Environmental education in transition: A critical review of recent research on climate change and energy education

Abstract

The transition from centralized energy systems based on fossil fuels to renewable-based systems is a macro-level societal shift necessitated by climate change. This review of recent environmental education (EE) research identifies gaps and opportunities for promoting environmental action in this new context. We found that environmental educators and researchers are currently focused on researching and promoting energy conservation behavior with an emphasis on children and youth. We also found an emerging research focus on energy transitions at the regional and national levels. We recommend that environmental educators and researchers adopt a vision and strategy for climate change and energy education that more explicitly addresses the role of collective action, multiactor networks, and sociotechnical innovation in shaping energy transition processes.     

Middle and high school students’ conceptions of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies

Both scientists and policy-makers emphasize the importance of education for influencing pro-environmental behavior and minimizing the effects of climate change on biological and physical systems. Education has the potential to impact students’ system knowledge – their understanding of the variables that affect the climate system – and action knowledge – their understanding of behaviors that can impact the system. Research on climate change education has largely focused on system and action knowledge that address mitigation while overlooking equally necessary adaptive responses. This study used a pre/post-test format to identify aspects of middle and high school students’ climate system knowledge and action knowledge of both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Results indicate that adolescents currently conflate climate change mitigation strategies with unrelated environmental problems far less than in previous surveys. However, students demonstrated limited understanding of adaptive responses to climate change. After engaging in an instructional unit on climate change, students expressed stronger system and action knowledge, but significant misconceptions remained that conflated mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.     

Cultural cognition and climate change education in the U.S.: why consensus is not enough

Abstract

Integrating climate change into environmental education programs and formal science classrooms can be difficult, as the issue remains controversial and highly politicized among the American public. This study proposes that the same cultural values that shape worldview differences and divide public opinion on anthropogenic climate change will influence if and how science educators support education on the topic. An online survey with quantitative and qualitative measures was distributed among science educators in the southeastern United States to test what, if any, impact cultural cognition has on their opinions about climate change education. The results suggest that respondents’ cultural values have a significant influence on their intentions to support climate change education and preferences for curricula content. The findings also suggest potential avenues for the field of environmental education to develop climate change materials that may help decrease unintentional biases among science educators and more effectively engage their support in teaching its causes and potential solutions regardless of worldview differences.     

“雾霾”下的生态经济发展分析

近几年,雾霾现象日益严重和频繁,影响的范围也越来越大,给我们的健康、工作、生活带来了巨大的危害,这使其成为我们不得不面对的问题之一。雾霾的主要成因是：工厂所排放的废气,交通工具所排放的尾气,煤燃烧、烟花燃放所排放的烟尘,建筑、道路实施工地所产生的各种扬尘等。要想解决雾霾问题,我们应该完善相关法律法规,发展新能源,减少煤炭使用量,大力发展公共交通,减少汽车尾气排放,调整产业布局,加速产业升级。只有这样积极发展生态经济,才能够从根本上改变＂雾霾＂现象。     

Bicycle model on climate change education: presenting and evaluating a model

Abstract

This article presents and evaluates a model made for climate change education – the bicycle model. The model was created based on an extensive literature review, from which, essential aspects of climate change education were drawn out. The bicycle model is a representation of holistic climate change education and emphasizes the importance of the following aspects: knowledge, thinking skills, values, identity, worldview, action, motivation, participation, future orientation, hope and other emotions, and operational barriers. In this study, the model is also evaluated by climate education researchers and educators. The evaluation was done through documented group discussions and an electronic questionnaire. The findings suggest that the model is useful in developing climate change education policy, research and practice. The findings also give insight into expert's perceptions on climate education. Finally, the article discusses how this model could be developed further.     

Like a swallow,moving forward in circles: on the future dimension of environmental care and education

After the moral framework of sustainable development, the focus on climate change appears to take a lead in the practice and theory of environmental education. Inherent in this perspective is an apocalyptic message: if we do not rapidly change our use of energy resources, we will severely harm the life conditions of our children and grandchildren. In this article we argue that environmental educators should liberate us from this highly instrumental dictate by taking their cue from our daily care for our environment as revealed in child’s play in nature. Inherent in the interaction of the Homo ludens with nature is a spiral time experience. This time condition elicits a particular responsibility: rather than calculating which means are necessary to prevent future disasters, we should respond with care to the concentric circles of an open and indefinite future. Therefore, environmental education should not aim to prevent future disasters, but foster anticipating care for nature.     

