Principals´ Views on and Descriptions of Preschool Education for Sustainable Development

Principals have an important role to play when it comes to making decisions on organizational reforms and priorities in preschool; however, there has been little focus on their views on education for sustainable development (ESD) at the preschool level, which is a reform that needs to be prioritized. Furthermore, there is little insight into similarities and differences when it comes to how different types of preschools incorporate ESD, especially from the point of view of management. For this reason, this study aims to find out about the views on ESD that principals of eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools have. A further aim is to examine whether there are any differences between the two types of preschools – eco-certified and non-eco-certified – as made evident in the principals’ descriptions of ESD. This qualitative study applies a cross-sectional design. Seven principals, who headed a total of 22 preschools located in six municipalities in Sweden were interviewed: these interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed, and a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings demonstrate that the principals consider ESD to be crucial in early childhood education and feel ESD needs to be integrated into preschool education. Going by the principals’ descriptions, it seems that the eco-certified preschools prioritize ESD in their daily educational practices more than non-eco-certified preschools do. Further studies are needed to explore the attitudes and actions of principals when it comes to heading ESD in preschool, since attitudes guide both actions and behavior. &nbsp

Integration of education for sustainability in the preschool curriculum: A comparative study between the two latest Swedish curricula

The aim of this study is to provide a content analysis of the new Swedish preschool curriculum in comparison with the previous preceding curriculum to investigate how sustainability and education for sustainability (EfS) have been described, and whether there have been any changes in terms of the scope of their inclusion in the new curriculum. The study adopts a holistic view of sustainability, meaning that the environmental dimension, social dimension, and economic dimension, along with a pluralistic and transformative view of EfS, form the analytical framework. Using content analysis, the frequency of explicit and implicit descriptive words for sustainability and EfS in both curricula were investigated. A contextual analysis was also conducted that involved an interpretation of the meaning of the implicit words. Two main findings could be identified in the new curriculum in comparison to the previous curriculum. The first was that the term sustainability is now used from an explicit and holistic perspective that includes all three dimensions. The second was that the new curriculum provides guidance as to how to incorporate EfS where such words as investigating, participation, collaborate and develop are used. Together with the context in which these words appear, a picture forms of a pluralistic teaching tradition in preschool curricula. Overall, the analysis provides a picture of change in the Swedish preschool curriculum that is in line with the intentions of international policy and research relating to a need for increased focus on sustainability and EfS

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Dolutegravir twice-daily dosing in children with HIV-associated tuberculosis: a pharmacokinetic and safety study within the open-label, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority ODYSSEY trial

Background: Children with HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) have few antiretroviral therapy (ART) options. We aimed to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of dolutegravir twice-daily dosing in children receiving rifampicin for HIV-associated TB. Methods: We nested a two-period, fixed-order pharmacokinetic substudy within the open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority ODYSSEY trial at research centres in South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Children (aged 4 weeks to <18 years) with HIV-associated TB who were receiving rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir were eligible for inclusion. We did a 12-h pharmacokinetic profile on rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir and a 24-h profile on once-daily dolutegravir. Geometric mean ratios for trough plasma concentration (Ctrough), area under the plasma concentration time curve from 0 h to 24 h after dosing (AUC0–24 h), and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) were used to compare dolutegravir concentrations between substudy days. We assessed rifampicin Cmax on the first substudy day. All children within ODYSSEY with HIV-associated TB who received rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir were included in the safety analysis. We described adverse events reported from starting twice-daily dolutegravir to 30 days after returning to once-daily dolutegravir. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02259127), EudraCT (2014–002632-14), and the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN91737921). Findings: Between Sept 20, 2016, and June 28, 2021, 37 children with HIV-associated TB (median age 11·9 years [range 0·4–17·6], 19 [51%] were female and 18 [49%] were male, 36 [97%] in Africa and one [3%] in Thailand) received rifampicin with twice-daily dolutegravir and were included in the safety analysis. 20 (54%) of 37 children enrolled in the pharmacokinetic substudy, 14 of whom contributed at least one evaluable pharmacokinetic curve for dolutegravir, including 12 who had within-participant comparisons. Geometric mean ratios for rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir versus once-daily dolutegravir were 1·51 (90% CI 1·08–2·11) for Ctrough, 1·23 (0·99–1·53) for AUC0–24 h, and 0·94 (0·76–1·16) for Cmax. Individual dolutegravir Ctrough concentrations were higher than the 90% effective concentration (ie, 0·32 mg/L) in all children receiving rifampicin and twice-daily dolutegravir. Of 18 children with evaluable rifampicin concentrations, 15 (83%) had a Cmax of less than the optimal target concentration of 8 mg/L. Rifampicin geometric mean Cmax was 5·1 mg/L (coefficient of variation 71%). During a median follow-up of 31 weeks (IQR 30–40), 15 grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred among 11 (30%) of 37 children, ten serious adverse events occurred among eight (22%) children, including two deaths (one tuberculosis-related death, one death due to traumatic injury); no adverse events, including deaths, were considered related to dolutegravir. Interpretation: Twice-daily dolutegravir was shown to be safe and sufficient to overcome the rifampicin enzyme-inducing effect in children, and could provide a practical ART option for children with HIV-associated TB

