Ursula develops her conceptual framework around traditions of early
childhood pedagogies that align with teaching education for sustainability:
use of outdoor spaces, for example, and learning through authentic real-life
experiences, integrated curriculum, inquiry-based learning, and involvement
of community (Samuelsson & Kaga 2008). At the core of a pedagogy that supports the concept of sustainable living is the belief that young children
are capable as active and informed participants who can affect change and
shape the present and future (Davis 2010). The notion of cultures of sustainability
can be formed through learning communities in early childhood
education settings (Davis 2010). This belief is consistent with approaches
in early childhood education that view the child as capable and encourage
children as problem seekers, problem solvers, and advocates in their own
surroundings. The child is viewed as a co-constructor of her own knowledge
and as an active participant alongside the teacher and peers. Learning that
takes place in outdoor spaces enhances both the children’s and the teacher’s
powers of observation and their abilities to observe, problem solve, and
reflect.