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It is widely acknowledged that anthropogenic climate change is already having severe adverse effects on our planet and poses an existential threat to many species, including our own. National curricula and schools and other formal educational settings have been slow to address the issue of climate change, despite the deep traction that it has with many young people. This paper introduces the papers in a Special Issue that arose from a four-day residential symposium on how schools for 5–19 year-olds and other sites for learning should address climate change in both their taught and wider curricula. As an invited symposium of the Journal of Moral Education Trust, contributors were asked to pay particular attention to the moral/ethical/civic dimensions of climate change education. In this paper, we also emphasise that a key purpose of this Special Issue is to ‘own’ climate change education as an important issue for moral education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses bibliometric techniques to explore the international knowledge base on climate change education (CCE), which considers education as crucial for addressing the climate emergency through fostering climate-literate citizens. Analyzing two decades of scientific literature on CCE, we identify evolving considerations, foci, trends, and recommendations, examining a total of 1,264 articles published between 2000 and 2022 in educational-related fields in Web of Science. Using bibliometric techniques, we assessed research trends, author co-citations and journal citations to reveal an evolving publication landscape, including shifts in locations of productive researchers, influential articles, and leading journals publishing CCE studies. Bibliometric techniques help to identify the intellectual knowledge structure and inter-journal referencing, encompassing Theoretical Basis of CCE, Psychology of CCE and Communication, Climate Change within Socioscientific Issues, Conceptions of Climate Change, and Epistemology in CCE. Based on the trends, association networks, limitations and gaps revealed by this analysis, we conclude with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question what the focus of climate change education should be has been debated by academics and policy makers. However, this debate is informed to only a limited extent by empirical research on the position of teachers. Based on interviews with nineteen experienced secondary geography teachers in the Netherlands, nine orientations were distinguished, ranging from transmissive to transformative, and from instrumental to emancipatory. The teachers generally found knowledge important as a basis for forming an opinion or making decisions. Many wanted to make students aware that anthropogenic climate change is a fact, as they saw it as a settled issue. However, teachers varied in their opinions regarding sustainable values and behaviour. One teacher advocated sustainable values, while five only wanted to stimulate sustainable behaviour by steering indirectly. The majority focused on well-considered behaviour, but many teachers still provided incentives. Beliefs about the neutrality of education played a major role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although education is acknowledged as an important tool to address climate change, only some countries refer to education within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Using a mixed-methods approach, we explore the question of how countries frame education within their climate pledges. First, we examine NDCs with a discourse network analysis (DNA) to identify country framings of education and climate change and potential discourse coalitions among countries. Education is most often referred to as an instrument to adapt to climate change and to a lesser extent as an instrument to mitigate climate change. Second, we use a regression analysis to complement the DNA results. We find that countries with a higher exposure to climate change impacts are more likely to mention education, which explains the prevalence of the adaptation framing. Moreover, we find that countries with a higher GDP per capita are less likely to include education within their NDCs. These results confirm the traditional divide between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries also with regard to education in NDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research arose out of conversations among climate change education instructors teaching at Lakehead University and our shared interest to better understand student experiences in our courses, with the intention of informing pedagogical decisions around course design and content. Data were collected from students at the end of seven courses through a mixed methods approach consisting of an online questionnaire (n = 55), which allowed participant segmentation using the Six Americas Framework, and follow-up semi-structured interviews (n = 22). The questionnaire collected students' self-reported levels of knowledge and understanding, sense of urgency, and sense of agency related to climate change, which are shared learning goals across our courses, as well as responses to open-ended questions on student experiences within the courses. In the interviews, participants were asked to elaborate on these themes. Participants reported increased knowledge, a heightened sense of urgency and strengthened sense of agency—including describing individual and collective changes they made following the course. We engage with the empirical data and present our critical reflections as instructors on course elements and design, encouraging others to teach climate change education in initial teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change education is infused with images of light. Scholars in the field tend to emphasize hope, sustainability, and solution. They foreground knowledgeable humans who construct better worlds and thereby bind themselves to modern understandings of human being and becoming. I draw on agential realism and object-oriented ontology to contest the metaphor of light, the focus on hope, and the modern premises they rely on—particularly in the context of massive sustainability crises such as climate change. The ethical dimension of agential realism and object-oriented ontology—their call for care and solidarity—offers an alternative to hope, one that aligns well with Kropotkin's concept of mutual aid. Instead of opening a pathway to sustainability, I understand education as a sphere of human being and becoming that should have its foundation on care and solidarity. As an alternative to the metaphor of light, I develop a metaphor for education in times of crisis: an education 'in shades of blue.' Blue is an existential color. It relates to dystopian and utopian images, to issues of power and force, and to solidarity and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a yearlong ethnographic study, we actively participated as members of the national planning committee for fourteen local climate conferences, we examined how citizen participation was imagined and enacted. We introduce a framework for studying the relationship between cognitive engagement, learning, and civic engagement in the public sphere. We describe the different levels of cognitive and civic