ERIC Number: EJ1476866
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1350-293X
EISSN: EISSN-1752-1807
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Sustainability, Play and Children's Agency: A Comparative Study of the Swedish and Turkish Preschool Curricula
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v33 n4 p659-675 2025
In this study, we compared how sustainability, children's agency, and play are addressed in preschool curricula in Sweden and Turkey. Content analysis was used to analyse, interpret, and compare the content. The findings indicated that sustainability is explicitly integrated into the Swedish curriculum but only partly mentioned in the Turkish curriculum. Play is a core part of children's learning in Sweden, whereas, in Turkey, play is mainly referred to as a method. The Swedish preschool curriculum emphasises democracy as a central aspect, which reflects the dedication to fostering children's agency and their comprehension of rights and participation. The Turkish curriculum, meanwhile -- while acknowledging democratic principles, child rights, and participation -- does not provide a comprehensive framework for promoting children's agency. Our qualitative study contributes to knowledge about policies that may lead to practices concerning preschool education in Sweden and Turkey that focus on sustainability, children's agency, and play.
Descriptors: Sustainability, Play, Preschool Education, Comparative Analysis, Comparative Education, Preschool Curriculum, Child Development, Personal Autonomy, Democratic Values, Foreign Countries, Childrens Rights, Learning Processes
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden; Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Education Communication and Learning, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Department of Early Childhood Education, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey; 3School of Teacher Education, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden