OSS9103 – Addressing the Climate Emergency through Education
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The notion that climate change education is crucial to redirecting teaching and learning in the face of today’s climate emergency is now widely established and accepted. Yet despite broad agreement among experts, citizens, educationalists and activists about (i) its necessity within a suite of prevention, mitigation and adaptation strategies, and (ii) a need to focus on ensuring strategic (rather than piecemeal) action, there can appear to be little consensus in public, political and academic spheres about:
a) what should and shouldn’t happen in climate change education, be that day-by-day or over the longer term,
b) who is responsible for ensuring quality climate change education takes place,
c) how to bring about change in educators’ practices to ensure climate change education is educational, fit for purpose, and effective,
d) the intended and unintended outcomes of the current provision and reach of climate change education on those involved in it, as well as those beyond it, and
e) what and how to assess, evaluate and research climate change education.
Drawing on studies of educational theory and practice, child development to organisational learning, examinations of the influence of family, culture, social networks and settings, critiques of policy documents and textbooks, the role of social movements and public engagement (and much more besides), this course exemplifies how research is crucial to addressing points (a-e).
The course will identify and assess various:
? starting points for addressing the climate emergency through education
? approaches to climate change education (and distinguish between what works, might work and doesn't work)
? influences on educator beliefs, motivations, professional development, and practices
? factors shaping values, beliefs, knowledge and action among learners and through schools, and
? responses in universities, including institutional priorities, student experiences, and teaching and research opportunities.
Key considerations in this course include the developing focus on the significance of ‘pyropedagogies’ - what is expected of education 'when our house is on fire' (Greta Thunberg) and hopeful ‘practice architectures’ for addressing the contemporary climate emergency through education. Lectures and workshops will underscore the value of the cross-fertilisation of ideas, by working with insights from many disciplines in ensuring climate change education is fit for purpose.
Learning outcome
After completing the course, students will be able to:
a) identify and assess the wide-ranging ways in which the climate emergency has been addressed through education to date, alongside factors to consider for the prospects of current and new proposals,
b) assess the theoretical and empirical bases for these approaches, drawing on a broad base of disciplinary perspectives when examining their fitness-for-purpose, priority and likely impact,
c) identify key findings and insights that contribute to the development of more meaningful responses and hope-filled action in and through educational settings,
d) articulate their own research issues, dispositions, preferences and perspectives in relation to the challenge of addressing climate change through education.
Teaching
Lecture 1. Starting points for addressing the climate emergency through education
Key readings
Ogunbode, C.A., Doran, R. & B?hm, G. (2020). Exposure to the IPCC special report on 1.5 °C global warming is linked to perceived threat and increased concern about climate change. Climatic Change 158, 361–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02609-0. 15pp
Hornsey, M., Harris, E., Bain, P., & Fielding, K. (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6(6), 622–626. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2943. 6pp
Lee, T. M., Markowitz, E. M., Howe, P. D., Ko, C.-Y., & Leiserowitz, A. A. (2015). Predictors of public climate change awareness and risk perception around the world. Nature Climate Change, 5(11), 1014-1020. doi:10.1038/nclimate2728. 10pp
McCright, A. M., Dunlap, R. E., & Marquart-Pyatt, S. T. (2016). Political ideology and views about climate change in the European Union. Environmental Politics, 25(2), 338-358. doi:10.1080/09644016.2015.1090371. 21pp
Jickling, B. (2013). Normalizing catastrophe: an educational response. Environmental Education Research, 19(2), 161-176. doi:10.1080/13504622.2012.721114. 16pp
Kenis, A., & Mathijs, E. (2012). Beyond individual behaviour change: the role of power, knowledge and strategy in tackling climate change. Environmental Education Research, 18(1), 45-65. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.576315. 21pp
Feinstein, N. W., & Mach, K. J. (2019). Three roles for education in climate change adaptation. Climate Policy, 1-6. doi:10.1080/14693062.2019.1701975. 6pp
Lehtonen, A., Salonen, A. O., & Cantell, H. (2019). Climate Change Education: A New Approach for a World of Wicked Problems. In J. W. Cook (Ed.), Sustainability, Human Well-Being, and the Future of Education (pp. 339-374). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Available at: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-78580-6_11.pdf 36pp
Additional readings
Lakoff, G. (2010). Why it Matters How We Frame the Environment. Environmental Communication, 4(1), 70-81. doi:10.1080/17524030903529749. 12pp
Norgaard, K. M. (2009). Cognitive and behavioral challenges in responding to climate change (English). Policy Research working paper WPS 4940. Washington, DC: World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/289171468331269847/Cognitive-and-behavioral-challenges-in-responding-to-climate-change. 76pp
Leiserowitz, A. (2006). Climate change risk perception and policy preferences: The role of affect, imagery, and values. Climatic Change, 77, 45-72. DOI: 10.1007/s10584-006-9059-9. 28pp
Drews, S., & van den Bergh, J. C. J. M. (2016). What explains public support for climate policies? A review of empirical and experimental studies. Climate Policy, 16(7), 855-876. doi:10.1080/14693062.2015.1058240. 22pp
Lecture 2. What works (… might work - and won’t work) in and as climate change education?
