Strengthening their climate change literacy: A case study addressing the weaknesses in young people’s climate change awareness

Kuthe, Alina; Körfgen, Annemarie; Stötter, Johann; Keller, Lars

doi:10.1080/1533015x.2019.1597661

Cited by 36 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Varela et al (2018) found that seventh-grade students (age 12-13) developed more sophisticated mental models of climate change after a 5-day unit that included both discussion of climate science and simulated negotiation activities. Most recently, Kuthe et al (2019) found that teenagers (ages 13-16) who developed customized projects to address climate change throughout a yearlong program did not increase in their knowledge about climate change if they were disengaged with the topic. Unfortunately, these authors did not report what changes occurred among engaged students.…”

Section: Past Empirical Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of interest in climate change instruction

et al. 2020

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As climate change becomes an increasingly important topic for science educators, it is critical to learn how teachers may be able to increase students' knowledge about it. We conducted two consecutive quasi‐experimental studies that investigated the role of interest in predicting middle school students' knowledge gains from a unit about how scientists use mathematical models to predict climate change's impacts on forests. The studies measured the intervention's effects on students' knowledge about climate change and examined how their interest in the topic and related factors were associated with their knowledge before and after the intervention. Participants in the two studies included 467 treatment and 177 comparison group students (Study 1) and 363 treatment and 219 comparison group students (Study 2). Multilevel modeling analyses revealed increases in students' knowledge about climate change after participating in the unit. Path modeling analyses showed that students' interest in climate change was indirectly related to their knowledge about climate change, mediated by students' existing desire to learn more, their interest in the unit, their belief that climate change was important (Studies 1 and 2), as well as their behavioral self‐efficacy (Study 2). Students' interest in science was positively associated with their knowledge about climate change (Study 1) but their perception of threats posed by climate change was not (Study 2). Findings suggest that science educators can improve students' knowledge about climate change by connecting the topic to students' lives and ensuring they feel empowered to act on climate change.

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Section: Past Empirical Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of interest in climate change instruction

et al. 2020

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“…However, other authors stated that most respondents have not worried about the climate change problems (Gifford et al 2011;Weber and Stern 2011). Kuthe et al (2019) found an insignificant relationship between concern and action related to climate change. Furthermore, citizens hold different perspectives, and views vary significantly.…”

Section: The Changes In Climate-friendly Behaviour and Impact Of Climate Change Concern And Assumption Of Responsibilitymentioning

confidence: 91%

The Changes in Climate Change Concern, Responsibility Assumption and Impact on Climate-friendly Behaviour in EU from the Paris Agreement Until 2019

Jakučionytė-Skodienė

Liobikienė

2022

Environmental Management

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Climate change is one of the primary environmental problems broadly discussed in the Paris Agreement. In the literature, authors mainly focused on the changes in climate change concern. However, it is more important to answer whether the changes in concerns and responsibilities affect climate-friendly behaviour. Therefore, this study's objective was to analyse the changes in climate change concern, personal responsibility, and climate-friendly behaviour in EU-28 from 2015 (the launch of the Paris Agreement) to 2019 and evaluate how these changes contributed to separate actions. The changes in climate change concern and personal responsibility were statistically significant (F value). During the analysed period, the purchase of energy-efficient appliances increased the most. Meanwhile, the usage of environmentally friendly transport alternatives decreased. The determinants of changes in climate-friendly behaviour were identified using the multiple linear regression model. Results showed that changes in climate change concern significantly and positively affected waste management and choice of energy supplier which offers a greater share of energy from renewable sources and purchased of low-energy homes. Meanwhile, personal responsibility significantly and positively influenced switching energy suppliers but had a negative effect on home insulation. Furthermore, residents who performed high-cost behaviours (purchase of lowenergy homes) also switched energy suppliers and insulated their homes. Therefore, the results indicated that the benefit and cost of behaviour (time, money) are very important aspects to promote climate-friendly behaviour. This study suggested that policymakers should raise public awareness about climate change and take all efforts to reduce the cost of high-cost behaviours and enable the possibilities to perform climate-friendly behaviour.

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“…Organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been stressing the need for climate change education, and this is reflected in the ever-growing significance to young people (Kuthe et al, 2020;Körfgen et al, 2017). As argued by Akrofi et al (2019), increasing student awareness through education is crucial in fostering active participation to promote climate change actions at all levels of the community.…”

Section: Climate Change and Student Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes and Perceptions of University Students on Climate Change: Evidences from an International Study

Filho

Ayal

Wall

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Universities have an unrivalled potential to educate students on climate change issues and to actively engage them in climate affairs, both as citizens and influencers of future professions. Despite this potential and the many advantages of student engagement in climate change, less emphasis has been given to understanding students´ perceptions and attitudes towards climate change, in a way that may guide changes in the curriculum and teaching practices. Based on the need to address the existing literature gap, this paper assesses university students’ perceptions and attitudes towards climate change at the international level. This study comprises a survey of a sample of universities across the world and uses descriptive statistics to identify the most important trends across geographical locations of the universities. The study provides recommended actions that universities may enact in order to improve educational provisions in matters related to climate change and, by doing so, better prepare future professionals to cope with the challenges of a changing climate.

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Strengthening their climate change literacy: A case study addressing the weaknesses in young people’s climate change awareness

Abstract: Strengthening their climate change literacy: A case study addressing the weaknesses in young people's climate change awareness,

Cited by 36 publications

References 41 publications

The role of interest in climate change instruction

The role of interest in climate change instruction

The Changes in Climate Change Concern, Responsibility Assumption and Impact on Climate-friendly Behaviour in EU from the Paris Agreement Until 2019

Attitudes and Perceptions of University Students on Climate Change: Evidences from an International Study

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