engagement in the design of climate conference activities. The findings suggest that the planners' approach to democracy, the involvement of environmental NGOs, and individual attitudes toward environmental change, may collectively contribute to diminished levels of cognitive and civic engagement among residents. Furthermore, we observed that more collaborative interpretations of cognitive and civic engagement align closely with deliberative democracy approaches, emphasizing inclusive, dialogical processes. We discuss the implications of these findings for the future design of climate conferences and how they relate to the evolving roles of environmental NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change education is associated with negative emotions. Picturebooks are considered powerful resources for teaching complex issues like climate change, partly for their capacity to be emotionally engaging and motivate learners. This article explores the positive emotional experiences supported by picturebook use in climate change education. It draws on data collected in a design-based study involving the progressive refinement of a programme delivered in three primary schools with students aged 10 to 12 years. Data included child focus groups, audio recordings of whole-class discussion, teacher interviews and concept maps. Data analysis included coding expressions of emotions in the data by: the emotion, the object of the emotion and the subject expressed as experiencing the emotion. Findings suggest that picturebooks with unhappy endings and difficult thematic content can nonetheless give rise to positive emotions by providing surprising, cathartic and creative experiences, which in turn, support students' critical, complex and creative thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools are central to climate change education and climate-friendly transformations both as places which actually produce CO2 emissions and, above all, as educational institutions. Following a new materialist, transdisciplinary approach, we research here some of the entanglements that constitute schools as whole institutions. As part of the research-education-cooperation k.i.d.Z.21_aCtiOn2 (Austrian Climate Research Program), our innovative approach meant that the situational analyses were conducted both by young people and collaborating researchers. The experiences and accounts were captured in situational maps that illustrate the entangled agencies of people, discussions, places and matter relevant to CO2 reductions and transformation attempts. The analysis of those maps led to new perspectives on the intra-actions between the material and the discursive in schools. In particular, the caretakers' entanglements with areas relevant to climate-friendly transformations are revealed as critical to transformative climate change education. We conclude with an outlook on schools becoming transformative, climate-friendly places by building on these kinds of entanglements and explicitly incorporating non-pedagogical aspects as part of a whole-school approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current anthropogenic climate crisis presents unique challenges to the higher education classroom. Pedagogy in the context of climate change must be attuned to complex and varied student experiences that can contend with feelings of anxiety, disconnection, distress and hopelessness. As educators and researchers, we collate our pedagogical approaches in the humanities and social sciences to progress ongoing discussions about climate pedagogy and highlight possibilities for action from Australia. Drawing on the inherent interconnectedness of our disciplines, we offer an interdisciplinary agenda for teaching in the climate crisis that is attuned to framing, positionality and reflexivity; multiple temporal and spatial scales; other ways of living and knowing; and creative action and activism to cultivate an affective classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of climate change is addressed within Mexico's Common National Curriculum, which serves as the foundation for developing educational materials like didactic guides and videos aimed at higher middle schools located in regions highly susceptible to its effects. However, while the curriculum incorporates climate change, it lacks specific details outlining the objectives and extent of this integration. Nonetheless, this gap doesn't deter educators from recognizing climate change's significance across various subjects and effectively employing the provided educational resources for lesson planning, teaching, and assessment. In this study, the authors performed a comprehensive analysis of the Common National Curriculum, subject syllabuses, and didactic guides within the Telebachillerato subsystem of Veracruz state (TEBAEV). They also administered an online survey to 3,698 teachers. Employing a mixed-method approach with an exploratory sequential design encompassing three phases, they analyzed and triangulated data based on the integration of Education for Change and Educate on Climate as approaches within climate change education. The central findings underscore that nearly 95% of teachers not only identify climate change themes in their teaching materials but also integrate elements of climate change education into their instructional practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the projected impacts of climate change in upcoming decades, innovative educational approaches should encourage inventive problem-solving techniques and societal change, fostering transformative climate adaptation. The value of drama in climate adaptation education remains a novel area in the environmental education research literature and requires further exploration of its potential benefits to Climate Change Education (CCE). This article presents a proposal for CCE to include various elements in a drama workshop by evaluating a methodological framework. Participants in the workshop studied the vulnerabilities that arose from flooding and droughts while dramatizing different social conflicts to develop building adaptation scenarios. Through the exploration of problems via playful activities, participants collaboratively construct narratives and texts rich with meaning, based on a critical and creative perception of themes, needs, desires, and overlapping ideologies. This short-term experience manifests efficacy in elucidating the underpinnings of social systems structures, human values, and motivations. This article analyzes workshop results, providing a pedagogical structure and theoretical foundation, contributing to a better comprehension of drama in education and the creation of capacities towards CCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, interdisciplinary and creative approaches to climate change education are crucial at all levels, particularly in higher education. In this article, I draw from insights working with a class at New Mexico State University in the United States. The aim was to examine approaches to understanding, communicating, and representing climate change. Each student was asked to compose a narrative in which they imagined the year 2100 as a time when we have adequately mitigated and/or adapted to the climate crisis. The assignment set the tone for collective action and foregrounded the importance