Examining the relationship between middle school students’ sociocultural participation and their ideas about climate change
This case study applied sociocultural theory to examine the climate change ideas communicated by one group of middle school students (N = 39) in a suburban community on the U.S. East Coast. We investigated the ways in which students’ participation in the sociocultural activities of their varied communities appeared to inform their understandings of climate change prior to formal classroom science instruction on the topic. Data sources included an 18-item multiple-choice Climate Science Knowledge Assessment Instrument (CSKAI), interviews investigating students’ content knowledge and perspectives related to climate change, and drawings examining how students saw climate change in relation to their own lives. We interpreted learners’ sociocultural activities as having implications for: (1) the kinds of
scientifically-informed climate change ideas they brought to the classroom; (2) the sources of climate change information they perceived as trustworthy; and (3) the extent to which they viewed climate change as problematic, or as having potential connections to their lives. Findings also suggested that students’ engagement with media within and beyond their school-based learning experiences – even prior to formal instruction on climate change – appeared to most strongly inform their ideas about climate change. We concluded that viewing students’ climate change understandings as a product of the unique sociocultural activities in which they are already participating may provide a valuable foundation for planning science learning experiences that resonate personally with students.
Citation: Emily Hestness, J. Randy McGinnis & Wayne Breslyn (2019) Examining the relationship between middle school students’ sociocultural participation and their ideas about climate change, Environmental Education Research, 25:6, 912-924, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2016.1266303
How Learning About Climate Change Progresses in Next Generation Science Standards (K-12)
Few issues facing society are more urgent than reducing our vulnerability to climate impacts, preparing for the staggering transition to a low-carbon economy, and building resilient communities. Yet K-12 schools, higher education, and free-choice learning institutions are not fully prepared or focused on building awareness and inspiring action to care for our communities and our planet. Through activation of extensive education systems with comprehensive climate change education, communities can more quickly embrace a low-carbon future, inspire future leaders, showcase their communities’ adaptability, and create stronger communities. The need for comprehensive, interdisciplinary climate change education is more important now than ever before. (Citation coming soon)
