Abstract
Climate change poses a grave threat to future generations, yet relatively little research examines children’s understandings of the issue. This study examines the questions children ask about climate change – rather than their answers to adults’ questions – exploring whether their questions suggest they view climate change as psychologically proximal or distant. Children aged 10–12 from 14 UK schools took part in an online event, asking scientists questions in a ‘climate zone’. The questions were analysed using thematic analysis. The themes related to the nature and reality of climate change, its causes, impacts, and solutions. Participants seemed most exercised about the future impacts of and ways of ameliorating climate change, with some questions evoking science-fiction disaster imagery. The contents of participants’ questions elucidated the ways in which they position climate change as both a proximal and distant phenomenon.
Highlights
The nature of the potentially devastating impact of climate change on the planet and its occupants is established (Masson-Delmotte et al, 2018)
We identified the following six categories of questions about climate change: ‘The nature of climate change’, ‘The causes of climate change’, ‘The current impacts of climate change’, ‘The future impacts of climate change’, ‘Resolving climate change’ and ‘The reality/severity of climate change’
- What are the worst effects of climate change? - Are animals such as polar bears who live in cold climates endangered? - Does climate change have something to do with spreading diseases? - What is the main country that has been affected by climate change? - What country is most affected by climate change? - Where does climate change affect the world the most?
Summary
The nature of the potentially devastating impact of climate change on the planet and its occupants is established (Masson-Delmotte et al, 2018). Other studies measure participants’ attitudes towards climate change and/or their willingness to take or support particular actions that will contribute to ameliorating its effects (e.g. Chhokar et al, 2012) Participants in these studies respond to a closed-form survey, where responses are usually measured on a five-point scale. This study seeks to privilege the participant by enabling them to ask their own questions about climate change This approach has been employed relatively infrequently, and mainly in the field of education, by researchers investigating children’s interests in science and technology How is this psychological distancing of climate change expressed?
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