Abstract
Teachers approach curriculum with complex experiences, ideas, beliefs, and values that shape the way they interpret and respond to curriculum documents. In the context of national and state curriculum frameworks and policies supporting education for sustainability (EfS), it is important to examine the role and influence of teachers’ beliefs about climate change and pedagogy on climate change education practices within their school classrooms. This paper examines teachers’ personal and professional beliefs about climate change and climate change education. Survey data from over 300 Queensland primary and secondary teachers were first analysed to identify teachers’ understandings and beliefs relating to the realities, causes, and consequences of climate change. Next, the data were analysed to illuminate how teachers conceptualise climate change education in terms of content and processes. This research is part of a larger PhD research project investigating teacher beliefs and climate change education.
Highlights
Climate change poses a significant threat to human health and wellbeing (IPCC, 2014) and as such individuals and communities need to build resilience and adapt in order to minimise risk (IPCC, 2014)
The survey consisted of 28 questions including eight demographic questions, 10 questions relating to personal beliefs and perceptions about climate change and eight questions relating to professional beliefs and perceptions about climate change education
The results from the eight knowledge questions show some uncertainty relating to the science of climate change, the respondents to this survey appear more knowledgeable in certain areas than the general public
Summary
Climate change poses a significant threat to human health and wellbeing (IPCC, 2014) and as such individuals and communities need to build resilience and adapt in order to minimise risk (IPCC, 2014). It is increasingly recognised that raising awareness of climate change will not be enough to see a change in behaviour and choices in many individuals (Bateson, 2006). As such the focus of much climate change communication and education literature has shifted from increased knowledge and understanding to engagement through personal connection and participation (Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole, & Whitmarsh, 2007; Wolf & Moser, 2011). Within the formal schooling system climate change education has tended to remain focussed on ‘the science’ of climate change (Kagawa & Selby, 2010) with little focus on personal connections and engagement, or the broader implications of climate change. Climate change education should explore both local and global mitigation and adaptation etropic 14.1 (2015): Education Graduate Student Symposium 2014 | 22 responses (Kagawa & Selby, 2010), while acknowledging the invisible, uncertain, and temporal nature of climate change
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