Key readings
Krange, O., Kaltenborn, B. P., & Hultman, M. (2019). Cool dudes in Norway: climate change denial among conservative Norwegian men. Environmental Sociology, 5(1), 1-11. doi:10.1080/23251042.2018.1488516. 12pp
Wibeck, V. (2014). Enhancing learning, communication and public engagement about climate change – some lessons from recent literature. Environmental Education Research, 20(3), 387-411. doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.812720. 25pp
Monroe, M. C., Plate, R. R., Oxarart, A., Bowers, A., & Chaves, W. A. (2019). Identifying effective climate change education strategies: a systematic review of the research. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 791-812. doi:10.1080/13504622.2017.1360842. 22pp
Blum, N., Nazir, J., Breiting, S., Goh, K. C., & Pedretti, E. (2013). Balancing the tensions and meeting the conceptual challenges of education for sustainable development and climate change. Environmental Education Research, 19(2), 206-217. doi:10.1080/13504622.2013.780588. 12pp
UNFCCC Education - https://unfccc.int/topics/education-youth/the-big-picture/what-is-action-for-climate-empowerment especially https://unfccc.int/topics/education-and-outreach/resources/ace-guidelines
Cantell, H., Tolppanen, S., Aarnio-Linnanvuori, E., & Lehtonen, A. (2019). Bicycle model on climate change education: presenting and evaluating a model. Environmental Education Research, 25(5), 717-731. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1570487. 15pp
Shepardson, D. P., Niyogi, D., Roychoudhury, A., & Hirsch, A. (2012). Conceptualizing climate change in the context of a climate system: implications for climate and environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 18(3), 323-352. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.622839. 30pp
Additional readings
Nisbet, M. C. (2009). Communicating Climate Change: Why Frames Matter for Public Engagement. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 51(2), 12-23. doi:10.3200/ENVT.51.2.12-23. 12pp
Ma, Y., Dixon, G., & Hmielowski, J. D. (2019). Psychological Reactance From Reading Basic Facts on Climate Change: The Role of Prior Views and Political Identification. Environmental Communication, 13(1), 71-86. doi:10.1080/17524032.2018.1548369. 16pp
Fischhoff, B. (2007). Nonpersuasive communication about matters of greatest urgency: Climate change. Environmental Science & Technology, 41, 7204-7208. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0726411. 5pp
Hestres, L. E. (2018). Take Action Now: Motivational Framing and Action Requests in Climate Advocacy. Environmental Communication, 12(4), 462-479. doi:10.1080/17524032.2018.1424010. 18pp
Hulme, M., Obermeister, N., Randalls, S., & Borie, M. (2018). Framing the challenge of climate change in Nature and Science editorials. Nature Climate Change, 8(6), 515–521. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0174-1. 8pp
Krasny, M. E., & DuBois, B. (2019). Climate adaptation education: embracing reality or abandoning environmental values. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 883-894. doi:10.1080/13504622.2016.1196345. 12pp
Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED). (2009). The Psychology of Climate Change Communication: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public. New York: Columbia University, 48pp.. Available at: http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/pdfs/CREDguide_full-res.pdf
Sch?fer, M. S., & Schlichting, I. (2014). Media Representations of Climate Change: A Meta-Analysis of the Research Field. Environmental Communication, 8(2), 142-160. doi:10.1080/17524032.2014.914050. 19pp
Ehret, P. J., Sparks, A. C., & Sherman, D. K. (2017). Support for environmental protection: an integration of ideological-consistency and information-deficit models. Environmental Politics, 26(2), 253-277. doi:10.1080/09644016.2016.1256960. 25pp
IPCC, 2018: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. P?rtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J.B.R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M.I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, and T. Waterfield (eds.)]. In Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/SR15_Full_Report_High_Res.pdf. 630pp
National Research, C. (2012). Climate Change Education in Formal Settings, K-14: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13435. Available at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13435/climate-change-education-in-formal-settings-k-14-a-workshop.
