How many young generations are there? – A typology of teenagers’ climate change awareness in Germany and Austria

Abstract

Under the premise that the young generation of teenagers cannot be considered to be uniform, this study identified groups of teenagers based on their level of climate change awareness. Questionnaires answered by 760 teenagers (13–16?years old) from Germany and Austria were analyzed using a hierarchical cluster analysis. The teenagers were assigned to four groups that differed as to their cognitive, affective and conative aspects of climate change awareness. Based on the empirical results, the authors argue that there are different subgroups of young people in terms of climate change awareness, which climate change education should take into consideration.     

The Identification of Reasons,Solutions, and Techniques Informing a Theory-Based Intervention Targeting Recreational Sports Participation

Purpose: This study is the 3rd piece of formative research utilizing the theory of planned behavior to inform the development of a behavior change intervention. Focus groups were used to identify reasons for and solutions to previously identified key beliefs in addition to potentially effective behavior change techniques. Method: A purposive sample of 22 first-year undergraduate students (n = 8 men; M_age = 19.8 years, SD = 1.3 years) attending a university in the North of England was used. Focus groups were audio-recorded; recordings were transcribed verbatim, analyzed thematically, and coded for recurrent themes. Results: The data revealed 14 reasons regarding enjoyment, 11 reasons for friends’ approval, 11 reasons for friends’ own participation, 14 reasons for the approval of family members, and 10 solutions to time constraints. Twelve distinct techniques were suggested to attend to these reasons and solutions. Conclusion: This qualitative research will be used to inform the development of a theory-based intervention to increase students’ participation in university recreational sports.     

Graduate attributes for 2020 and beyond: recommendations for Australian higher education providers

Given global uncertainty related to rapid technological developments and the world of work, alongside other equally (if not more) concerning social and political disruptions – the assurance of graduate attributes of importance to employability and citizenship are arguably more important than ever. In this paper, we investigate three areas of practice by Australian universities, and non-university higher education providers who have been omitted from past analyses of this kind. First, we examine the graduate attributes most frequently published by institutions and discipline groups and whether emphasis has changed over time. Second, we investigate how graduate attributes are assured, including a scan of the inputs put in practice by higher education providers, and comparison of graduate and employer perceptions of achievement gathered through recent national surveys. Third, we connect our findings in the first two areas and make recommendations for the attributes needed to equip 2020+ graduates for citizenship and employability. Based on these analyses, we recommend that all providers, university and non-university, and the discipline groups within them: make graduate attributes more visible to the public and especially to students; continue embedding them in the assessed curricula, but also ensure that assessment is explicit and that attributes are communicated and explained repeatedly throughout the course; continue to use stakeholder perception measures, but more consistently align skills in data collection instruments to allow a more constructive comparison, and also draw on more objective measures such as actual assessment of achievement; continue to emphasise attributes associated with global citizenship, teamwork and communication; give more emphasis to independence, critical thinking and problem-solving, and the fundamental foundational skills of written and spoken communication. Most importantly, continue to revise the attributes regularly to ensure fitness for purpose in the rapidly changing environment within which we and our graduates operate.