of story and imagination in building just and sustainable futures. The class complemented a public climate change speaker series and, as a second assignment, students suggested which speakers to invite to shape the series in the future. The two assignments opened new spaces to empower, learn with and from, and build connections between university students and academic staff to shape climate discourse and action in communities. Reflecting on what was learned, sharing an example of a climate futures assignment, and presenting views on a collaborative approach to climate change education all add, I hope, to the literature on imagining futures, empowerment, and authentic learning in climate change education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractClimate change is one of humanity’s key problems. Younger generations’ beliefs about and perceptions of climate change are thus of particular importance, as these generations have to tackle the problem in the present and will have to do so even more in the future. Against this background, 4627 high school students in the federal state of Bavaria in Germany were surveyed in a quantitative questionnaire-based study. The analysis shows high values and gender differences for the four general climate change beliefs examined: (1) general perception of climate change as a problem, (2) possible solutions to the problem, (3) contributions to climate protection, and (4) effects on one’s own home. However, mediation analyses suggest that differences are more complex and are to some extent connected to gender differences in interest in climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparing planners to effectively engage with climate change poses vexing multi-level challenges for instructors across content, pedagogy, and relationships. There exists an urgent need, and demand, for training and education in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. This bi-national study assesses the current state of climate change planning pedagogy in Canada and the United States. Findings indicate wide variation in the breadth and depth of teaching climate change planning and major gaps to be addressed, including increasing the number of required and elective courses. Recommendations offered in the conclusion speak to program directors, instructors, and practitioners alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Factors that influence students’ knowledge about climate change have been found to be largely external and based on social interactions. Building from this idea, we use factor analysis and structural equation modeling with the 2016 IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study data and create two novel climate change scales (pro-environmental behavior and perceived threats of climate change). We then determine the relationship between open classroom climate, pro-environmental behavior, perceived threats of climate change, and civic participation in secondary students. Findings indicate that when controlling for gender, civic knowledge, and socioeconomic factors, an increase in open classroom climate significantly predicts an increase in activism for climate change. Based on these results, we further examine the relationship between pro-environmental behavior and civic participation in society. Findings indicate that climate variables predict participation positively across the countries, except illegal protest, which was negatively related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is conducted to ascertain the components necessary for effective climate change education (CCE). In this research, effective CCE is conceptualised as that which possesses the capacity to develop agents of change. This SLR examines the type of content needed, and pedagogical approaches required to achieve this. It also examines the barriers to the implementation of such content and such pedagogical approaches, thus concomitantly examines the barriers to effective CCE. This SLR uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), adapted from Chaudhary, Polonsky, and McClaren for the article search. After the articles are finalised, Braun and Clarke six step approach to thematic analysis is used to thematically analyse the articles. It is concluded that effective CCE is founded on the application of pedagogies that serve to promote a deeper understanding of the crisis and our entanglement within it. Pedagogies that serve to enhance understanding and connection are essential in providing a solid foundation for the development of agents of change. However, teacher entanglement, and the entanglement of educational institutions as well as students, parents and other key education stakeholders within the over-arching sociocultural system present a fundamental challenge to effective CCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Study Design Methods Results Conclusion To evaluate the impact of climate change education on pregnant women's climate change awareness and anxiety.Quasi‐experimental research with pre‐ and post‐test design.This study was conducted among pregnant women who visited a tertiary maternity hospital between April and June 2023 to assess climate change awareness, perception, knowledge, behavioral and policy expectations, and anxiety before and after the introduction of climate change education. The first phase of the study was conducted by distributing a set of questions related to sociodemographics and completing the Climate Change Awareness Scale and the Climate Change Worry Scale, followed by climate change education where pregnant women were exposed to a brochure entitled “Pregnancy and Climate Change”. After the intervention, pregnant women were assessed using the same questionnaire.There was a significant decrease in pregnant women's anxiety regarding climate change (p < 0.001). Participants' awareness (p < 0.001), perception (p < 0.001), knowledge (p < 0.001), and policy expectations regarding climate change significantly increased (p < 0.001), while their anxiety levels decreased (p < 0.001).The study suggests that climate change education may reduce climate change anxiety among pregnant women while also enhancing their awareness, and improving their perceptions, knowledge, behaviors, and policy expectations about climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article examines the integration of climate change education (CCE) within the curricula of agriculture, biology education, and environmental studies majors at a university in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews and focus groups with lecturers and students to explore their perceptions and experiences. The findings reveal diverse pedagogical strategies, such as hands-on experiences and interdisciplinary projects, but highlight significant challenges including rigid curricula, resource constraints, and limited interdisciplinary collaboration. Students expressed a need for more mandatory and practically oriented CCE, emphasizing the relevance to their local environment. The discussion contextualizes these findings within international perspectives, comparing them to global trends and highlighting the necessity for curriculum transformation to address the identified challenges. The article concludes by advocating for a more integrated and flexible curriculum that leverages digital platforms and