A qualitative study conducted in Norway explores how emergent ocean literacy can be facilitated in early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS). The research identifies place, time, and relationships as key drivers of meaningful sustainability learning, offering new insights into how early childhood education can support environmental awareness.
Growing ecological challenges, including rising temperatures, extreme weather, and declining biodiversity in the world’s oceans, have increased the urgency of promoting awareness of marine ecosystems and their protection. Early childhood education is increasingly recognized as a critical context for fostering such awareness.
A new study published on April 3 2026 in ECNU Review of Education examines how emergent ocean literacy can be facilitated in early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) through collaborative exploration by children and teachers. The study focuses on how young children (aged 2-4) engage with marine environments and how educational practices can support this engagement. It addresses the question of how emergent ocean literacy can be developed in early childhood settings. The authors draw on a theoretical framework that combines collaborative exploration with Bakhtin's concepts of dialogism, polyphony, speech genres, and "loopholes", referring to opportunities to connect existing knowledge with new experiences.
This study is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at two early childhood education institutions on the west coast of Norway. Over several weeks of observation, researchers documented the activities of children and teachers at the seaside through field notes, photographs, and interviews. The analysis focuses on collaborative exploration in these environments, particularly activities characterized by diverse voices, shared experiences, and interactions with the natural environment.
The findings identify three key drivers of children's marine literacy: location, time, and relationship. The coastline itself is identified as a significant driver, providing a rich natural environment with diverse elements such as crabs, seaweed, rocks, and water. This setting enables children to engage in multiple activities simultaneously, encouraging exploration, play, and interaction with both human and nonhuman elements. The openness of the coastal environment supports diverse forms of participation and creates opportunities for children to construct meaning through direct sensory experiences.
Time is also emphasized as a key factor. Repeated visits to the seashore allowed children to explore at their own pace and connect past experiences with present activities. This continuity enabled children to revisit earlier experiences, expand their interests, and deepen their understanding of the marine environment. Without a rigid preplanned schedule, the allocation of time supported spontaneous exploration and allowed teachers to respond to children's emerging interests in the moment.
Relationships between children, teachers, and the natural environment are identified as the third key driver. This study emphasizes the importance of dialogical relationships in which children's ideas and experiences are recognized and expanded through interaction. Teachers play an active role in supporting children's exploration, not only by guiding activities but also by participating in play and responding to children's curiosity. Through these interactions, children develop understanding while also learning to relate to nature with care and respect.
Play is identified as central to children's learning. The study describes play as children's preferred mode of expression, through which they explore ideas, test hypotheses, and construct meaning. Play is understood as a "speech genre" that includes both verbal and bodily expressions, allowing children to interact creatively with their surroundings. Through play, children engage both physically and cognitively with their environment, fostering deeper and more meaningful understanding.
A key concept introduced in the study is that of "loopholes". These are moments of opportunity that arise during exploration, when teachers can connect children's immediate experiences with broader knowledge or concepts. Such moments create opportunities for new meanings to emerge and are facilitated by the drivers of place, time, and relations. The study suggests that recognizing and engaging with these moments can support meaningful practices in ECEfS.
The authors conclude that cultivating marine literacy in young children requires attention to the interplay between the natural environment, temporal structures, and social relationships. By creating opportunities for collaborative exploration, educators can support children's meaningful and experiential engagement with sustainability issues. The research highlights the importance of exploration, play, and dialogue in fostering children's understanding of the natural world and contributes to ongoing discussions about how early childhood education can address environmental challenges.
ECNU Review of Education
Case study
People
Emphasising Loopholes to Facilitate Early Childhood Education for Sustainability
3-Apr-2026
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.