Neuropsychiatric manifestations and sleep disturbances with dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy versus standard of care in children and adolescents: a secondary analysis of the ODYSSEY trial

BACKGROUND: Cohort studies in adults with HIV showed that dolutegravir was associated with neuropsychiatric adverse events and sleep problems, yet data are scarce in children and adolescents. We aimed to evaluate neuropsychiatric manifestations in children and adolescents treated with dolutegravir-based treatment versus alternative antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of ODYSSEY, an open-label, multicentre, randomised, non-inferiority trial, in which adolescents and children initiating first-line or second-line antiretroviral therapy were randomly assigned 1:1 to dolutegravir-based treatment or standard-of-care treatment. We assessed neuropsychiatric adverse events (reported by clinicians) and responses to the mood and sleep questionnaires (reported by the participant or their carer) in both groups. We compared the proportions of patients with neuropsychiatric adverse events (neurological, psychiatric, and total), time to first neuropsychiatric adverse event, and participant-reported responses to questionnaires capturing issues with mood, suicidal thoughts, and sleep problems. FINDINGS: Between Sept 20, 2016, and June 22, 2018, 707 participants were enrolled, of whom 345 (49%) were female and 362 (51%) were male, and 623 (88%) were Black-African. Of 707 participants, 350 (50%) were randomly assigned to dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy and 357 (50%) to non-dolutegravir-based standard-of-care. 311 (44%) of 707 participants started first-line antiretroviral therapy (ODYSSEY-A; 145 [92%] of 157 participants had efavirenz-based therapy in the standard-of-care group), and 396 (56%) of 707 started second-line therapy (ODYSSEY-B; 195 [98%] of 200 had protease inhibitor-based therapy in the standard-of-care group). During follow-up (median 142 weeks, IQR 124–159), 23 participants had 31 neuropsychiatric adverse events (15 in the dolutegravir group and eight in the standard-of-care group; difference in proportion of participants with ≥1 event p=0·13). 11 participants had one or more neurological events (six and five; p=0·74) and 14 participants had one or more psychiatric events (ten and four; p=0·097). Among 14 participants with psychiatric events, eight participants in the dolutegravir group and four in standard-of-care group had suicidal ideation or behaviour. More participants in the dolutegravir group than the standard-of-care group reported symptoms of self-harm (eight vs one; p=0·025), life not worth living (17 vs five; p=0·0091), or suicidal thoughts (13 vs none; p=0·0006) at one or more follow-up visits. Most reports were transient. There were no differences by treatment group in low mood or feeling sad, problems concentrating, feeling worried or feeling angry or aggressive, sleep problems, or sleep quality. INTERPRETATION: The numbers of neuropsychiatric adverse events and reported neuropsychiatric symptoms were low. However, numerically more participants had psychiatric events and reported suicidality ideation in the dolutegravir group than the standard-of-care group. These differences should be interpreted with caution in an open-label trial. Clinicians and policy makers should consider including suicidality screening of children or adolescents receiving dolutegravir

