Climate Literacy Research Articles

Multidisciplinary Climate Change Education: Determining Effectiveness Through Comparative Analysis

Climate Change Education (CCE) is one of the most widely-recognized mitigative solutions to the climate crisis, but research suggests that most global and national CCE policies and curricula are ineffective. A reason for this is that existing CCE curriculum consists of purely science-based pedagogy, despite the fact that multiple studies suggest that a multidisciplinary approach—involving humanities and the arts rather than just science—would be more effective. A case study was conducted at a select California high school, and compared the effectiveness of multidisciplinary CCE to the existing, science-focused CCE, in terms of Climate Literacy (CL) outcomes in students. CL encompasses climate change knowledge, credibility assessment skills, communication skills, and climate-related behavior, four factors that are important determinants when evaluating CCE effectiveness. Using survey research and structured interviews, the CL of students who took 3 or greater Advanced Placement (AP) courses was compared to that of students who took less than 3 such courses. Involvement in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, college-level classes offered to students by the College Board, was used as an indicator of being exposed to multidisciplinary CCE, and was compared to the effects of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which are currently in use in California. The research found that CL within students was significantly greater in AP students in terms of climate change knowledge, credibility assessment, and communication; but climate-related behavior was low in both groups of students and did not seem to be affected by educational curriculum.

What Triggers Climate Action: The Impact of a Climate Change Education Program on Students’ Climate Literacy and Their Willingness to Act

There has been an intensive debate in the field of climate change education about what predictors influence youth’s climate-related behavior and what educational strategies and practices stimulate such behavior. This study investigated the impact of the ‘CO2 League’ program which involved 47 schools (N = 123). For the analyses, we used pre-/-post quasi-experimental design which combined quantitative and qualitative methods: an extensive pre-/-post survey for analyzing several components of students’ climate literacy (system/action/effectiveness knowledge, climate change concern, self-efficacy, willingness for climate-protective behavior) and focus group interviews. The analyses revealed a significant impact of sufficient climate change knowledge on climate change concern which subsequently positively influenced participants’ self-efficacy and their willingness to act. The findings of this study suggest that knowledge is a key initial driver for climate action, especially for young people, and confirm the conclusion of previous studies that willingness to adopt pro-climatic behavior presupposes a clear and explicit understanding of climate dynamics and its causal relations. The focus group interviews also revealed that the reported increased willingness to act often translated into actual climate action and that learning about the concept of carbon footprint and the process of calculating and decreasing it proved to be a very accessible and fast path to participants’ engagement in personal climate action.

A physical concept in the press: the case of the jet stream

Abstract. In recent years, science has hardened the discourse on the emergency of global warming, pointing out that the next decades will be decisive to maintaining the stability of the climate system and, thus, avoiding a cascade effect of events that increase the average temperature above safe limits. The scientific community warns that there are different tipping points that could produce a chain reaction in the global climate. One of them is related to the jet stream. However, despite the importance of this air current in atmospheric dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere and the changes it is experiencing in the context of global warming, the public is still not familiar with this kind of physical concept nor with other much simpler concepts. As concerns about the climate crisis rise, climate literacy remains stagnant. To advance the learning of the science of climate change, in general, and of concepts such as the jet stream, in particular, specific scientific communication formats are required that can successfully tackle the difficult task of explaining such complex problems to the general public. These formats should be included in the media, as the characteristics of the formats (daily section, scientific dissemination, historic perspective, teleconnections and specialization) make them well suited to taking on the challenge of explaining the complexity of climate science. In this article, we present a communication proposal existent in a newspaper published in Spain. We argue that this communication format represents a good model to disseminate climate science, educate readers and even to make physical concepts such as the jet stream accessible. We believe that this format conforms to and complies with the enunciation of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, which calls on the signatory countries to promote education and training on climate change.

