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Teacher perceptions of state standards and climate change pedagogy: opportunities and barriers for implementing consensus-informed instruction on climate change

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  • A. Lee Hannah

    (Wright State University)

  • Danielle Christine Rhubart

    (University of Dayton)

Abstract

The public education system can play a pivotal role in creating an electorate that is well informed of the consensus around climate change and its anthropogenic causes. In particular, more states have education standards that specifically address climate change today than ever before. However, previous research raises concerns about the discretion teachers have in if and how particular types of content are presented. The effectiveness of new state standards and the extent to which such state-level standards are coopted by teacher discretion has received minimal attention. Therefore, using a nationally representative sample of 1500 middle school and high school science teachers, this research examines the effectiveness of such state-level standards and the extent to which teacher ideology and knowledge mediate the relationship between standards and actual use of a consensus-informed approach to teaching climate science. Results show that teachers in states with any type of standards around climate change spend significantly more time on the topic in the classroom. However, teachers in states that have standards that require teachers to present “both sides” of climate change are significantly less likely to use a consensus-informed approach. While teacher characteristics (knowledge and ideology) can weaken their effect, standards continue to be important predictors of the time spent on climate change in the classroom and how content is presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of climate science standards.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Lee Hannah & Danielle Christine Rhubart, 2020. "Teacher perceptions of state standards and climate change pedagogy: opportunities and barriers for implementing consensus-informed instruction on climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 377-392, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:158:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s10584-019-02590-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-019-02590-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthew J. Hornsey & Emily A. Harris & Paul G. Bain & Kelly S. Fielding, 2016. "Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(6), pages 622-626, June.
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    3. Eric Plutzer & A. Lee Hannah, 2018. "Teaching climate change in middle schools and high schools: investigating STEM education’s deficit model," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 305-317, August.
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    5. Danielle F. Lawson & Kathryn T. Stevenson & M. Nils Peterson & Sarah J. Carrier & Renee L. Strnad & Erin Seekamp, 2019. "Children can foster climate change concern among their parents," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(6), pages 458-462, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna-Kathryn Leve & Hanno Michel & Ute Harms, 2023. "Implementing climate literacy in schools — what to teach our teachers?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 176(10), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Antonio García-Vinuesa, 2024. "Empowering Secondary Education Teachers for Sustainable Climate Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-15, September.

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