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

Kids, cash and sustainability: Economic knowledge and behaviors among preschool children

Although young children are often involved in economic transactions of various kinds in their daily activities, research on their knowledge and behaviors in relation to sustainable economics is limited. Sustainable economics deals with, among others, equity, corporate responsibility and poverty reduction. This study explored preschool children’s knowledge and behaviors concerning the use of money, their willingness to share resources with friends and the sources of knowledge about economic issues. A total of 53 final-year preschool children, aged five to six, from 12 preschools in Sweden were interviewed. The data were analyzed using content analysis and the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy. The results show that the children considered money to be used largely for the consumption of goods, while a few wanted to donate their money to the poor and to family members. With regards to sharing resources, most of the children wanted to share their candies with friends, and they viewed sharing as being a social responsibility or a moral obligation, or as being fair. Parents, teachers and the children themselves were reported as the main sources of knowledge. Further research is needed to enhance our knowledge about how to integrate economic sustainability issues in preschool

Omsorg om människan och planeten : förskolebarns kunskap om och praktiserande av hållbarhet

Children across the globe today are continuously being exposed to and affected by various kinds of real-world complexities and challenges; however, research on their knowledge and practices in terms of sustainability is limited, in particular with regards to how preschool- and home-related factors are associated with their learning for sustainability. Since 1998, different types of eco-certification have been awarded by the Swedish National Agency for Education and Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation to promote education for sustainability (EfS) in all areas of education and learning. Despite certificates having been granted in Sweden since 1998, no studies have been conducted at the national level to investigate whether eco-certification has any role to play in children’s learning for environmental and sustainability issues. This knowledge is important to develop pedagogical activities to engage young children meaningfully in learning for sustainability at preschool. This study was undertaken so as to address this research gap in a Swedish context. The overall aim of this study was to enhance the existing knowledge about preschool children’s learning for sustainability in Sweden. The objectives of this study have been to investigate and compare the knowledge and self-reported practices of sustainability among children attending eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools, respectively, and to explore the extent to which preschool- and home-related factors are associated with children’s knowledge and practices of sustainability. Further, this study explored children’s perceived sources of such knowledge. The term ‘knowledge’ in this text refers to the descriptions of children’s ideas and thoughts. Similarly, eco-certified preschool refers to a school that work explicitly with EfS. The study was designed from a "child’s perspective": this means that it was designed by adults to understand children’s perceptions and actions. Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory and Bruner’s (1961) iconic (image-based) modes of representation were applied in various stages of the study. A conceptual framework was developed within the three-interlocking-circles model of sustainability that illustrates how environmental, social and economic dimensions are interconnected. The concept of sustainability was operationalized in four themes: economic equality, resource sharing, recycling and transport use. With the use of illustrations and semi-structured questions, final-year preschool children (n=53), aged five to six years, and the directors (n=7) at six eco-certified and six non-eco-certified preschools were interviewed, while guardians (n=89) and teachers (n=74) filled out questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed using content analysis and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), respectively. The quality and complexity of children’s responses were assessed and classified using the SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs &amp; Collis, 1982). The results showed that by the time the