Exploring Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Learning Through the Development of Climate Change Education Materials for Family Engagement

This study explores the learning experiences of pre-service early childhood teachers as they develop climate change education materials for family engagement within a teacher education context. Grounded in the need for practice-oriented climate change education that connects young children’s everyday lives with meaningful action, it examines how pre-service teachers construct their understanding through designing educational materials. A qualitative approach was employed with 24 pre-service teachers enrolled in a science education course in South Korea. Over a five-week project, participants developed family-connected materials, including videos and brochures. Data were collected through reflective journals, researcher notes, and project artifacts, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that participants translated abstract climate change concepts into developmentally appropriate learning experiences, employed creative and sensory-based strategies to encourage voluntary engagement, and designed shared digital spaces that connect home and educational settings. They also recognized the importance of fostering climate sensitivity grounded in positive emotions and developed a sense of responsibility as future educators. These findings suggest that developing family-connected climate change education materials provides an effective and scalable practice-based approach that integrates climate literacy, sensitivity, and action in early childhood teacher education.