Hållbar utveckling i SO-läromedel för årskurs 1–3. : En kvantitativ innehållsanalys av ekologiska, sociala och ekonomiska dimensioner.

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this study was to examine how the ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development are represented in social studies textbooks for grades 1–3. The study was conducted through a quantitative content analysis of both text and illustrations in two Swedish textbooks: Boken om SO 1–3 (2013) and PULS SO-boken (2021). The material was coded according to the three dimensions of sustainable development. The analysis showed that social sustainability was the most prominent dimension in both textbooks. In Boken om SO 1–3, social sustainability accounted for approximately 50 percent of the identified units, while ecological sustainability represented about 33 percent and economic sustainability about 17 percent. In PULS SO-boken, social sustainability accounted for 58 percent, ecological sustainability for 23 percent and economic sustainability for 19 percent. The results also showed that text and illustrations generally reinforced each other by communicating similar sustainability perspectives. Social sustainability was mainly represented through themes such as democracy, children’s rights and participation, while ecological sustainability was associated with recycling, environmental issues and resource management. Economic sustainability was primarily linked to work, money and consumption. The study indicates that sustainable development is represented in the analysed textbooks, although the three dimensions are not given equal emphasis. Social sustainability receives considerably more attention than ecological and economic sustainability. Since only two textbooks were analysed, the findings cannot be generalised to all Swedish textbooks. However, the study contributes knowledge about how sustainable development is presented in educational materials for younger students.