Design and Validation of a Multidimensional Instrument for Measuring Eco-Social Competences in Education for Sustainability in Early Childhood Education

Education for sustainability requires the integration of eco-social competences that encompass cognitive, affective, and behavioural dimensions to face today’s global challenges. This paper presents the development and initial validation of a multidimensional and adaptive assessment tool designed to assess these competences in early childhood education. Based on robust international frameworks and pedagogical models such as “CARE-KNOW-DO”, the instrument includes nine items that measure children’s environmental awareness, social responsibility, and ethical sense across three levels: knowledge, emotional engagement, and behaviour. The study involved a sample of 150 children aged 5–6 and showed that, while their knowledge was considerable, emotional engagement played a key mediating role in transforming awareness into action. These findings confirm the theoretical assumption that emotional resonance is essential to bridge the gap between knowledge and behaviour. The tool proposed provides educators with a reliable age-appropriate method to assess eco-social competences and promotes transformative learning practices from an early age onwards. This study addresses the urgent need for using empirical tools in the field and supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through critical, participatory, and values-based education.