The cranky uncle game—combining humor and gamification to build student resilience against climate misinformation

Misinformation about climate change is a consequential societal issue, causing polarization and reduced support for climate action. However, the seriousness of the problem does not preclude non-serious solutions. There are numerous potential benefits to humor as a strategy to counter misinformation, such as attracting attention and engaging disengaged audiences. This paper describes a humorous serious game—“Cranky Uncle”—developed in the U.S. to inoculate players against climate misinformation. The game combines psychological research into active inoculation, critical-thinking work on misleading rhetorical techniques, communication research into cartoon debunking, and gamification. The game’s cartoon humor and the creative potential of active inoculation lends it to classroom applications; educators have thus used classroom activities to complement the game in order to improve students’ climate literacy and critical-thinking abilities. We present several qualitative U.S.-based case studies, in formal English-speaking tertiary classrooms and informal public education settings, to illustrate the utility of a humorous, game-based approach to building resilience against climate misinformation. The approaches adopted in our case studies are offered as a model for other educators looking to use interactive games to teach critical thinking.

Pedagogy Pro-Design and Climate Literacy: Teaching Methods and Research Approaches for Sustainable Architecture

There is a genuine concern that the current level of sustainability education provided in the mainstream architectural curricula is no longer sufficient to combat urgent climate challenges, and that a stronger interdisciplinary approach needs to be followed where architectural students are formed and empowered with a different pedagogical paradigm, better tools, and diverse sets of skills. This paper examines the various pedagogical approaches to the teaching and learning of environmental design principles and practice in architectural education with a focus on recurrent methods applied in specialist curricula in the UK. An in-depth analysis of a pedagogical case study based on the eight-year experience of the Architecture and Environmental Design MSc course at the University of Westminster is presented with reference to the pedagogical methods identified in the literature. A reflective exercise based on the specific methods adopted in the course and examples of students’ outputs and experiences allows a critical evaluation of the pedagogical case study. The paper concludes by highlighting the challenges and opportunities of introducing climate literacy at postgraduate level and the benefits of adopting a research-led approach based on collaborations with industry partners.

Development of the biotic impacts of climate change core concepts (BIC4) framework

The ability of living organisms to respond and adapt to a changing climate is an urgent concern. However, current educational efforts aimed at increasing US undergraduate student climate literacy primarily focus on the causes of, and abiotic responses to, climate change, mostly neglecting the biotic impacts. Here, we present a new framework, the Biotic Impacts of Climate Change Core Concepts (BIC4), which provides context for addressing student understanding of how climate change will impact the living environment. The BIC4 consists of 7 Core Concepts arranged into 3 overarching themes: Species Outcomes, Systems Outcomes, and Scale of Outcomes. This framework was developed through literature review, expert and novice surveys and interviews, and expert review. We show how the BIC4 is well suited to support educational efforts developed with other frameworks (most notably the 4DEE), and we discuss future use of the BIC4 as an education research tool.

A Literature Review on Facade Greening: How Research Findings May Be Used to Promote Sustainability and Climate Literacy in School

The promotion of Climate Literacy is a central concern of our time. To achieve this ability, one can draw on different content areas. One possible area is Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), such as Vertical Greening Systems (VGS), and their effectiveness in mitigating climate change. However, VGS is not yet an established topic in environmental education, even if the pro-environmental effectiveness of VGS has been proven from a scientific point of view and this topic is close to everyday life. To facilitate the transfer of knowledge from research to school, this paper presents an example of a possible procedure. This procedure starts with a narrative review of the scientific literature on VGS. Then, the main results of this review are related to the Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Literacy, and general educational goals to capture its educational relevance. Finally, a flow chart for a teaching sequence is developed, with the phase sequence derived from the performed narrative review. Thus, a parallelism between the structure of a scientific review and an action-oriented environmental education becomes visible. To what extent this parallelization may be generalized, and whether teaching based on it is effective, will have to be tested.

The (Un)political Perspective on Climate Change in Education—A Systematic Review

Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires foundational changes in societies, politics, and economies. Greater effectiveness has been attributed to actions in the public sphere than to the actions of individuals. However, little is known about how climate literacy programs address the political aspects of mitigation and adaptation. The aim of this systematic literature review is to fill this gap and analyze how public-sphere actions on mitigation and adaptation are discussed in climate literacy programs in schools. Based on database searches following PRISMA guidelines we identified 75 empirical studies that met our inclusion criteria. We found that central aspects of climate policy such as the 1.5-degree limit, the IPCC reports, or climate justice are rarely addressed. Whilst responsibility for emissions is attributed to the public sphere, the debate about mitigation usually focuses on the private sphere. Climate change education does not, therefore, correspond to the climate research discourse. We show that effective mitigation and adaptation are based on public-sphere actions and thus conclude that effective climate education should discuss those public actions if it is to be effective. Hence, we propose that climate education should incorporate political literacy to educate climate-literate citizens.