community engagement to better prepare students for the multifaceted challenges of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building expertise in climate and planetary health among healthcare professionals cannot come with greater urgency as the threats from climate change become increasingly apparent. Current and future healthcare professionals—particularly internists—will increasingly need to understand the interconnectedness of natural systems and human health to better serve their patients longitudinally. Despite this, few national medical societies and accreditation bodies espouse frameworks for climate change and planetary health–related education at the undergraduate (UME), graduate (GME), and continuing (CME) medical education level. As a community of medical educators with an enduring interest in climate change and planetary health, the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) recognizes the need to explicitly define structured educational opportunities and core competencies in both UME and GME as well as pathways for faculty development. In this position statement, we build from the related SGIM Climate and Health position statement, and review and synthesize existing position statements made by US-based medical societies and accreditation bodies that focus on climate change and planetary health–related medical education, identify gaps using Bloom's Hierarchy, and provide recommendations on behalf of SGIM regarding the development of climate and planetary health curricula development. Identified gaps include (1) limited systematic approach to climate and planetary health medical education at all levels; (2) minimal emphasis on learner-driven approaches; (3) limited focus on physician and learner well-being; and (4) limited role for health equity and climate justice. Recommendations include a call to relevant accreditation bodies to explicitly include climate change and planetary health as a competency, extend the structural competency framework to climate change and planetary health to build climate justice, proactively include learners in curricular development and teaching, and ensure resources and support to design and implement climate and planetary health–focused education that includes well-being and resiliency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global crisis that all of humanity must collectively address. Therefore, there is a need to educate future generations, namely infants, on climate change through international cooperation. In this context, this study aimed to analyze picturebooks on climate change read by infants in China and Korea, two neighboring countries in East Asia. To achieve this, we examined the publication status of climate change picturebooks in both countries, identifying similarities and differences in content. The research yielded the following results. First, there were significant differences in the publication status of climate change picturebooks in China and Korea. Second, both Chinese and Korean picturebooks realistically presented the causes of climate change, but depicted its impacts as a combination of real and fictitious effects. Finally, Korea demonstrated a broader range of actions to mitigate climate change compared to China. Based on these findings, we provided insights for climate change education in China and Korea, and proposed inter-country educational cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractInvestment in transformative climate change education for graduate students can support emergent scholars and practitioners to produce more ethical, effective, and relevant solutions to address climate inequities. Yet, we lack a framework for analyzing how an educational program impacts the multiple dimensions of student’s scientific training to implement equity-focused practices. This study details the development of a theory of change framework for a transformative climate change education program called Asking Different Questions in Climate Change Science. The program, a 10-week co-curricular course with single module options, is designed for research-focused masters and doctoral students at University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Using a participatory planning approach, we built a theory of change for the program based on a diverse body of literature, empirical examples, and qualitative data from nine UC Davis faculty and 11 UC Davis graduate students who study climate change. The theory of change outlines specific course activities and supports in the social, institutional, and cultural aspects of a student’s learning experience to transform how they do climate science. While this theory of change was formed specifically for the ADQCS program, this study offers an approach and framework that others may adapt for their own purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractClimate change education (CCE) plays a critical role in climate empowerment and addressing the challenge of climate change. We present results from the first social network analysis of CCE in the U.S. We surveyed CCE professionals through an established CCE network and wide dissemination from CCE professionals about their interactions with others across 5 dimensions: (1) climate and energy education; (2) climate action, climate empowerment, or community engagement; (3) workforce development in the climate and energy field; (4) diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism; and (5) climate or energy policy. The resulting network analysis shows some cohesiveness, especially for the first two dimensions; however, network cohesiveness could be improved. The findings also show the keystone organizations and brokers across the CCE field. This study provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to strengthen CCE for improving coordinated and collaborative climate action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDistress about climate change is a growing global phenomenon associated with mental health problems. We sought to understand climate change distress among youth in Brazil, a country that plays a critical role in climate change. After identifying individuals experiencing at least mild functional impairment due to climate anxiety based on a cross-culturally validated scale, we conducted 4 focus groups and 20 in-depth interviews with youth ages 10–16 (total N = 65). Data analysis used deductive and inductive thematic coding done in Atlas-ti. Climate change-related distress was common, including sadness, despair, and anxiety, and was associated with concerns about the local physical environment. Education about climate change in school was lacking, leading to misinformation and uncertainty. Global warming concerns and lack of deforestation policies were stressors, and the media was the most common information source about climate change. Participants expressed concern about Indigenous peoples and demonstrated anxiety about future unknowns, but also showed hope. Results suggest that education about climate change in schools and training for youth facing climate distress are important ways forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper acknowledges the importance of introducing climate change education in Latin American classrooms. To address this need, we developed an online course for teachers from six Latin-American countries, aiming to integrate climate change education with a critical humanizing perspective. Within this paper, we present findings from 25 participants who engaged in the “Discussing our Abode” activity. