title: Young people's understanding of climate change: Moving towards transformative climate change education
Creators: name: Dillon, Bronagh
Publisher: name: University of Galway
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Climate Change
subject: Climate Change Education
subject: Young People
subject: Geography
subject: Education
subject: Geography, Archaeology &amp; Irish Studies

description: The ultimate goal and outcome of climate change education is to help solve environmental issues and problems by educating young people to become climate literate, climate aware and knowledgeable in climate friendly behaviours and choices. The effectiveness of current approaches to CCE in post-primary schools is limiting young people’s ability to become active citizens in society capable and experienced in how to make and take pro-environmentally friendly choices. The research undertaken and presented in this thesis explores 15 – 18 year olds experiences of the climate crisis and climate change education (CCE). Situated within geography education with a focus on the voice of young people in CCE, curriculum, value-action gap, and co-production approaches with young people, with potential impact across a variety of social science fields. The focus of the thesis was on the voice of Irish young people and their experiences of CCE within mainstream formal educational settings of post-primary schools and informal educational settings of extra curricular activities based in local communities. The work asks to what extent the current provision of CCE is effective in meeting the needs of young people in times of climate crisis. Understanding and identifying value-action gap(s) for young people, teachers, and other key actors shaping the learning of young people in tackling the climate crisis was extensively examined in the thesis. Another key line of inquiry focuses on the exploration of co-production approaches with young people in shaping development of transformative CCE, and what this might look like for future generations of young people. The research design identified in this thesis is a case study with an interpretivist viewpoint. Mixed methods were employed as methodology, comprising of a survey, focus groups, interviews and narrative workshops, with data collection spanning from October 2021 to October 2022. Field work was carried out in eleven Galway City and County post-primary schools with nearly 600 young people participating. Young people are best placed to comment and present their experiences of CCE in Irish educational settings (formal and informal), as young people are experts in their own lives and deserve to have their voices heard, listened to and respected in CCE. Four key findings were identified after thematic analysis of the data sets from the three phases of data collection. A significant finding was young people want and need to have their voices heard in CCE, a finding which underpinned subsequent findings. Consequently, new approaches to CCE should be young people-led and centred, to meet the needs and interests of young people. It became evident in the data young people are dissatisfied, frustrated, and fed-up with current approaches to CCE. Young people want more solutions-focused practically-based CCE and indicated they want to learn these solutions and practical skills to climate problems within their communities and localities situated within local geographies. Young people felt opportunities for intergenerational learning should be embedded within CCE. Currently intergenerational learning is understood as missed opportunities and an underutilised approach and pathway in CCE. Young people want approaches to CCE that personalise learning experiences and climate knowledge within their local environment and community. Results from the research represent new and significant contributions to academic knowledge. Identifying the need for approaches to CCE to be reconsidered and redesigned allowing for a more transformational and transformative approach to CCE supports educational settings transitioning to transformative CCE (TCCE). There are a number of reasons for TCCE within Irish post-primary schools. Namely, educational reform stands at a pivotal point in decision-making around climate curricula in Ireland, where consideration is opportune in embedding transformative learning and transformative approaches to CCE right across post-primary curricula in a transdisciplinary manner. Central to ensuring critical changes to current approaches and delivery of CCE are integrated in educational settings, requires including and responding to the voice of young people in matters related to decision-making processes of curriculum development, co-production, intergenerational practices and community-based learning. Taking seriously the experiences and voice of young people, learning from and valuing those experiences, calls for a paradigm shift in education towards TCCE. TCCE that is fit for purpose for future generations of young people, the future custodians of the planet. Policy makers, multiple stakeholders, and decision-makers involved with the education and welfare of young people are best placed to contemplate alternative young person-centred CCE approaches, highlighted in this thesis, so that transformative CCE can meet the climate needs of young people now and into the future. This thesis evidenced, now is the time to listen and respond to the voices of young people in transformative approaches and practices to CCE.