Climate Change Action Achievement through Environmental Education in NYS  Certification Requirements
Channel: Katherine Enberg
Date: 10/10/2020

Learning about global problems, such as climate change, is not only a cognitive endeavor, but also involves emotions evoked by the seriousness and complexity of these problems (Ojala, 2012). Climate change is a global problem that threatens the survival of the planet. Since young people are the future decision-making citizens and leaders of society, it is important to include them in societal strivings to combat this problem (UNEP, 1992). Many education systems worldwide have undergone major reforms over the last two decades or more.  A conceptual framework for teaching climate change in (K-5 and 9-12) elementary institutions, can help give a critical thinking skills background to a growing generation without causing existential crisis through incomplete teaching. Educational reform cannot take place without major consequences for teacher education (Pretorius, 2004). It has been suggested that current levels of awareness of and knowledge about climate change are insufficient in leading to effective behavioral change (Wolf and Moser, 2011).  The collective action that is required to mitigate and adapt to climate change is extremely difficult to achieve, largely due to social-ideological biases that perpetuate polarization over climate change. Because climate change perceptions in children seem less susceptible to the influence of worldview or political context, it may be possible for them to inspire adults towards higher levels of climate concern, and in turn, collective action (Lawson et al., 2019).