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted both content analysis to dissect participants’ discourses and an analysis of the pictorial representations they provided. This esthetic experience revealed that participants, and humans in general, are shaped by social conditions and remain unfinished in terms of education. We conclude that it is feasible to create a climate change education proposal based on Freire’s principles of dialogue, criticality, creativity, hope, and love. The Freirean perspective extends beyond discussing human impacts on nature to recognizing the emotional dimension in all relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn Western industrialised contexts, ecological problems such as climate change are sensed and come largely to be known through media representations. In this article, we consider aesthetic practices as a concept for understanding the ways in which the visual sensible world relating to climate change is continuously distributed. Furthermore, we study photography as a pedagogical means to redistribute the sensible. Our data are gathered from a photography course in which participants explored four alternative aesthetic practices: revealing connectedness, recognising agency, compromising the attractions of consumerism, and illuminating alternatives. Through their photographic explorations, participants were encouraged to intervene in two problematic consensual frameworks: human-centredness and consumption-centredness. We found that exploring aesthetic practices through photography helped redistribute the sensible in two significant ways: participants recognised visible traces of the consensual frameworks and shifted the emphasis of perception beyond their personal viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractClimate change education is crucial to addressing the climate crisis. Studies show that parents and guardians can play an important role in transmitting knowledge, competencies, and a pro-environmental orientation to their children. Whilst climate change education can span many disciplines, it has been effective within science education. In this paper we embrace evidence-based effective approaches to science education, with parents. Climate change education research literature published to date focusses on school-based interventions and there is a dearth of literature on parental involvement. This paper describes the development of, and outcomes associated with, a programme to promote engagement with climate change education for families from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Data were gathered through post semi-structured interviews and reflections on posters and photos created and collected throughout the programme. Findings indicate that this approach engaged parents in climate change education with their children and successfully addressed various misconceptions. The programme presents a real opportunity to engage parents in their children’s formal education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article from the Journal of Museum Education focuses on the topic of equity in aquariums and how it intersects with the work of striving for equity within institutions and with the public. While the journal has previously published on topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility in various museum types, this is the first issue to exclusively focus on equity work in aquariums. The article also discusses the history of the International Committee of Museums (ICOM) and its recent adoption of a new museum definition that emphasizes accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability. The author reflects on the importance of museums as spaces for social justice and equity work, and expresses hope that the journal will continue to fulfill ICOM's definition of a museum. [Extracted from the article]

The concern regarding the gap between words and actions has spread through different contexts, in particular those relating to environmental education. Despite repeated warnings about the damaging impact of human behaviour on the environment and the effect of actions undertaken to teach people to protect the environment (pro-environmental behaviours), there have been few advances in relation to favourable responses from people's actions. The alternatives proposed in environmental education to reduce this gap include research relating to teaching pro-environmental rules and its impact on human behaviour. Rule learning poses challenges for the comprehension of human behaviour, especially for environmental education in general and climate change in particular as well as being proposed as an epistemological and theoretical approach to human behaviour insofar as it differs from the established approach in physiological, medical, attitudinal, cognitive, or motivational mediation models that explain behaviour on the basis of factors that are internal to the individual. This article discusses the origins, genetic or environmental [Chomsky (1959) vs. Skinner (1957, 1981)], of verbal behaviour with regards to its origin and development in ontogenesis. Afterwards, it considers the notion of rule-governed behaviour with the definitions and different taxonomies that have been proposed regarding rules, as well as the variables associated with (in) sensitivity to following them and the possible alternative approaches for each of the (in)sensitivity factors identified. Finally, it analyses the role of education in pro-environmental rules for regulating people's own behaviour and in the design of macro- and metacontingencies to incentivise environmental protection in large human groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As youth psychological distress grows regarding climate change, educators are in an important position to provide support. In working with youth, educators are tasked with balancing the psychological distress associated with climate change knowledge against the ability to educate for positive outcomes such as hope, agency, and action. This theoretical essay pulls from philosophical and social psychological literature to make the case that educators have an intergenerational obligation to educate youth on climate change and that solidarity between educators and students represents a fruitful path forward. Solidarity in climate change education may help youth better manage their climate anxiety and channel this emotion into action. Solidarity expands upon current climate change teaching efforts by advocating for meaningful dialogue between students and educators, grounding action in the unique social‐ecological systems within which the learning process is occurring, and fostering realistic hope and agency within students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is the future of environmental and climate change education in the United States given the emergence of neofascist and Christian Nationalist political movements during a time of social secularization? In this essay we discuss the politically heterogenous appeal of environmental concern in America, the tenuous nature of environmental education's current Left-liberal political valence, and