Preschool Teachers’ Sustainability Literacy and Perspectives on Education for Sustainability: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

This explanatory mixed-methods study investigated preschool teachers’ sustainability literacy and perspectives on Education for Sustainability (EfS). The quantitative phase involved 197 preschool teachers. Data were collected through a Sustainability Literacy Survey assessing sustainable development knowledge, attitudes, and EfS practices, together with questions on professional background and school conditions. The qualitative phase included semi-structured interviews with nine teachers selected purposively to represent variation in practice levels. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, difference tests, correlation, and regression analyses, while qualitative data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Quantitative findings showed that teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices were generally at a moderate level. Environmental and economic practices were reported somewhat more frequently than social practices. Most teachers had not received prior training in sustainability, and social media was the most frequently reported information source. Correlations among knowledge, attitudes, and total practice scores were low and non-significant, and neither knowledge nor attitudes significantly predicted reported practices. The qualitative findings helped explain these results by showing that teachers with stronger practices tended to define sustainability more holistically and embed it in everyday classroom routines, whereas others approached it more narrowly through environmental themes and occasional activities. Overall, the findings suggest that strengthening EfS in preschool settings requires not only awareness, but also institutional support, adequate resources, and professional development opportunities.