Abstract
Formal schooling frequently lacks both democratic learning culture and effective climate change education (CCE). This study analyzes the effects of the participatory CCE initiative k.i.d.Z.21 and the impacts of the current Fridays For Future (FFF) climate protests on teenagers’ climate change awareness. The mixed-methods approach comprises online pre-and post-tests, and personal interviews with selected students. k.i.d.Z.21 follows moderate constructivist, inquiry-based learning approaches and addresses 14-year old students from secondary schools in Austria and southern Germany. Considering the effectiveness of the CCE intervention of school year 2018/2019 (N = 169), quantitative findings reveal an increased mean of major components of climate change awareness, including climate-friendly behavior. When separating participants and non-participants in Fridays For Future, personal concern and refusing meat have both increased significantly only among protest participants. A closer examination of this group identifies an enhanced feeling of self-efficacy that might be triggered by perceived collective efficacy. Besides, more climate-friendly consumption behavior, as well as enhanced multiplicative action, are detected. The interviewed students also clearly assigned increased action-related components of climate change awareness to the attendance of FFF. From the findings, we conclude that democratic learning in and out of school can enhance action-related components of climate change awareness, and a combination of both can have an even stronger effect.
Highlights
By the end of 2019, the 25th conference of the parties has again failed to deliver clear regulations to fulfill the promises from the Paris Agreement of 2015
This study investigates if single components of climate change awareness (CCA) differentiate between k.i.d.Z.21-participants who have and those who have not been involved in Fridays For Future (FFF)
In order to enable a better understanding of the effects received by participating in FFF compared to k.i.d.Z.21, students are asked in personal interviews if they had noticed an added value of FFF compared to the climate change education (CCE) learning intervention
Summary
By the end of 2019, the 25th conference of the parties has again failed to deliver clear regulations to fulfill the promises from the Paris Agreement of 2015. As today’s young people have to deal with the consequences of climate change more than any generation before, they are expected to be most heavily concerned about a livable future, which is a vital precondition for taking action [1]. In strengthening other components of young people’s climate change awareness (CCA), climate change education becomes a critical factor [2,3]. Focusing on the knowledge-awareness-action gaps [4,5], designing effective CCE-learning settings is not about a sheer transfer of knowledge far off from students personal interests, and often coined by teacher-centered educational styles [6,7]. The complex social and ecological dimensions deriving from changing climate conditions call for a vigorous and innovative educational approach [9,10]
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