Education for youth climate action : co-creating design principles and learning goals of a climate change education program in Slovakia
Kurka Ivanegová, Boglárka (2021)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052410697
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021052410697
Tiivistelmä
The climate crisis is humanity’s greatest challenge so far, and resolving it requires nothing short of a wide-scale societal transformation. Education is considered a key enabler of this transition. Nevertheless, there is no consensus on what climate change education should entail and how to translate it into practice. At the same time, young people, who perceive climate change as the biggest threat to their lives, are willing to but lack adequate support to engage in climate action actively and meaningfully. The thesis aimed to bridge these gaps by setting learning goals and determining the essential design principles for a non-formal education program in Slovakia, emphasizing youth climate action.
Mixed-method research was applied, combining a Delphi study with expert interviews. Understanding climate change requires making sense of diverse interactive perspectives, and thus a Delphi expert panel of seventeen Czech and Slovak climate change and education expert was established. The experts took part in three survey rounds, seeking agreement on what knowledge, skills and values should young people develop to engage in climate action effectively and proactively. Additionally, four semi-structured expert interviews with international climate change professionals complimented the Delphi study findings.
Six design principles should guide the education program: (1) exploration of own frames of reference, (2) reinforcement of climate-positive social norms, (3) purposeful cultivation of individual and collective efficacy through project-based learning, (4) futures-thinking, (5) balance of individual and collaborative learning, and (6) ongoing dialogue between various perspectives on climate change. The Delphi study identified sixty-two highly prioritized items, ranging across the understanding of the climate system, climate justice, causes and impacts of climate change, media and information literacy, lifestyles, politics and citizenship, mental health care, and values. The expert interviewees revealed additional themes of power, alternative futures, and calls for the education program not to be prescriptive so that each learner can find their unique position in addressing the climate crisis. The results were organized and presented within the taxonomy of significant learning. Finally, it summarized what foundational knowledge learners should have, how it should be applied and integrated, the human and caring dimensions of learning, and vital learning skills.
Mixed-method research was applied, combining a Delphi study with expert interviews. Understanding climate change requires making sense of diverse interactive perspectives, and thus a Delphi expert panel of seventeen Czech and Slovak climate change and education expert was established. The experts took part in three survey rounds, seeking agreement on what knowledge, skills and values should young people develop to engage in climate action effectively and proactively. Additionally, four semi-structured expert interviews with international climate change professionals complimented the Delphi study findings.
Six design principles should guide the education program: (1) exploration of own frames of reference, (2) reinforcement of climate-positive social norms, (3) purposeful cultivation of individual and collective efficacy through project-based learning, (4) futures-thinking, (5) balance of individual and collaborative learning, and (6) ongoing dialogue between various perspectives on climate change. The Delphi study identified sixty-two highly prioritized items, ranging across the understanding of the climate system, climate justice, causes and impacts of climate change, media and information literacy, lifestyles, politics and citizenship, mental health care, and values. The expert interviewees revealed additional themes of power, alternative futures, and calls for the education program not to be prescriptive so that each learner can find their unique position in addressing the climate crisis. The results were organized and presented within the taxonomy of significant learning. Finally, it summarized what foundational knowledge learners should have, how it should be applied and integrated, the human and caring dimensions of learning, and vital learning skills.