children completed preschool, many had acquired some knowledge about how to use money, about the sorting of different recyclable items at home and at preschool, and about the impact of different modes of transport on the environment and people’s lives. They also had ideas about the lives of other children in the world and what it can mean to share resources with other people. There was a positive relationship between children’s declarative (understanding) and functional (practice) knowledge of sustainability issues and the involvement of teachers and guardians in sustainability-related discussions and activities. No statistically significant differences between eco-certified and non-eco-certified preschools in terms of children’s declarative and functional knowledge were found. Parents were reported to be the main sources of children’s knowledge along with the children themselves, teachers and media. The findings offer support for integrating environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability into the daily pedagogical activities of preschools and for giving children opportunities to participate in discussions and practical activities that concern their lives. Further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which different educational activities contribute to developing children’s understanding and behavior when it comes to a sustainable society.Bakgrund och syfte Dagens barn växer upp i en tid med många konflikter, klimatförändringar, naturkatastrofer, sinande naturresurser, fattigdom och globala hälsohot. Barn är offer eller potentiella offer för dessa omständigheter och de kommer i framtiden att påverkas av dem både fysiskt och socialt. De förhållanden som nämns här kan kopplas samman med frågor om hållbar utveckling. I rapporten Vår gemensamma framtid (Brundtland &amp; Hägerhäll, 1988) definieras hållbar utveckling som ’en utveckling som tillfredsställer dagens behov utan att äventyra kommande generationers möjligheter att tillfredsställa sina behov.’ Hållbar utveckling är ett komplext och omfattande begrepp som innefattar miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Forskare betonar vikten av att integrera lärande för hållbarhet i förskolans verksamhet (Davis, 2015; Pramling Samuelsson, 2011; Siraj-Blatchford, 2009). Studier visar att familjen och förskolan spelar en viktig roll i yngre barns utveckling av beteende och attityder (Musser &amp; Diamond, 1999; Sigel, Stinson, &amp; Flaugher, 1991; Sylva et al., 2004). Trots detta är forskning om föräldrars och lärares påverkan på utvecklingen av barns förståelse av och praktiserande för hållbarhet mycket begränsad. Sådan forskning är viktig för att kunna utveckla lämpliga strategier för undervisning om hållbarhetsfrågor i förskolan och för att säkerställa en hög kvalitet i utbildningen av de yngsta. Enligt den svenska läroplanen för förskolan (Skolverket, 2011) skall alla förkolor sträva efter att varje barn utvecklar respekt för alla former av liv och att de utvecklar en vilja att visa omsorg om närmiljön. För att främja hållbarhet i svensk utbildning delar Skolverket ut utmärkelsen ”Skola för hållbar utveckling” till förskolor som arbetar systematiskt med lärande för hållbar utveckling (Skolverket, 2014). Förskolor kan också certifieras med "Grön Flagg” av Håll Sverige Rent, som är en del av ett program för miljöskolor inom Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) (Håll Sverige Rent, 2016). Eftersom den här typen av certifierade förskolor uttryckligen arbetar med hållbar utveckling skulle man kunna förvänta sig att arbetet också påverkar barns kunskaper och beteenden vad gäller hållbarhet. Trots att certifikat har beviljats i Sverige sedan 1998 har inga studier genomförts för att undersöka om ekocertifiering spelar någon roll för barns lärande om miljö- och hållbarhetsfrågor. Av de få tidigare studier som undersöker denna fråga har ingen fokus på förskolan. Med tanke på att hållbar utveckling också lyfts fram i den svenska läroplanen för förskolan är frågan särskilt angelägen. Det övergripande syftet med denna studie har varit att öka kunskapen om förskolebarns lärande för hållbarhet i Sverige. Studien har undersökt förskolebarns egenrapporterade kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Studien har också undersökt samband mellan förskole- och hemrelaterade faktorer och barns kunskaper och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbarhet. Bland annat har relationen till ekocertifiering studerats samt vilka källor till den egna kunskapen barnen uppger. Denna studie definierar inte termen "kunskap"; snarare används termen för att beskriva barns egenrapporterade