Hardiyanti Pratiwi, Murniyanti Ismail, Ikta Yarliani, Agus Riwanda, Muhammad Irfan Islamy
This study explores the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within the Projek Penguatan Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P5) under Kurikulum Merdeka, involving 54 early childhood educators from 21 early childhood education centers in a coal-mining region of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. Following a 20-day, 40-hour training program, teachers incorporated ESD values—economic, social, and environmental dimensions—through habituation, games, storytelling, and videos. Activities such as recycling, tree planting, and clean-ups fostered environmental stewardship, aligning with social learning theory as children emulated positive behaviors modeled by teachers, parents, and peers. However, economic dependence on coal mining created tensions, requiring educators to balance ecological awareness with economic realities. Teachers addressed these conflicts by promoting critical thinking and fostering environmental care and energy-saving practices. The findings highlight educators’ adaptability in contextualizing ESD and underscore the importance of teacher education programs in equipping them to navigate contextual complexities and integrate sustainability into early learning. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Educational Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Early Childhood Islamic Education, Faculty of Education and Teacher Training, Antasari State Islamic University, Banjarmasin, Indonesia; Islamic Studies, Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, Surabaya, Indonesia; Social Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
