Investigating Preservice Elementary Science Teachers’ Understanding of Climate Change from a Computational Thinking Systems Perspective

Wayne Breslyn,J Randy Mcginnis

doi:10.29333/ejmste/103566

Abstract

There is a need to approach environmental education (EE) topics, such as climate change, with a framework that productively reflects its inherent complexity. This study investigates how computational thinking (CT), specifically systems thinking (ST), may prepare educators to teach climate change. As scientists increasingly rely on computational techniques in their studies of complex EE topics, it is incumbent on science education to provide learners with computational thinking opportunities. We investigated how elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) in a science methods course (N=35) adapted a curricular resource on the climate change topic of sea level rise to integrate the CT practice of ST. Changes in their thinking were analyzed. Findings suggest that PSTs prior to instruction held a limited understanding of climate systems, often conflating weather and climate. Post instruction, their thinking expanded to consider the relationships between carbon dioxide, global warming, ice melt, and sea level rise. Further, many were able to describe these systems in a future EE teaching activity for young learners. A major implication was the need to develop a continuum of CT practices for elementary educators, with an emphasis on ST, for complex environmental education topics, that could frame their pedagogical thinking for climate change education.

Highlights

As the consequences worldwide of climate change become more apparent in learners’ everyday lives, ranging from sea level rise to extreme weather (McGinnis, McDonald, Breslyn, & Hestness, 2017), the need for climate change education becomes more urgent
A major implication was the need to develop a continuum of computational thinking (CT) practices for elementary educators, with an emphasis on systems thinking (ST), for complex environmental education topics, that could frame their pedagogical thinking for climate change education
We report findings on preservice teachers (PSTs)’ understanding of climate change from a systems thinking perspective as it developed during instruction, culminating with their explanation of how they intended in their future classroom practices to teach the topic to upper elementary students

Summary

Introduction

As the consequences worldwide of climate change become more apparent in learners’ everyday lives, ranging from sea level rise to extreme weather (McGinnis, McDonald, Breslyn, & Hestness, 2017), the need for climate change education becomes more urgent. Technological advances have resulted in more powerful interactive tools, such as enhanced satellite imagery and monitoring, modeling and simulation software, and data sharing opportunities. These tools contribute to our expanding knowledge and ability to understand climate change, and to enable young learners to investigate and explore climate in new and engaging ways. The standards include computational thinking, strategies for organizing and searching data, creating algorithms, and using and developing simulations of systems. Climate change provides a productive context for the teaching and learning of computational thinking practices as described in the NGSS as well as standards and curricula in other countries

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