Climate Change: Implications for Parents and Parenting

This tutorial draws together research on the impacts of climate change on children and youth, and suggests how parents, and parenting researchers, educators, and professionals, can engage with climate change. We start with an overview of the science of climate change and highlight the urgency of action to restore a safe climate for future generations. Then we discuss three major types of impact of climate change on children and youth: first, their greater vulnerability to its impacts on health and well-being due to physiological immaturity and dependency, a vulnerability that is greatly exacerbated for children in disadvantaged circumstances; second, evidence of widespread worry about climate change among children and youth, and their need for support and empowerment to respond adaptively to these anxieties; and third, the need to prepare the next generation for demands for massive changes in lifestyles as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy. We follow with a review of evidence about how parents can support their children through actively engaging with the issue themselves and through communication and other strategies that help build children’s hope, efficacy, resilience, and engagement. We then discuss the multiple important roles that parenting researchers and professionals can play in addressing climate change, concluding that those of us with responsibility for future generations need to recognize climate change as an urgent challenge.     

Mental health and subjective well-being of staff in a secondary school for adolescents with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties

The main purpose of this study was to explore the mental health and subjective well-being of staff working with adolescents with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties. The participants were 19 teachers and 25 teaching assistants working in an inner London, local authority, specialist day provision. A demographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Positive Affect Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as data collection tools. The inferential statistical tools used were t-tests and correlational analyses. The study brought to light a high number of borderline and abnormal anxiety scores among all staff. The study also found a significant difference in the resilience scores of teachers and teaching assistants, with teaching assistants scoring higher on the resilience scale. The results, alongside findings from previous research, call for better mental health support for teachers and staff working in the field of special educational needs and disabilities. The study highlights the emotional toll on educators, and the need for mitigation strategies that promote good mental health outcomes for both teachers and students.     

Evaluating climate change behaviors and concern in the family context

Abstract

Although research suggests that family dynamics likely play a role in shaping children’s behaviors, few studies focus on environmental behaviors, and none to our knowledge investigate how parents shape climate change mitigation behaviors among their children. We begin to fill this gap through a quantitative case study using matched household-level survey data from 182 coastal North Carolina families (n?=?241 parents aged 29–77; n?=?182 students aged 11–14) associated with 15 middle school science teachers. Family climate change discussions, parent behaviors, and children’s climate change concern levels predicted the degree to which children will participate in individual-level climate mitigation behaviors. These results provide evidence that promoting climate-related conversations within households may promote climate action even when parents are apathetic about climate change. Similarly, parental behaviors, but not their concern levels, were important predictors of adolescent behaviors. This study highlights novel ways that family dynamics may promote climate change mitigating behaviors and a new pathway to promoting climate mitigation at familial, and ultimately, societal levels.     

A Discussion of Critical Issues in Environmental Education: An Interview with Dianne Saxe

Education plays a vital role in addressing the issues associated with the global climate crisis. This paper provides a brief background of the inception of environmental education and reveals that the literature shows that environmental curriculum is not being uniformly implemented in schools. In the interview that follows, Dr Dianne Saxe, former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, outlines what needs to be done to help our youth understand the complexities of environmental issues. She urges education systems to provide young people with the facts, tempered with clear actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects of climate change. This includes a drastic reduction in the use of fossil fuels by changing the ways we use transportation, produce our food and manage our overconsumption of goods. Dr Saxe believes that students have more influence than they realise and taking action is a critical piece to lessening feelings of eco-anxiety. The climate crisis is most likely our most defining challenge. We do our youth an immense disservice if policymakers and educators do not make environmental education a priority and make sure students are equipped with the knowledge and tools to act. Interviewee : Dr Dianne Saxe is one of Canada's most respected environmental lawyers, with 40 years of experience writing, interpreting and litigating energy and environmental laws. Dr Saxe was recognised as one of the world's top 25 environmental lawyers by Best of the Best 2008. Some of her many honours include the Award for Distinguished Service by the Ontario Bar Association, and the Alumni Gold Key Award for exceptional lifetime professional achievement granted by Osgoode Hall Law School. Dr Saxe was the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario from 2015 to 2019. She was appointed to be the guardian of the Environmental Bill of Rights and to report to the Legislature on Ontario's environmental, energy and climate performance. Dr Saxe is currently heading Saxe Facts, providing strategic advice on climate, energy and the environment. Article Author and Interviewer : Dr Karen S. Acton is an educator with 30 years of experience in both the elementary and secondary panels as a teacher, department head, principal, and at the Ministry of Education as an Education Officer. As a system-level principal, Dr Acton spent 5 years as the Environmental Sustainability Lead for the Upper Grand District School Board, implementing a board-wide Environmental Action Plan to encourage increased sustainability measures and to foster eco-literacy. Dr Acton currently teaches at Western University and consults for Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). Her research interests include school leadership, environmental teacher leadership and eco-justice.     

