Transforming Early Childhood Education: Technology, Sustainability, and Foundational Skills for the 21st Century
Authors: Cingi Mehmet Akif , Öksüz Ayyüce , Çağlar Atila , Semerci Arıkan Didem , Ayyıldız Pınar , Yanarateş Erkan , Avan Şengül Kılıç , Kalenderoğlu İhsan , Avan Çağrı , Aydınlı Bahattin , Yılmaz Adem , Nacar Mahmut , Uysal Gülşah , Doğanay Kamil , Gülgün Cihan , Uluay Gülşah , Bilgili Pelin , Altunoğlu Bahattin Deniz , Güzel Sekecek Gülbahar , Şahin Atılgan Kübra , Şeker Fatih , Tanık Önal Nagihan , Sarıbıyık Süleyman , Özbaş Serap , Küçük Demir Betül , Öztürk Bilge 
Published: December 2024

The early 21st century has been a period of dramatic change, presenting new challenges and prospects in early childhood education. As our society becomes more interconnected and technologically sophisticated, educators must prepare children to live in a world where innovation, sustainability, and social change are the norms. This book, "Transforming Early Childhood Education: Technology, Sustainability, and Foundational Skills for the 21st Century," confronts a number of principles and practices that lie at the heart of the education revolution—using technology as a tool, infusing practices and principles of sustainability into everything we do, and focusing on teaching the foundational skills that all children must master. The chapters in this volume offer a comprehensive exploration of contemporary themes in early childhood education, arranged into four interconnected sections. The first section provides insights into foundational topics such as school readiness, self-regulation, and leadership skills, setting the stage for a holistic understanding of early development. The second section delves into the transformative role of technology, showcasing how digital literacy, AI applications, and innovative learning environments can revolutionize early education. The third section highlights the growing importance of sustainability and environmental education, reflecting on nature-based learning, citizen science, and ecosystem mental models. The final section focuses on specialized research and topics that offer deeper academic insights into scientific process skills and biology education for preschoolers.
The work contained in this book is the effort of many people—old friends and new—who have committed themselves to advancing early childhood education. The writing is an expression of the innovative spirit and commitment to excellence that so many working in this field embody. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Atila ÇAĞLAR (PhD), whose unwavering support and thoughtful insights have been instrumental in shaping the vision and direction of this book. His contributions not only inspired this work but also provided invaluable guidance throughout the editorial process. We hope this book will be a resource and a change agent. We want it to be a vehicle for real, meaningful change in early childhood education. We want to embrace technology sustainably and let it guide us in a vehicle of change. We want to develop a basic set of skills upon which the youngest members of society can build in an ever-changing world.
We encourage you to delve into the concepts and ideals put forth in these pages and to work alongside us in envisioning what tomorrow will bring for early childhood education.