implications for climate change education amidst ongoing culture wars. We proceed by examining Bron Taylor's influential typology of Dark Green Religions and consider how the American political Right may emerge as having their own Dark Green Religious movement. We are concerned that the field of environmental education remains ideologically blinkered toward other normative educational projects on the political Right, a situation that leaves us unprepared for how projects such as climate change education can be appropriated for reactionary and sometimes violent ends. We argue that the field of environmental education needs to pay greater attention to the multifarious political and cultural conditions that shape its enactment and develop considerations for an anti-fascist environmental education accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through in‐depth interviews, this study explored US youth climate justice activists' views and experiences of climate change education (CCE) and their recommendations for alternative educational approaches to advance climate justice. Youth activists (N = 16; ages 15 to 17) viewed education as critical to spurring societal transformation, however, most described narrowly focused (e.g., depoliticized; science‐centric) or inadequate (e.g., sparse, absent) school‐based CCE. Youths' recommendations emphasized the need for justice‐driven and action‐oriented CCE for all ages to equip all learners with the knowledge and skills to actively contribute to urgently needed, justice‐minded, systems‐level change. Findings have implications for curricular and policy change that enable education for climate justice action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Understanding the scientific underpinnings of climate change is crucial for informed citizenship and future decision-making. This study investigates the understanding of the scientific underpinnings of climate change among German A-level students, focusing on key content areas such as the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, the carbon cycle, and the distinction between weather and climate. Using a validated climate change concept inventory (CCCI-422), we assessed 501 students from five urban secondary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. Results indicate that students correctly answered on average 39% of the questions correctly, revealing significant knowledge gaps, particularly in areas like the greenhouse effect and atmospheric composition. We also identified several overarching ideas that many students demonstrate. This study underscores the importance of integrating comprehensive climate science education into national curricula and classroom instruction to foster scientifically literate future generations capable of addressing the global climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English lessons are being used to teach about climate change, combining language learning with environmental education. This aligns with the Pancasila Student Profile (P5) framework, which focuses on character development and global awareness. This research investigates the integration of climate change education into the P5 Project and English language lessons in junior high schools in South Sumatra, Indonesia. It examines the familiarity and willingness of teachers to incorporate climate change topics into their teaching. The study uses a qualitative research design, conducting interviews with 11 English teachers to explore their perspectives and experiences. The findings reveal that while some schools have implemented projects that promote environmental awareness and sustainability, such as recycling initiatives, there is a lack of systematic integration of climate change education into the English curriculum. Teachers expressed a willingness to teach about climate change but lacked formal training. The research highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to integrate environmental literacy into language learning and the importance of teacher preparation in effectively implementing climate change curricula. The study contributes to the understanding of how to enhance climate change education at the junior high school level, particularly in the context of South Sumatra, and emphasizes the role of teachers in fostering environmental stewardship among students.

Despite the prominent role played by education in knowledge creation, developing of skills and attitudes among people, little has been done in the domain of climate change education in the current Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) in South Africa. This is not to say that no scholars have looked at issues of climate change in education. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to investigate how curriculum development and learning materials should incorporate climate change to raise awareness. The researcher attempts to illustrate deeper learning approaches that aim to instil values and belief systems in the domain of climate change knowledge and experience. The study used qualitative interviews and purposeful sampling methods to ascertain rich and in-depth information from the participants. The findings revealed that the majority of the teachers emphasized that the CAPS’s lack of explicit content was the primary issue. Given the limited knowledge creation in the domain of climate change in developing countries, in particular South Africa’s curricula, the study concluded that much has to be done to integrate climate change education in the current CAPS curricula. The study recommends that continuous awareness campaigns should be undertaken to conscientise people about the importance of climate change education.

AbstractAs the climate crisis becomes increasingly urgent, discussions on the content and behavioral variables of climate change education are becoming more active. In environmental education, efforts are continuing to develop the ability to look far into the future with the aim of fostering ecological citizenship. However, research and educational attempts to deal with the subjective perception of future time as a major variable of behavior are insufficient. Therefore, this study attempts to analyze whether children’s future time perspective affects their behavioral intentions to address climate change. To address this issue, three studies were conducted to survey elementary school students in Korea. We found that stimuli to feel close to the future helped students expand their time horizon. Our results suggest that future time perspective is crucial in environmental education and is the key to overcoming long time lags of climate change and improving children’s futures literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon a survey of teachers in England conducted by the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE), this paper reports on teachers of geography's conceptions of climate change, sustainability, climate change education, and sustainability education. We address how teachers of geography across the primary and secondary phase appear to distinguish the concept (climate change or sustainability) from the concept within education (climate change education or sustainability education) given that research to date has not engaged with both these framings together in empirical research with teachers. Across