An Action Research Network as a Strategy for Educational Change: The “Learning for a Sustainable Environment” Project

This paper provides a case study of theLearning for a Sustainable EnvironmentProject which illustrates how educationalchange may be fostered at a regional levelthrough the professional development of teachereducators. The purpose of this project was toexpand the range of innovative practices usedin teacher education programmes in theAsia-Pacific region by introducing educators tothe curriculum planning skills and teachingmethodologies of environmental education. Thiswas done through an action research network ofteacher educators who shared in the developmentand evaluation of workshop modules as a vehiclefor collaborative professional development.This paper outlines the details of thisstrategy for change and uses the findings of aparticipatory evaluation of the project toargue that the action research network approachused in this project can provide a relativelyinexpensive and egalitarian approach torethinking professional development andeducational change. This is of particularsignificance in `southern' settings such asAsia and the Pacific where professionaldevelopment, especially in higher education,tends to be dependent upon outside expertisefunded by aid agencies and the multilateralbanks.     

Promoting pro-environmental behaviour in a community in Singapore – from raising awareness to behavioural change

Abstract

Despite heightened awareness about climate change, individuals remain rather indifferent to the issue. The reasons being that many public education programmes rely essentially on information dissemination and do not help individuals understand the given information. The authors believe that there is potential of environmental education for understanding and promoting pro-environmental behaviour. The proposed transformative education for climate change (TrEC) programme focuses on three elements (knowledge, skills and values) to help individuals understand environmental issues and to empower them to take pro-environmental action. This mixed method study was conducted in collaboration with various government agencies and 173 residents in a housing estate in Singapore. The findings suggest that with better understanding (knowledge) about the climate change issue, individuals can make informed decisions (attitude) and be encouraged to adopt pro-environmental behaviour (action).     

Environmental education technologies in a social void: the case of ‘Greendrive’

This article is based on a case study that follows the trajectory of a technological device aimed at environmental education from the engineering laboratory in which it was designed into the contexts in which it is used. ‘Greendrive’ is a driving simulator that accurately reproduces the performance of a vehicle in terms of fuel consumption and greenhouse gases emissions, in order to instill the principles of safe and environmentally friendly driving. The text is divided into three parts. The first part introduces the issue of transport behavior as one of the causes of climate change and the role of eco-driving in reducing emissions. The second part describes how a team of Portuguese engineering researchers developed the driving simulator and how a local authority and a consulting and training company are using it. Finally, the discussion part aims to show that despite the intentions of its creators and their clients, the driving simulator is unlikely, by itself, to generate changes in behavior. An information-deficit approach to environmental education that fails to consider the social embeddedness of human action and disregards the engagement of citizens has a very limited chance of success.     

Environmental learning in online social networks: adopting environmentally responsible behaviors

Online social networks are increasingly important information and communication tools for young people and for the environmental movement. Networks may provide the motivation for young adults to increase environmental behaviors by increasing their knowledge of environmental issues and of the specific actions they can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study examined an application within Facebook.com – the largest online social network in the world – that allowed users to post climate change news stories from other websites and comment on those stories. A survey revealed that users of the social networking application reported above average knowledge of climate change science and that self‐reported environmental behaviors increased during young people's involvement with the Facebook application. Focus groups indicated that peer role modeling through interaction on the site motivated pro‐environmental behaviors, that is, behavior that seeks to minimize the negative impact of one's actions on the natural and built world. Participation in a community of like‐minded users spurred many participants to learn more about climate change and do more to limit its impact.     