108pp
National Research Council. 2011. Climate Change Education: Goals, Audiences, and Strategies: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13224. Available at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/13224/climate-change-education-goals-audiences-and-strategies-a-workshop-summary. 98pp
Lecture 3. Influences on educator beliefs, motivations, professional development, and practices about climate change
Key readings
Ballew, M. T., Pearson, A. R., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Does socioeconomic status moderate the political divide on climate change? The roles of education, income, and individualism. Global Environmental Change, 60, 102024. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.102024. 12pp
Steg, L., & Vlek, C. (2009). Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour: an integrative review and research agenda. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29:309–317. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2008.10.004. 9pp
Hornsey, M., Harris, E., Bain, P., & Fielding, K. (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6(6), 622–626. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2943. 6pp
Howell, R. A., & Allen, S. (2019). Significant life experiences, motivations and values of climate change educators. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 813-831. doi:10.1080/13504622.2016.1158242. 19pp
Waldron, F., Ruane, B., Oberman, R., & Morris, S. (2019). Geographical process or global injustice? Contrasting educational perspectives on climate change. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 895-911. doi:10.1080/13504622.2016.1255876. 17pp
Li, C. J., Monroe, M. C., Oxarart, A., & Ritchie, T. (2019). Building teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching about climate change through educative curriculum and professional development. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 1-15. doi:10.1080/1533015X.2019.1617806. 15pp
Drewes, A., Henderson, J., & Mouza, C. (2018). Professional development design considerations in climate change education: teacher enactment and student learning. International Journal of Science Education, 40(1), 67-89. doi:10.1080/09500693.2017.1397798. 22pp
Monroe, M. C., Plate, R. R., Adams, D. C., & Wojcik, D. J. (2015). Harnessing homophily to improve climate change education. Environmental Education Research, 21(2), 221-238. doi:10.1080/13504622.2014.910497. 21pp
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2020). Global Warming’s Six Americas https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/
Additional readings
Brownlee, M. T. J., Powell, R. B., & Hallo, J. C. (2013). A review of the foundational processes that influence beliefs in climate change: opportunities for environmental education research. Environmental Education Research, 19(1), 1-20. doi:10.1080/13504622.2012.683389. 20pp
Hamilton, C. & Kasser, T. (2009). Psychological adaptation to the threats and stresses of a four degree world. Available at: https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/events/4degrees/ppt/poster-hamilton.pdf. 10pp
Bloomfield, E. F., & Tillery, D. (2019). The Circulation of Climate Change Denial Online: Rhetorical and Networking Strategies on Facebook. Environmental Communication, 13(1), 23-34. doi:10.1080/17524032.2018.1527378. 12pp
Drummond, C., & Fischhoff, B. (2017). Individuals with greater science literacy and education have more polarized beliefs on controversial science topics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(36), 9587. doi:10.1073/pnas.1704882114. 6pp
Drummond, A., Hall, L., Sauer, C., & Palmer, J. (2018). Is public awareness and perceived threat of climate change associated with governmental mitigation targets? Climatic Change, 149(2), 159–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2230-2. 13pp
Van Der Linden, S. (2015). The social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions: Towards a comprehensive model. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 41(C), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.11.012. 13pp
Gifford, R. (2011). The dragons of inaction: psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaptation. The American Psychologist, 66(4), 290–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023566. 13pp
Lecture 4. What shapes climate change-related values, beliefs, knowledge and action among learners and through schools?