What effective design strategies do rural, underserved students in STEM clubs value while learning about climate change?

This study investigated the experiences of rural, underserved middle school students in afterschool clubs. Culturally relevant climate change education strategies were used to enhance students’ climate change literacy. We investigated changes in students’ climate change literacy, perceptions of strategies used, and what they valued about the clubs by analyzing a pre-post survey (N = 97) and structured written reflections (N = 113). A new integrative framework brought together climate change education design elements to promote culturally relevant programming in an afterschool setting. The effective climate change education strategies and Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) guided data analyses. Overall, students demonstrated significant growth in climate literacy; beliefs, attitudes, and subjective knowledge did not increase significantly. Students’ reflections indicated some climate change strategies resonated more than others. Analyses using EVT found that students’ interest/enjoyment and identity were most often described, followed by self-efficacy and expectations for success with club tasks. Implications for practice are shared.

Climate literacy: attitudes and knowledge of students and teachers of social science

Climate literacy: attitudes and knowledge of students and teachers of social science

Dialogic patterns of the oppressor-oppressed dynamic in climate change denial

The oppressor-oppressed dynamic is one of the driving forces that lie behind power, motivating those who possess it to control access to life resources, essential information, and other options and choices that are necessary to adapt to a world in continuous transformation. By referring primarily to the context of corporate America, the aim of this study is to expose the ongoing confrontation between power structures that are responsible for spreading climate denial theories, and climate science that is involved in promoting not only global climate cooperation and regulation but also climate literacy among the general public. The concerted effort of climate denialists to discredit scientific consensus regarding anthropogenic causes of climate change is analyzed through an action-reaction dialogic construct embedded in a series of key quotes collected from the counter-denial website DeSmogBlog. By drawing on the cognitive and communicative principles of Relevance theory in pragmatics and on neo-Gricean approaches, and by adopting a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, the study attempts to shed light on denialist communicative intentions that initiate and give impetus to the global climate change debate.

Skiing Uphill: A Sport Ecology Case Study to Save the Snow

While outdoor sports, such as skiing, impact the environment, the environment also impacts the sport. North College is a small, private, liberal arts college in the mountains of New England that sponsors four National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I sports, men’s alpine skiing, women’s alpine skiing, men’s Nordic skiing, and women’s Nordic skiing. New England’s weather has been struggling to help the both the men’s and women’s teams access adequate early season training due to the changing environment and the lower snowfall totals. Climate change has posed a risk to the sport of skiing due to the decreased natural snow cover and shortened ski seasons. In addition, manmade snow may increase the risk of injury to student-athletes participating. Through advocacy, partnerships, and climate literacy, this case study seeks to explore North College’s sustainably efforts and attempts to prevent further change in the environment.

"We Need to Care about This, and Yes the Facts Are Terrifying": Understanding Young People's Perspectives about Energy Transition and Climate Adaptation in Regional Australia

This small-scale study examines young people's perspectives about energy transition and climate change adaptation in regional Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. As the opinions and experiences of children and youth have been historically overlooked in contemporary sustainability climate discourse and policy, this research investigates previously unheard accounts. The study draws on four facilitated "Conversations for Change" discussions with a total of 14 young people (aged 9–17) that explored their ideas and concerns about sustaining themselves and their communities during a time of climate change and energy transition. Their ideas and opinions about living in/with a climate-altered local and global future are reflected across four main themes: (a) young people's values; (b) perceptions of energy, transition and adaptation; (c) the enabling role of climate literacy for young people; and (d) responding to a just energy transition through collective endeavors.

