Abstract
The science–education cooperative venture “Our Common Future: ‘eKidZ’—Teach Your Parents Well” explores intergenerational learning processes and the transfer of learning from the younger to the older generation. Students acting as multipliers and their multiplication effect on parents is part of the research setting: 20 high school students, in the role of researchers, investigated the question of whether children who participate in the Climate Change Education (CCE) program “k.i.d.Z.21” passed on their climate-change-related knowledge, attitudes and actions to their parents (n = 91), in comparison to a control group (n = 87). Due to the annual increase in student participants in the CCE project “k.i.d.Z.21” since 2012 (n = 2000), this article can build on the results of a questionnaire regarding the school year 2017/18 (n = 100–120). A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) showed that the “k.i.d.Z.21” project has a multi-faceted knock-on effect on parents, constituting a multiplier effect: increasing knowledge, and, above all, improvements to the child–parent relationship. Additionally, measurable positive effects in the frequency and quality of climate change communication between children and their parents have been observed (Spearman Rank Correlations), but a distinct lack of positive effects regarding changing climate-friendly attitudes or actions have been noted (Pearson Product–Moment Correlation). The importance of the child–parent relationship is a key factor in bridging the knowledge–action gap, and is reviewed in the context of CCE.
Highlights
Basic climate change knowledge has been available to the general public for decades [1,2], there is still insufficient action regarding sustainability [3,4,5]
This paper aims to mitigate the knowledge–action gap by examining the gap in the context of intergenerational learning processes (IGL), which focus on mutual learning between the younger and older generation [23]
Whereas initial insights into the research setting of this project “Our Common Future: ‘eKidZ’—Teach Your Parents Well” (2016/2017–2018/2019) have been published [37], this paper aims to investigate the findings and results of students’ research regarding intergenerational learning processes and multiplier effects from the younger to the older generation
Summary
Basic climate change knowledge has been available to the general public for decades [1,2], there is still insufficient action regarding sustainability [3,4,5]. Positive effects in increasing knowledge and awareness of students have already been observed, but it has been demonstrated that changes in routines to climate-friendly actions are not a natural consequence among the participants [13]. In this context, the so-called “knowledge–action gap” [4,14,15,16], “attitude–behaviour gap” [17,18] or even the “value–action gap” [19,20,21] can be used to explain the phenomenon. This paper aims to mitigate the knowledge–action gap by examining the gap in the context of intergenerational learning processes (IGL), which focus on mutual learning between the younger and older generation [23]
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