Aesthetic Learning Processes in Early Childhood and Early Years Education

Reflections on Educating for Sustainable Development and use of Visual Tools and Materials

Abstract

The article is based on art-based creative work in early years presented at the Make&Learn conference at University of Gothenburg in September 2019. The article aims at presenting educating for sustainable development as an important part of early childhood and early years education, in line with the curricula in two of the Nordic countries. The aim of the article is further to exemplify project work with ecology and sustainability in preschool and primary school practice with children and parents, and the significance of use of visual and multimodal tools and materials. The empirics of the project work presented, is gathered between the years 2011–2020 at a combined preschool and primary school for early years in Finland and two preschools in Sweden, working with sustainability and aesthetic learning processes. The presentation of results is based on an analysis of visual material gathered at the preschools and the primary school, dialogues with the principals and educators, as well as presentations about their educational activities. In the article, the visual material is further presented through photographs of project work and of the learning environments in the educational units, focusing on the use of different kinds of visual, multimodal and optic materials.

Key words: aesthetic learning processes, ecology, materials, multimodality, sustainability, visual tools