The myth of urban poor climate adaptation idiosyncrasy

The growing assumption in urban studies literature is that the urban poor remain vulnerable to climate change impacts yet excluded from planning interventions and their formation. However, at present, there is dearth of research examining the adaptation practices by the urban poor in African cities. Focusing on Ghana’s capital, Accra, the purpose of this study is fourfold: (i) to explore climate change literacy among the urban poor and local planning institutions; (ii) to examine the urban poor’s perceptions on climatic events in Accra; (iii) to analyze autonomous adaptation measures to climate change impacts; and (iv) to assess planned adaptation measures to climate change impacts. This paper uses household surveys, secondary data analysis and agency interviews in two informal communities - Nima and Chorkor - in Accra as case studies. Underpinned by the social exclusion theory, the results show limited climate literacy despite widespread experience of climate change impacts by the urban poor. Most adaptation measures were community driven and autonomous while the limited institutional responses were both planned and autonomous. However, both community and institutional planning responses were ad-hoc, reactionary and unsustainable. The paper recommends consideration of community-based self-organizing adaptation measures into city plans to ensure that autonomous measures are complemented with planned adaptation strategies. In addition to stakeholder participation, collaborations and partnerships in climate change adaptation, pro-poor adaptation measures - both autonomous and planned remain imperative as they can contribute to inclusive and just climate change policy.

The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in Latin America: Knowledge Gaps and the Urgency to Translate Science Into Action

Climate Change hazards to social-ecological systems are well-documented and the time to act is now. The IPCC-SROCC used the best available scientific knowledge to identify paths for effective adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts on the ocean and cryosphere. Despite all the evidence highlighted by SROCC and the key role of the ocean and cryosphere for climate change at all levels, Latin America (LA) faces challenges to take effective action mostly due to socio-economic vulnerability, political instability and overall technical capacities. Countries have adopted diverse actions as the information needed by policy makers has been made available, not necessarily in accessible and inclusive ways. Regional imbalance in economic development, technological level, capacity development, societal involvement, and governmental oversight have contributed to skewed geographical and technological gaps of knowledge on key ecosystems and specific areas preventing effective climate actions/solutions. We analyze the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the region as proxies to the incorporation of IPCC recommendations. The gaps and opportunities for the uptake of ocean and climate science to political decision making is discussed as five key aspects: (i) climate assessment information and regional policies, (ii) knowledge production, (iii) knowledge accessibility, (iv) knowledge impact to policy, and (v) long term monitoring for decision making. We advocate that the uptake of SROCC findings in LA policies can be enhanced by: (a) embracing local realities and incorporating local, traditional and indigenous knowledge; (b) empowering locals to convey local knowledge to global assessments and adapt findings to local realities; (c) enhancing regional research capabilities; and (d) securing long-term sustainable ocean observations. Local and regional participation in knowledge production and provision enhances communication pathways, climate literacy and engagement which are key for effective action to be reflected in governance. Currently, the lack of accessible and inclusive information at the local level hampers the overall understanding, integration and engagement of the society to mitigate climate effects, perpetuates regional heterogeneity and threatens the efforts to reverse the course of climate change in LA. Local researchers should be empowered, encouraged, rewarded and better included in global climate-ocean scientific assessments.

Challenges to Climate Planning in Rural Inland Florida and Recommendations for Future Actions

Despite being farther away from direct impacts of sea-level rise, Florida’s rural inland localities, like those across the nation and world, can be as vulnerable to a changing climate as coastal ones. However, unlike their urban coastal peers, many have not addressed or acknowledged climate change. Few existing research projects have explored the reasons why. To begin filling the knowledge gap and understanding the complexities of the rural Florida climate story, this research aims to answer the question: What challenges are preventing rural inland communities in Florida from addressing climate change, and what do they need to overcome them? To characterize these obstacles and identify next steps, a combination of primary (i.e. surveys) and secondary sources from the author, government agencies, scientists, universities, and other expert organizations were analyzed holistically. The four challenges identified include: community sentiment, investment capacity, gaps in climate literacy, and external connections and coordination. These challenges are linked to numerous underlying issues characteristic of rural communities, such as socioeconomic levels, physical and social isolation, the availability of human capital, and cultural values and perceptions. Based on this information, the discussion section reviews how various stakeholders - local governments, community members, and external supporting agents - can actively curtail disparities in climate preparedness.