Key readings
Dietz, T., Stern, P. C., & Guagnano, G. A. (1998). Social Structural and Social Psychological Bases of Environmental Concern. Environment and Behavior, 30(4), 450–471. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659803000402. 22pp
Stern, P.C., Dietz, T., Abel, T., Guagnano, G.A., & Kalof, L. (1999). A value-belief-norm theory of support for social movements: The case of environmentalism. Human Ecology Review, 6, 81-97. https://humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her62/62sternetal.pdf 17pp
Van Der Linden, S. (2015). The social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions: Towards a comprehensive model. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 41(C), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.11.012. 13pp
Drummond, A., Hall, L., Sauer, C., & Palmer, J. (2018). Is public awareness and perceived threat of climate change associated with governmental mitigation targets? Climatic Change, 149(2), 159–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-018-2230-2. 13pp
Ojala, M. (2012). Hope and climate change: the importance of hope for environmental engagement among young people. Environmental Education Research, 18(5), 625-642. doi:10.1080/13504622.2011.637157. 18pp
Stevenson, K. T., Peterson, M. N., & Bondell, H. D. (2019). The influence of personal beliefs, friends, and family in building climate change concern among adolescents. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 832-845. doi:10.1080/13504622.2016.1177712. 14pp
Román, D., & Busch, K. C. (2016). Textbooks of doubt: using systemic functional analysis to explore the framing of climate change in middle-school science textbooks. Environmental Education Research, 22(8), 1158-1180. doi:10.1080/13504622.2015.1091878. 23pp
Fisher, S. R. (2016). Life trajectories of youth committing to climate activism. Environmental Education Research, 22(2), 229-247. doi:10.1080/13504622.2015.1007337. 19pp
Additional readings
American Psychological Association Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change (2009). Psychology and Global Climate Change: Addressing a Multi-faceted Phenomenon and Set of Challenges. Report. Available at: https://www.apa.org/images/climate-change-booklet_tcm7-91270.pdf. 108pp
American Psychological Association Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change (2009). Policy Recommendations. Available at: https://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/policy-recommendations.pdf. 6pp
Lecture 5. Responses to the climate emergency before, during and after school - and around the world: redirecting educational and institutional priorities, lifelong learning, and research opportunities?
Key readings
Rousell, D., & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, A. (2019). A systematic review of climate change education: giving children and young people a ‘voice’ and a ‘hand’ in redressing climate change. Children's Geographies, 1-18. doi:10.1080/14733285.2019.1614532. 18pp
Bangay, C., & Blum, N. (2010). Education responses to climate change and quality: Two parts of the same agenda? International Journal of Educational Development, 30(4), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.11.011 10pp
UNESCO. (2019). Country progress on climate change education, training and public awareness: An analysis of country submissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Paris: UNESCO. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372164 14pp
Boyd, E., & Osbahr, H. (2010). Responses to climate change: exploring organisational learning across internationally networked organisations for development. Environmental Education Research, 16(5-6), 629-643. doi:10.1080/13504622.2010.505444. 15pp
Berkhout, F., Hertin, J., & Gann, D. (2006). Learning to adapt: organisational adaptation to climate change impacts. Climatic Change, 78(1), 135–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-006-9089-3. 12pp
Gleason, T. (2019). Towards a terrestrial education: a commentary on Bruno Latour’s Down to Earth. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 977-986. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1649369. 10pp
Dillon, J. (2019). University declarations of environment and climate change emergencies. Environmental Education Research, 25(5), 613-614. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1646022. 2pp
Verlie, B. (2019). Bearing worlds: learning to live-with climate change. Environmental Education Research, 25(5), 751-766. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1637823. 16pp
Reid, A. (2019). Climate change education and research: possibilities and potentials versus problems and perils? Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 767-790. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1664075. 24pp
