Chapter 2: The role of early childhood managers to support play-based learning for sustainable development in the early years

Literature confirms the importance of quality education in the early years as a foundation for sustainable development. This chapter discusses a study aimed at identifying the role of early childhood managers in supporting education for sustainable development (ESD) in these formative years. Using a participatory paradigm, the transformative learning theory served as the theoretical framework to foster social change. Participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) was employed as the research design to facilitate equal collaboration, allowing co-researchers to express their views. Eight co-researchers formed the action learning set (ALS) and were conveniently selected from the Sedibeng East district in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected through photovoice, reflective journals, and recorded action learning discussions. Thematic content analysis was utilised to analyse the data. A significant finding was that leadership from early childhood development (ECD) managers is crucial for the sustainable development of young children. The findings indicate that to promote play-based learning for ESD in the early years: (1) learning programmes should be well-planned, (2) adequate resources should be provided in the centres and (3) collaboration among various stakeholders should be encouraged. We conclude that participatory pedagogical approaches, such as play-based learning, can effectively promote ESD in the early years.