Secondary science teachers’ implementation of a curricular intervention when teaching with global climate models

In the past decade, emphasis on promoting “climate literacy” in K-16 science classrooms has increased. Teachers play a critical role in cultivating these opportunities, especially in secondary science classrooms. However, most prior climate education research has focused on students and student learning; little is known about how teachers implement climate-focused curricular interventions. Here, we report findings from a concurrent mixed methods, multiple-case study of four secondary science teachers’ implementation of a new, NGSS-aligned, model-centric climate curriculum module grounded in the use of a data-driven, computer-based climate modeling tool—Easy Global Climate Model (EzGCM). We employ multiple data sources, including video-recorded classroom observations, interviews, and instructional artifacts, and both qualitative and quantitative analyses, to investigate how teachers implemented the curriculum. Findings show that, overall, teachers implemented the curriculum in ways that were less model-centric than designed, placing greater emphasis on EzGCM itself rather than using the model to investigate Earth’s changing climate. Additionally, we present detailed single-case studies of each participant teacher that highlight differences in teachers’ implementation of the curriculum module and their reasoning for making observed instructional decisions. This research sheds light on the design of secondary science learning environments by illustrating the varied ways teachers implement a climate-focused curriculum to support students’ developing climate literacy. This has important implications for the design of climate-focused curriculum and supports for teachers.

Climate Literacy—Imperative Competencies for Tomorrow’s Engineers

Engineers must take a leading role in addressing the challenges of mitigating climate change and adapting to the inevitable changes that our world is facing. To improve climate literacy, technical education must include problem formulation and solutions that consider complex interactions between engineered, Earth, and societal systems, including trade-offs among benefits, costs, and risks. Improving engineering students’ climate literacy must also inspire students’ motivation to work toward climate solutions. This paper highlights the content and pedagogical approach used in a class for engineering students that helped contribute to significant gains in engineering students’ climate literacy and critical thinking competencies. A total of 89 students fully participated in a pre/post climate literacy questionnaire over four years of study. As a whole, students demonstrated significant gains in climate-related content knowledge, affect, and behavior. Substantial differences were observed between students in different engineering disciplines and male vs. female students. Assessment of critical thinking showed that students did an excellent job formulating problem statements and solutions in a manner that incorporated a multidimensional systems perspective. These skills are critical for students to address climate change effectively in their eventual professions.

Climate literacy among undergraduate students who study science in Los Angeles

Purpose This study aims to analyze undergraduate science majors’ perceptions of climate change. Design/methodology/approach Three science major student cohorts at Loyola Marymount University – first-year exposure (first-years taking a course related to climate science), first-year control (first-years taking a course unrelated to climate science) and non-first-year exposure (non-first-years interested in climate science taking a related course) – were given a climate literacy survey at the beginning and end of each course. Student perceptions were also compared with national and local data. Findings First-year students exposed to the topic showed increased awareness of climate change, trust in climate scientists and acknowledgment of the scientific consensus. Exposure also increased the non-first-year cohort’s awareness that global warming is already affecting the country. All three cohorts showed greater awareness of humanity’s role in causing climate change than the public. However, misconceptions regarding technical concepts persisted throughout. Research limitations/implications This was a single-institution study in Los Angeles with a limited sample. Exposure to specific topics varied between cohorts, depending on the learning outcomes of each course. Originality/value Undergraduate science majors have a greater understanding of climate change’s anthropogenic nature compared with local and national populations. First-year students have a lower initial understanding of climate change and less trust in climate scientists than non-first-year students interested in the topic. All science majors can improve their understanding of general concepts and strengthen their confidence in scientists by taking a relevant course. Students struggle to learn specific technical concepts, but can improve their short-term comprehension through studying.

Climate education in secondary science: comparison of model-based and non-model-based investigations of Earth’s climate

ABSTRACT In this mixed method study, we analyse the effectiveness of two pedagogical approaches – one model-based and another non-model-based – for developing secondary students’ understanding of the phenomenon of increase in Earth’s average surface temperatures, a core dimension of global climate change (GCC). Building on past research on teaching and learning about Earth’s climate, we use an Evidence-Based Reasoning framework to assess student tasks and interviews from a 3-week, project-developed, model-based curriculum. We observed that the use of a climate model allowed students to reason more effectively about the Earth’s increasing temperatures. They were able to establish the premise and interpret evidence for the phenomenon more effectively with the climate model. Using temperature and carbon dioxide data sets, students observed and quantified the behaviour of climate variables, establishing correlation and causation through data-integrated claims. In doing so, students were able to develop scientific knowledge about climate science as well as understand the processes undertaken by climate scientists in analysing climate data. Given the importance of fostering climate literacy in K-12 students, study findings have implications for both teaching and learning about GCC using climate models, as well as in shifting students’ focus from acquiring knowledge to constructing their own knowledge.