Is pester power the secret to a greener future? Children’s stories of Eco-School activities

Sustainability is dominant theme in society, with concerns for climate-change reported in the media and recognised by businesses as offering a competitive advantage. Previous research has explored how sustainability has impacted on a number of consumption contexts and how this is incorporated into household decision-making. Yet, there has been little attention paid to listening the voices of children’s on sustainability, despite their greater involvement in household consumption. This research examines the inclusion of sustainability concepts, as taught within the curriculum through Eco-school learning and activities, to see how the messages are interpreted by children and how those are enacted in the home. To engage and enable autonomy of the children, a convenience sample of 20 were each given a disposable camera and asked to take photographs of the eco-school activities carried out in the home. Once the photographs were developed, the children were interviewed and asked to talk around the images. Analysis identified that eco-school learning offered fun activities that provided an escape from the classroom and that the key messages of connecting with nature, making the most of recourses and conserving energy had become normalised everyday behaviours that the children were fully involved in and understood why sustainability was necessary.

Keywords: Eco, Schools, visualisation, consumer behaviour, children, sustainability