Assessing conceptions of climate change: an exploratory study among Japanese early adolescents

Abstract

In Japan where climate change education has yet to be recognised as a field of environmental education, understanding climate change conceptions possessed by potential learners is critical for more impactful design and implementation of CCE. This exploratory study aims to investigate climate change conceptions among Japanese early adolescents from the perspective of cognitive, affective, and behavioural learning dimensions, while exploring the complex interplay of those learning dimensions. Questionnaire surveys were conducted targeting 423 students aged 12–14 in three Japanese public junior high schools. Findings suggest that majority of Japanese early adolescents belong to groups that exhibit lower levels of cognitive, socio-emotional, and behavioural domain in relation to climate change conceptions. The relationships among those dimensions were found to be positive and bidirectional. Moreover, several misconceptions about climate change and effectiveness of its solutions were identified among the sample.