Busch, K. C., Henderson, J. A., & Stevenson, K. T. (2019). Broadening epistemologies and methodologies in climate change education research. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 955-971. doi:10.1080/13504622.2018.1514588. 16pp
Lundholm, C. (2019). Where to look and what to do? Blank and bright spots in research on environmental and climate change education. Environmental Education Research, 25(10), 1427-1437. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1700066. 11pp
Reid, A. (2019). Key questions about climate change education and research: ‘essences’ and ‘fragrances’. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 972-976. doi:10.1080/13504622.2019.1662078. 5pp
Additional readings
UNESCO (2015). Not just hot air: putting climate change education into practice. Paris: UNESCO. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000233083. 89pp
Stapleton, S. R. (2019). A case for climate justice education: American youth connecting to intragenerational climate injustice in Bangladesh. Environmental Education Research, 25(5), 732-750. doi:10.1080/13504622.2018.1472220. 19pp
Vlek, C., & Steg, L. (2007). Human Behavior and Environmental Sustainability: Problems, Driving Forces, and Research Topics. Journal of Social Issues, 63(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2007.00493.x. 19pp
UNICEF. (2012). Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the education sector. New York, NY: UNICEF Division of Communication. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/cfs/files/UNICEF-ClimateChange-ResourceManual-lores-c.pdf. 220pp
UNESCO (2016). Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all. Global Education Monitoring Report. Available at: http://gem-report-2016.unesco.org/en/home/ 535pp
Key books for course preparations
Books:
1. Biesta, G. (2014). The Beautiful Risk of Education. Abingdon: Routledge, 178pp., ISBN: 9781612050270.
2. Foster, J. (2015). After Sustainability: Denial, Hope, Retrieval. Abingdon: Routledge, 240pp., eISBN: 9781315888576.
3. Maslin, M. (2014). Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction. Third Edition. Oxford University Press, 216pp., ISBN: 9780198719045.
4. Armstrong, A., Krasny, M., & Schuldt, J. (2018). Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators. Ithaca; London: Cornell University Press, 143 pp., eISBN: 9781501730801. Available open access at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctv941wjn.
5. Thunberg, G. (2019). No One is Too Small to Make a Difference. UK: Penguin Books Ltd, 112pp., ISBN: 9780141992716.?
Recommended readings that will provide further preparation for this course include the following briefings, guidance, summaries, and interview:
1. Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED). (2009). The Psychology of Climate Change Communication: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public. New York: Columbia University, 48pp.. Available at: http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/pdfs/CREDguide_full-res.pdf
2. Anderson, A. (2010). Combating Climate Change Through Quality Education. Policy Brief. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution. 15pp.. Available at: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/09_climate_education.pdf
3. UNESCO and UNFCCC. (2016). Action for Climate Empowerment: Guidelines for Accelerating Solutions Through Education, Training and Public. Paris: UNESCO and UNFCCC, 82pp.. Available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/action_for_climate_empowerment_guidelines.pdf.?
4. Tucker, I. (2019). “Interview. David Wallace-Wells: ‘There are many cases of climate hypocrisy.’” The Observer Sunday 25 August. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/25/david-wallace-wells-interview-climate-crisis-heating-migration-extinction-rebellion-greta-thunberg.
Additional, non compulsory readings (optional)
For each theme, these are noted throughout the syllabus. Additional sources include the following books:
1. Whitmarsh, L., O'Neill, S., & Lorenzoni, I. (Eds.) (2010). Engaging the Public with Climate Change: Behaviour Change and Communication. London: Earthscan, 315pp., ISBN: 9781138866904.
2. Kagawa, F., & Selby, D. (Eds.) (2010). Education and Climate Change: Living and Learning in Interesting Times. Abingdon: Routledge, 276pp., ISBN: 9780415649155.
3. Shepardson, D. P., Roychoudhury, A., & Hirsch, A. S. (2017). Teaching and Learning About Climate Change: A Framework for Educators. Abingdon: Routledge, 264pp., ISBN: 9781138642621.
4. Henderson, J.A., & Drewes, A. (Eds.) (2020). Teaching Climate Change in the United States. New York: Routledge, 232pp., ISBN: 9780367179472.
5. Filho, W. L., & Hemstock, S. L. (eds) (2019). Climate Change and the Role of Education. Springer International Publishing, 573pp., ISBN: 9783030328986.