IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v18y2025i1p299-d1827949.html

Assessing Early Childhood Sustainability Apps: A Dual-Framework Evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Sin Chun Ng

    (School of Computing and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

  • Ka Lee Carrie Ho

    (School of Education, Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK)

  • Chung Man Tang

    (School of Computing and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

  • Man Fai Leung

    (School of Computing and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

  • Yat Him Lee

    (School of Computing and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

  • Siu Nam Chan

    (School of Computing and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

Abstract

(1) Background: using an artefact-based secondary analysis approach, this paper critically reviews eleven mobile applications designed for early childhood sustainability education. (2) Methods: the study employs a dual-framework evaluation rubric, based on Parsons and Ryu and on Ozdamli, which assesses ten criteria, including pedagogical approach, accessibility, and interdisciplinary integration. Two independent reviewers scored each app, with inter-rater reliability confirmed via Cohen’s kappa (0.74–1.00). (3) Results: results reveal a strong bias towards environmental SDGs, limited accessibility features, and minimal teacher-facing tools. Only one app addressed all three sustainability pillars: environmental, social, and economic. (4) Conclusions: the paper proposes AI-enhanced design strategies and culturally responsive workflows to improve app effectiveness. Recommendations include embedding interdisciplinary task flows, multilingual scaffolds, and community-linked challenges to support transformative sustainability learning in early childhood education.

Suggested Citation

  • Sin Chun Ng & Ka Lee Carrie Ho & Chung Man Tang & Man Fai Leung & Yat Him Lee & Siu Nam Chan, 2025. "Assessing Early Childhood Sustainability Apps: A Dual-Framework Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2025:i:1:p:299-:d:1827949
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/1/299/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/1/299/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:18:y:2025:i:1:p:299-:d:1827949. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.