Produktivt motstånd och dramaledarskap : Att utveckla kritiskt tänkande om hållbar utveckling i förskolan

The purpose of this study is to investigate how drama-based leadership can support preschool children's development of dialogic and creative-critical thinking regarding complex sustainability issues. A particular focus is placed on how leadership can transform children's conflicts of interest into productive resistance. The study employs a practice-developing design based on an intervention study with children aged 35. The drama sessions were based on Agenda 2030 and social justice themes. Data were collected through video observations and the researcher’s reflexive logging. The analysis followed a thematic approach based on dialogism, social constructionism, and critical pedagogy. The results show that drama work enabled new perspectives through empathy and fiction. Through active leadership that balanced tensions and allowed for conflicting opinions, frustration was transformed into productive resistance and collective agency. Key leadership themes include the balance between proximity and distancing, high and low status, and the ability to manage uncomfortable states. The study confirms that drama-based leadership plays a crucial role in utilizing resistance as a driving force for deliberative processes. By implementing drama, educators create a safe fictional space where children can exercise critical thinking, providing vital insights for the preschool’s democratic mission and education for sustainable development.