Transcript Slide 1

Experimentation of a climate change
education model with adolescents
Diane Pruneau, Hélène Gravel,
Wendy Bourque, Joanne Langis
and Carole Essiembre
The project Young Visionaries
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Three grade 7 classes from coastal communities in
N.B. (Barachois, Cap-Pelé, Grande-Digue)
 Objectives: to improve students’ conceptions on
climate change and invite them to adopt
environmentally responsible behaviour
Why we did this project to improve
conceptions on climate change?
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Climatic notions are complex
Difficulty in conceiving a global
problem
Not all scientists share the
same point of view on this
subject
Teenagers have never
experienced a different climate
than the one we are
experiencing now
Difficulty in changing
behaviours that are rooted in
our lifestyle
Results from a previous research
(2000, Moncton and Montréal)
Participants’ conceptions
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Climate is warming up. Why?
Maybe because of the ozone
layer.
I haven’t seen evidence in my
community
I am not worried because the
consequences won’t happen
during my life especially if I live
in the city
Warmer temperatures are
pleasant
Human beings can’t change
anything
The general population won’t
accept to modify their
behaviour
A climate change education model
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Invite teenagers to make a local observation of climate
change : evidence, causes and possible consequences
in their community
 Ask them to put together their own opinion on the subject
 Show images of the greenhouse effect that are easy to
understand and to remember
 Give them the opportunity to accomplish a group action
to help the climate
 Make them appreciate the local natural elements
 Give them the chance to communicate their new
knowledge on climate change
Model characteristics
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Experiential: observe climate
change outside, accomplish an
action
Future education: think about
what could happen in the
future (local impacts of climate
change) and believe that we
can change the future
Image education
Education to develop a
relationship with the natural
surroundings
Socioconstructivist approach
to favour conceptual change
Events of the project
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Model experimentation
during 10 months – 2
sixty minute periods per
month
Individual interviews with
researchers to learn the
students’ conceptions on
climate change before the
project
Detailed and critical
observations of a beach
and drawing a map of the
beach
Events of the project (more)
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Information on greenhouse
effect with the help of a
simplified image
Observation, in the community,
of possible evidence of climate
change and particularly of a
storm that occured in 2000 (on
videotape)
Work in teams of
meteorologists, chemists,
ecologists, doctors and urban
planners to study their
community’s situation and to
predict what could happen with
the temperature, animal
species, waterways, human
health and coastal
infrastructures with climate
change
Events of the project (more)
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Presentation of their
discoveries in pamphlets sent
out to the 2 other schools
Outings to evaluate the
community’s sustainability
Conference and game at the
university: town council
representatives present
Creation by the students of a
video and a CD-ROM on
climate change for students
across the province
Events of the project (more)
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Accomplishment of
actions at school:
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Project Lunch without
waste
Tree planting with
explanations of their
ecological value
Events of the project (more)
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Outing in the forest to
observe how trees
are influenced by
climatic variations
 Solo
 Interviews with
researchers to identify
final conceptions on
climate change
Results: Conceptions of the phenomenon (n=39)
(misconceptions are in italics)
Teenagers’ ideas
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
Conception similar to that of scientists
0
24
The planet is warming and cooling
0
4
Temperature is increasing, so the ice is melting and sea level is rising
0
3
Rapid or gradual increase in temperature
0
2
The layer of gas surrounding Earth. When temperature increases, half of
the gas evaporates, the rest stays around the Earth
1
1
Pollution gets around the ozone layer and the temperature increases
0
1
The ozone layer around the Earth. Temperature becomes warmer, more
solar rays are entering than before
0
1
Abnormal changes in the temperature caused by pollution
4
0
I don’t know
26
0
Results: Evidence (n=39)
(misconceptions are in italics)
Evidence
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
Warmer summers, temperature increases
0
6
Floods, sea level rise
0
5
Ice breaks wharves, sand dunes
0
3
Beach becomes smaller
0
2
No more snow or less snow during the winter season
1
2
More storms, rain storms
0
2
We had snow this Winter but it was warm
0
1
The ordinary change in the seasons
0
1
More snow in the winter
0
1
Lawns less green
0
1
I don’t know
37
0
Results: Causes (n=39)
(misconceptions are in italics)
Causes
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
Smoke from the automobiles
1
14
Pollution
0
11
The layer of gas gets thicker, temperature increases
0
11
Smoke from the industries
1
7
Waste in the air
0
