PurposeFor communities threatened by current or impending climate change, adaptation is becoming a necessity. Although little research has been done on human competences so far, this research shows that some appear to facilitate the adaptation process. The purpose of this multiple‐case study is to identify adaptive competences demonstrated by two groups of Canadian citizens: municipal employees in a coastal community and farmers.Design/methodology/approachAs part of workshops based on a problem solving process, the two groups analyzed the impacts of climate change in their field of work and geographical area, chose a problem related to these impacts, suggested and then implemented adaptation measures. The municipal employees worked on sea level rise, whereas the farmers focused on poor soil quality, which makes it vulnerable to bad weather.FindingsBy thematically analyzing the verbatim transcripts of the workshops and by building narratives, the authors were able to identify similar adaptive competences in both groups: local knowledge, futures thinking, hindsight, risk prediction, critical thinking, decision‐making, and problem solving (highlighting key problem components, suggesting solutions, and identifying constraints). However, two competences were chiefly found in the group composed of farmers: optimism and openness to novelty.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to lead to recommendations regarding the pedagogical support of citizens during an adaptation process to climate change. These recommendations might be helpful in many communities where adaptation to climate change is a pressing issue.
In our day, leaders involved in ingenious sustainable development projects plan spaces and implement practices that are beneficial to the environment. These initiatives represent a fertile source of information on the competences linked to environmental design that we should nurture in our students. In view of improving our understanding of the competences that should be developed in environmental education (EE), this study sought to identify the competences used by leaders who participated in five sustainable development projects (in sustainable urban planning and forestry). The analysis of documents and data from individual interviews revealed that the main competences (cognitive, social and affective) used by the leaders interviewed, depended on creative, complex, flexible, longitudinal, adapted,
This case study looks at how experiential learning is implemented in a newly constructed school which has adopted an educational approach based on the principles of this pedagogical model. Since its inception, this Canadian K-8 school has chosen to implement experiential learning on both a structural and operational level. Semi-strucured interviews with administrators, teachers, students and parents were conducted and subsequently coded to reveal emerging thematic categories from each of these perspectives on learning in a teaching environment specifically designed around experiential learning. Themes from each perspective are categorized and serve as a basis for commentary on initial theory-based research propositions.
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