镜室的映照——对合作探究群体生成实践性知识的探析

一个以教育工作者为成员的合作探究群体在面对真实的教育困境时,如何通过对话探究生成实践性知识？研究发现：不论是教育研究者还是实践者都不能在掌握理论知识与实践经验后自动获得有关教育行动正当性与有效性的判断力;指向行动改变的学习要以他们原有心智模式浮现为前提,而这有赖于群体成员之间的相互激发。此外,“习惯性防御”普遍存在于群体中,成员对此必须有所警惕,并设法创设一个安全、宽松的学习氛围,以减少成员的防御。此类以行动科学作为理论基础的研究,不仅有助于促进教育工作者反思自身既存现况,以增加自己专业行动的有效性,而且能够为构建学习型组织提供理论与实践借鉴。     

Environmental Hazards Education for Childbirth Educators

The purpose of this article is to educate childbirth educators about environmental hazards and provide resources. Hazardous chemicals have been found in cord blood, placenta, meconium, and breastmilk samples. These chemicals include commonly known hazards such as lead, mercury, and environmental tobacco smoke, as well as some pesticides, solvents, products containing chlorine, and other chemicals referred to as “persistent organic pollutants.” The fetus is particularly vulnerable to environmental chemicals that can disrupt the developmental process at critical times during gestation. Childbirth educators are encouraged to inform themselves in order to inform childbearing families to take preventive action and explore alternative behaviors to reduce exposure to environmental hazards.     

Practice change in environmental education: lessons from professional development

Abstract

The field of environmental education (EE) strives to develop innovative practices to address emergent issues such as equity, climate change, and urbanization. Through facilitating workshops and ongoing networks for the exchange of ideas, professional development programs may foster innovation or practice change among environmental educators. This study investigates change in practice among environmental educators who participated in one of three online and face-to-face professional development programs. Drawing from practice theory, we measured elements of EE practice including goals, audiences, settings, activities, resources, and ideas. The results showed that across all three programs participants incorporated new resources and ideas into their practices whereas changes in other practice elements varied among programs. Participants in all three programs produced eBooks or ongoing networks that can be used as indicators of practice innovation. This study suggests that practice theory can be used to inform studies of professional development outcomes and examine EE practice, but that practice innovations may be more readily measured at the group rather than individual level.     

Global Climate Change: What has Science Education Got to Do with it?

Despite a near universal consensus among scientists regarding the perils of climate change for human civilizations, climate change has not emerged as a key issue among science educators. This position paper advocates for the centrality of climate change in science education. Using Polanyi’s critique of market in capitalist societies, it positions global climate change as an outcome of commodification of nature in market dominated societies. Thus, the paper argues that global climate change is primarily a societal issue that needs a societal response much more than a technological one. Further, it presents a case for considering science education as an important element of societal response to global climate change. In the end, the paper presents some ideas for re-imagining science education for the global climate change era.     

青少年心理健康教育初探

知识经济时代要求学校培养素质和全面发展的人才，良好的心理素质是人的素质重要组成部分，教育工作必须对小学生的心理成因不断进行分析，观测，研究，努力探索出有利于小学生心理健康教育的途径，有意识，有目的地对小学生进行心理健康教育，让学生和谐，愉快，幸福地成长。     

Childcare Educators’ Perceptions of and Solutions to Reducing Sitting Time in Young Children: A Qualitative Study

Young children spend a high proportion of their time at childcare sitting. Reducing sitting time or breaking up prolonged periods of sitting may be positively associated with health outcomes among children. The purpose of this study was to identify childcare educators’ perceptions of what environmental and policy modifications could be made within early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings to reduce sitting time among children during childcare. Eighty-seven educators from 11 ECEC centres participated in 11 focus groups between September 2013 and November 2013. Each focus group was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A semi-structured schedule was developed to investigate the educators’ perceptions of the influences on children’s sitting time at childcare. A problem–solution tree was developed to determine potential solutions for reducing total and prolonged sitting time in young children at childcare. Most educators were unaware of the high levels of sitting time among young children. Educators identified that childcare practices, the physical environment and the weather were factors that influenced children’s sitting time. Potential solutions to reduce sitting time were to break-up prolonged sitting time by using movement breaks, standing desks, movement transitions between activities, relocating key facilities around the space to promote movement, and integrating movement during learning activities. Also, educators suggested that posters could be used to increase awareness among educators about the benefits of reducing sitting time. Educators identified key practices that could be modified to reduce young children’s sitting time in childcare. These potential solutions should be evaluated to understand their effectiveness.