kunskap genom verbala svar och praktiska handlingar. Begreppet "kunskap" i denna text ska förstås som barnens egna beskrivningar av sina föreställningar och tankar. Egenrapporterade handlingar avser barns egna beskrivningar av vad de gör och hur de utför olika aktiviteter på förskolan, i hemmet eller när de är med vänner och ska hållas isär från observationer av barns agerande. I denna studie kategoriseras förskolor som har fått utmärkelsen Skola för hållbar utveckling eller har Grön flagg-certfikat som ekocertifierade förskolor. Metoder Studiens syn på hållbar utveckling utgår från miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner. Dessa tre överlappande dimensioner har operationaliserats genom fyra teman: ekonomisk jämlikhet, dela med sig, återvinning och transportanvändning. Banduras (1977) sociala inlärningsteori och Bruners (1961) kognitiva utvecklingsteori, i synnerhet det bildbaserade sättet att förstå omvärlden, användes i olika steg i studien. Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa data samlades in under perioden februari till september 2015. Data samlades in från tolv olika förskolor varav sex var ekocertifierade. Förskolorna fanns i sex kommuner i två län i Sverige. Data om förskolebarnens kunskaper om och praktiska färdigheter vad gäller hållbar utveckling samlades in genom intervjuer och observationer av 53 barn som gick sitt sista år på förskola. Vidare besvarade 74 förskolepedagoger och 89 vårdnadshavare enkäter, och sju förskolechefer som var ansvariga för de inkluderade förskolorna intervjuades. Den regionala etikprövningsnämnden i Umeå hade inte några invändningar mot studiens upplägg som följde Vetenskapsrådets etiska riktlinjer. Data samlades in efter informerat samtycke från förskolechefer, deltagande pedagoger samt deltagande barn och deras föräldrar. Resultat och slutsatser Resultaten visar att många barn i förskolans sista år hade förvärvat viss kunskap om hur man använder pengar, om sortering av olika återvinningsartiklar hemma och i förskolan och om påverkan av olika transportsätt på miljön samt om människors hälsa och välfärd. De hade också viss uppfattning om hur livet ser ut för andra barn i världen och vad det kan innebära att dela med sig av resurser till andra människor. Det fanns ett positivt samband mellan barns deklarativa kunskaper (förståelse) och funktionella kunskaper (praktik) om hållbarhetsfrågor, samt lärarnas och vårdnadshavarnas deltagande i hållbarhetsrelaterade diskussioner och aktiviteter. Inga statistiskt signifikanta skillnader kunde påvisas mellan ekocertifierade och icke-ekocertifierade förskolor i form av barns deklarativa och funktionella kunskaper. Föräldrar rapporterades vara de viktigaste källorna till barnens kunskap tillsammans med lärare och TV. Flera barn uppgav också att deras kunskap kom från dem själva. Resultaten ger stöd för att integrera miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner av hållbar utveckling i förskolans dagliga pedagogiska verksamhet. I studien framträdde betydelsen av att barn ges möjlighet att delta inte bara i diskussioner utan också i praktiska aktiviteter som berör deras liv för vilken kunskap de utvecklar om hållbarhetsfrågor. Ytterligare studier behövs för att undersöka i vilken utsträckning olika utbildningsaktiviteter bidrar till att utveckla barns förståelse och beteende när det gäller ett hållbart samhälle samt hur man kan engagera dem på ett meningsfullt sätt i deras lärande för hållbarhet

Economic (in)equality and sustainability : preschool children’s views of the economic situation of other children in the world

This study explored preschool children’s knowledge and views of other children’s economic situation worldwide, and their self-reported sources of such knowledge. A total of 53 final-year preschool children, aged 5–6, from 12 preschools in Sweden were interviewed. Children’s responses were analysed using content analysis and the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes Taxonomy. Most of them seemed to have knowledge about the lives and the economic situation of other children in the world. Many of the preschool children could justify their views with one or more relevant ideas or thoughts, and a few of them were also able to logically connect their arguments. Parents, media and observations of real-life situations were reported as major sources of knowledge, while preschool was mentioned by a few. Further research is needed to enhance our knowledge about how to integrate social and economic sustainability in preschool’s pedagogical activities and to engage children meaningfully in such learning.Open Access APC beslut 23/2017</p