6
I don’t know
37
3
Smoke
0
3
Temperature, heat
0
2
Cigarette smoke
0
2
Boats
0
2
The ozone layer (the sun goes through because of the holes)
0
1
Landfills
0
1
Solar rays are stuck in the ozone layer and this heats up the Eartn
0
1
The sun melts the ice
0
1
Results: Consequences of climate change (n=39)
(misconceptions are in italics)
Consequences
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
Sea level rise, erosion
0
10
Floods, tornados, storms
0
9
Trees are going to die because it will be too cold or too hot
0
8
Animals could die because the temperature is increasing
0
7
It’s going to be warmer
1
7
Destruction of cottages and wharves near the water
1
7
Affects human health : disease and mortality
1
6
Beach modification
0
6
Destroy the food web or animal habitats
0
5
I don’t know
37
3
Skin cancer
0
2
Less fish because the water will be warm
0
2
Lack of water
0
2
We will have different trees here
0
2
Results: Actions that we can take (n=39)
(misconceptions are in italics)
Actions
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
Walk or use your bicycle instead of driving an automobile
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19
Pollute less
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9
Put waste in the garbage
0
7
Inform others
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6
Recycle
0
6
Sort your waste
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2
Plant a garden
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2
Plant trees
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2
Use plastic containers for your sandwich instead of plastic bags
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1
I can’t really do something (I am only one person)
1
1
I don’t know
38
0
Students’ impression that people will mobilize and that we will be able
to stop the damage (n=39)
Answers
Initial evaluation
Final evaluation
No, there are always people that are going to pollute
1
20
No, there is already a lot of pollution in the atmosphere and we can’t
take it out
0
2
It may be natural
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2
No, we are used to taking our automobiles, faster ways
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2
There is already a lot of pollution in the atmosphere and the greenhouse
is very much damaged
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1
People don’t know that climate change is occuring
0
1
There are many climate changes and you can’t tell where they are
0
1
It is a powerful thing
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1
Results: Pedagogical activities that helped
their understanding (n=39)
Activities
Final evaluation
Beach outing
17
Team work as scientists
11
Conference at the University
8
The action of planting trees with their explanations
5
Forest outing
4
Climate change explanations
3
All the activities (what we saw, discussed)
2
The video
2
Review after the activities
1
Water samples
1
Observation of the commitment
of 7 students in Barachois
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Individual interviews during the entire project
 Results: not every student was at the same point
Intention : wants to talk about it
Talks about it
Environmental actions
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Exercise vigilance
Avoid …
Recover…
Brings on new behaviour...
Conclusion
 Start
of awareness
 Commitment expressed by the desire to
know more, to explain to others, to
participate in actions
 Transition of the spectator status to the
actor …support !
Result analysis
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Important improvement of the
students’ conceptions on the
nature, causes, evidence, local
and personal consequences of
climate change and actions you
can take
 Development in some students of
erroneous or unexpected
conceptions:
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Erroneous comprehension of
the greenhouse effect (n=3)
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Confusion between climate
change and the normal
change in the seasons (n=2)
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Conception that litter has an
impact on the climate (n=8)
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Conception that climate
change is an important
phenomenon and that adults
won’t mobilize to change
things (n=20)
Model analysis
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The local study of the phenomenon has encouraged an
awareness and made learning easier
 Students were encouraged to learn by the
socioconstructivist approach (like scientists) but found it
difficult
 Students liked to handle scientific instruments
 The drawing of the greenhouse effect was efficient
 The accomplishment of an action helped develop a
feeling of capability to act
 Sensory activities linking with nature are useful
 The communication of knowledge helped in the retention
and was appreciated because teenagers like to meet
other teenagers
Modifications to the model
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Allow more time to better understand the
phenomenon and to practice new behaviour
 Give the chance to accomplish personal actions
and not only group actions : students could
choose by themselves to try out behaviour and
to hear about others that do the same
Potential development of the idea that many
others are mobilizing to change things
The Mutants’ Circle Project
An action research
Teachers try to modify their students’ behaviour
 We monitor the students while they try out their
new behaviour
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