing, | |
| PLO16 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Utilizes the information and communication technologies effectively. | |
| PLO17 | Yetkinlikler - Bağımsız Çalışabilme ve Sorumluluk Alabilme Yetkinliği | Proficiently uses one of the languages in the European Language Portfolio at the level that enables her/him understand the knowledge base related to her/his field of study, communicate orally and verbally. | |
| PLO18 | Yetkinlikler - Öğrenme Yetkinliği | Acts in accordance with the social, scientific, cultural and ethical standards when conducting a scientific research or concluding projects. |
Week Plan
| Week | Topic | Preparation | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Education in Early Childhood | No need | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Soru-Cevap |
| 2 | Sustainable Development Goals and Early Childhood Education | Research about Sustainable Development Goals and Early Childhood Education | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Grup Çalışması, Problem Çözme |
| 3 | Child Development and Nature, Biophilia Theory | Research about Child Development and Nature, Biophilia Theory | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Tartışma, Grup Çalışması |
| 4 | Ecological Literacy: Understanding Nature and Systems Thinking | Literature review about Ecological Literacy: Understanding Nature and Systems Thinking | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Anlatım, Soru-Cevap |
| 5 | Ecological Ethics: Responsibility, Justice, and Right-based perspectives | Read about Ecological Ethics: Responsibility, Justice, and Right-based perspectives | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Örnek Olay, Problem Çözme |
| 6 | 7R Approach: Sustainable Consumption and Circular Living | Read about OMEP 7R Approach: Sustainable Consumption and Circular Living | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Anlatım, Tartışma |
| 7 | Introduction to Permaculture: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share | Reasearch on the concepts of Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Grup Çalışması, Örnek Olay |
| 8 | Mid-Term Exam | Take teh responsibility of the previous weeks homeworks | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Ödev |
| 9 | Outdoor Learning and Nature-Based Pedagogy | Find a research on Outdoor Learning and Nature-Based Pedagogy | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Soru-Cevap, Grup Çalışması |
| 10 | Gardening, Food, and Soil-Based Learning in Early Childhood | Find good examples of Gardening, Food, and Soil-Based Learning in Early Childhood | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Grup Çalışması |
| 11 | Waste Management, Composting, and Recycling Practices | Raed about Waste Management, Composting, and Recycling Practices | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Anlatım, Soru-Cevap, Tartışma |
| 12 | Conservation of Water, Energy, and Natural Resources | Research on Conservation of Water, Energy, and Natural Resources | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Tartışma |
| 13 | Integration of Climate Change and Hope-Based Communication with Children in Early Childhood Education | Research on Climate Change and Hope-Based Communication with Children | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Soru-Cevap, Tartışma, Grup Çalışması |
| 14 | Family Involvement and Community-Based Ecological Projects | Finding Family Involvement and Community-Based Ecological Projects | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Tartışma, Anlatım |
| 15 | Designing Ecological Literacy Activities | Designing Ecological Literacy Activities | Öğretim Yöntemleri: Alıştırma ve Uygulama |
| 16 | Term Exams | Designing a research | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Proje / Tasarım |
| 17 | Term Exams | Designing a research | Ölçme Yöntemleri: Proje / Tasarım |
Student Workload - ECTS
| Works | Number | Time (Hour) | Workload (Hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Related Works | |||
| Class Time (Exam weeks are excluded) | 15 | 3 | 45 |
| Out of Class Study (Preliminary Work, Practice) | 15 | 4 | 60 |
| Assesment Related Works | |||
| Homeworks, Projects, Others | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Mid-term Exams (Written, Oral, etc.) | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 10 | 10 |
| Total Workload (Hour) | 149 | ||
| Total Workload / 25 (h) | 5,96 | ||
| ECTS | 6 ECTS | ||