both climate change education and sustainability education, there was recognition for (i) the importance of these concepts for young people, (ii) the ways in which education can support young people to make informed choices or take action, and (iii) the importance of addressing these concepts across subject curricula. Teachers' descriptions indicate (i) disconnections between policy rhetoric and teaching, (ii) a lack of attention to social and environmental justice, and (iii) an over-focus on individual action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPolicymakers and educators have increasingly focused on improving public understanding of climate change to prepare people to tackle its causes and impacts. Researchers have joined these efforts by assessing environmental literacy (EL) and climate change literacy (CCL) to inform policies and educational initiatives. This article systematically reviews CCL assessment trends and methods by analyzing papers from Scopus and ScienceDirect. The findings reveal a variety of approaches to defining and measuring CCL. Variations were also observed in the styles of presenting CCL levels. Based on the review, we propose standardizing CCL assessment by defining core and optional domains, aiming to cater to the diverse needs of groups seeking to measure CCL for different purposes. We also suggest that policymakers and educators can glean more nuanced insights from results when CCL levels are measured using three or more proficiency levels. Lastly, we recommend that future studies investigate the CCL-climate action relationship to ensure that CCE programs are designed based on evidence of CCL-climate action connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to climate change information can play a critical role in helping rural women adapt to climate change. Our research investigates the communication channels used for climate education among female dry-season farmers in the Kuliyaa community of northern Ghana. Particularly, we address access to climate change information among smallholder female farmers. We adopted a community-based participatory approach to guide the study. To achieve our research objectives of investigating climate change communication channels among smallholder female farmers, specific methods of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to gather knowledge from smallholder female farmers. The research findings provide a well-rounded exploration of the unique climate change communication challenges female farmers face and the innovative approaches they have adopted to share climate change information. Specifically, the findings show that women have adopted innovative oral communication channels to disseminate and transfer climate knowledge among themselves. We also found that there is limited access to radio in the Kuliyaa community making them resort to group meetings to share knowledge and ideas empowering them economically in other livelihoods. The study discovered the community utilises gender inclusivity in decision-making. We recommend that the government and other relevant organisations to develop and implement a strategic policy on climate information dissemination with a focus on supporting farmers in rural communities of Ghana to mitigate climate change effects. Technologies can also be developed to aid in disseminating relevant information to farmers in rural areas as the available oral communication is less effective in disseminating useful information on climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the "pictorial turn", the picture has gained a new significance as a medium. It is impossible to imagine a digitalized world affected by mass media without pictures. While there are several studies on the impact of pictures in the discourse on climate change in the media, there has been no analysis of the visual representation of climate change in textbooks, which remain an important teaching medium. The aim of this study is to identify the visual representations in textbooks in terms of form, image theme and motif related to the topic of climate change. The procedure is based on the method of qualitative content analysis. The results show that mainly photos, graphics and diagrams are used, whose contents differ from those of the media coverage. Besides diagrams and models, the impacts of climate change and the topic of nature are most frequently depicted. Representations of mitigation measures that would promote perceived self-efficacy are underrepresented in the textbooks studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding climate change concern among adolescents is considered a useful strategy for building public engagement with climate change. However, the psychological and sociodemographic antecedents of climate change concern have been studied mainly with Western adults. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to gain insights into the factors predicting climate change concern among adolescents in Cambodia to be used to support the planning of climate related education. The results of a survey with students in grades 7–9 (N = 389) show that ecological worldview—or belief in an ecocrisis—is the strongest predictor of climate change concern among Cambodian adolescents. Altruistic environmental concern is associated with the strength of the ecological worldview. Building understanding of the human impact on climate and reflection on altruistic motives for environmental action may be good focal points for climate change education in Cambodia, however more research is needed to better understand climate change concern and its individual and cultural predictors in Cambodia and elsewhere outside the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pekrun and his colleagues highlight the significance and diversity of emotion in education. Their analysis suggests that these emotions can be categorised by their stimuli into those related to the classroom: activities, outcomes, relationships, topics and knowledge processes (epistemic). Most research in this area has focused on achievement emotions, with relatively limited research exploring topic emotions. This paper develops a framework for conceptualising topic emotions. It reports on a design‐based study that captured children's expressions of emotion in response to a climate change education programme using picturebooks. The data brought together emotional responses to climate change, to learning about climate change and to climate‐related picturebooks. Qualitative analysis of these responses highlights how they differ not only with regard to the emotions expressed, but also the structure of the emotional experience. Emotional responses to the broad topic of climate change were expressed as ongoing analytical judgements, where those related to learning about climate change were immersive and finite. Reading climate‐related picturebooks involved exploring how emotion is communicated and evoked. This supported quasi‐emotional experiences, where the reader imagines the emotions of the characters. The picturebooks are also shown to create vicarious emotional experiences, involving ethical‐based responses to the behaviour and circumstances depicted. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes a framework for disaggregating these differing emotional experiences related to topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodResultsConclusions\nKEY POINTSThere is growing evidence that climate change can negatively impact people’s mental health. Therefore, it is important for psychologists to receive adequate training in this area. However, little is known about current levels of training, including the amount of climate change mental health education within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand.Two cross-sectional surveys regarding climate change and mental health were emailed to postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand. The first invited participation from program coordinators (n = 17), the second students (n = 159). We conducted quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative responses.Most participants believe this is an important topic of training for psychologists as climate change will impact the mental health of their clients. Further, results indicate minimal climate change mental health content in postgraduate psychology training programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand.Integration of climate change mental health education into postgraduate psychology curriculum will work towards equipping the emerging mental health workforce to address this growing demand, which in turn can improve mental health outcomes in a changing climate.What is already known about this topic: Climate change negatively impacts mental health in several ways.These impacts will increase as climate change increases.Climate change mental health education is not currently an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council or New Zealand Psychologists Board Accreditation Committee requirement for postgraduate psychology programs.Climate change negatively impacts mental health in several ways.These impacts will increase as climate change increases.Climate change mental health education is not currently an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council or New Zealand Psychologists Board Accreditation Committee requirement for postgraduate psychology programs.What this study adds: This is the first study to investigate the perceptions of students and program coordinators regarding climate change mental health, and education on this topic within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand.We found that: Almost all participants believe that climate change will negatively impact the mental health of their clients and most participants believe climate change and mental health education ought to be incorporated into programs, however the majority indicated it is not presently included.It is important to prepare the emerging psychology workforce in mental health and climate change and integrating education into postgraduate psychology programs represents a step forward.This is the first study to investigate the perceptions of students and program coordinators regarding climate change mental health, and education on this topic within postgraduate psychology programs in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand.We found that: Almost all participants believe that climate change will negatively impact the mental health of their clients and most participants believe climate change and mental health education ought to be incorporated into programs, however the majority indicated it is not presently included.It is important to prepare the emerging psychology workforce in mental health and climate change and integrating education into postgraduate psychology programs represents a step forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a global crisis associated with the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and is associated with many environmental, psychological, and health problems today. One of the problems of the past, present, and future is children’s limited knowledge about climate change and their inability to take an active role as participants in the struggle. Children are the greatest pioneers of change, and their ability to change the world is undeniable. Children need to know the facts about climate change, make their voices heard in climate crisis management, and be involved in the struggle. In this regard, it is crucial to conduct various sustainability trainings and activities, both in school and after school, using effective communication strategies. These strategies should include explaining and conveying climate change using positive language, utilizing methods such as localization, visualization, and storytelling with children. In the meantime, it is very important that educators, families, and society also gain awareness and become equipped about climate change, and that children take responsibility and become active participants, because the fight against climate change is intergenerational and climate change has mutual effects on attitude and behavior change. The scope of this review is to examine the role of children in combating climate change and to compile literature studies and real-life examples to understand the importance of the subject. This study will make an original contribution to different communication strategies and educational programs that present solutions to the climate crisis, as well as lead the way for families and communities to guide children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs trusted public institutions, museums could offer crucial opportunities for climate learning. Yet, empirical research on effective approaches is limited. One potential pathway is through strategic framing, given that much research in climate communication suggests the value of specific frames. We developed an innovative climate exhibit, A Climate of Hope (ACOH), guided by five strategic frames: hope, gain, local, community, and playful. To investigate visitor learning at a prototype of ACOH, we collected data from 31 groups as they interacted with a prototype of ACOH while wearing audio recorders. Integrating theories of knowledge and discourse, we investigated learners’ use of resources at ACOH through qualitative discourse analysis and mixed-methods analysis. We found that learners brought a diverse array of resources, some of which were related to incoming views of climate change. We interpret our results as speaking to the potential of framing climate messages through a gain frame. We provide implications for educational practice around climate change in informal spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effectiveness of two low-cost and easy-to-implement activities (a brief talk and a case discussion) in engendering interest and awareness toward climate action in a typical Principles of Marketing course. Our findings indicate that, consistent with existing research, women are more likely to be concerned about climate change and more willing to contribute to its mitigation. We found that the talk alone had limited effects, only increasing the likelihood of students reporting the importance of climate change education in their business degree and marketing classes. However, the combined approach of talk and case discussion had a more far-reaching impact, as students reported, for example, a higher willingness to donate, volunteer, and change behavior. These results suggest that even a limited and easily applied intervention can have positive effects on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]