Concerns and questions about climate are part of everyday discussions in our societies. Also students in schools have questions they seek answers to. They are related to for example scientific, societal, ethical, and moral aspects. Students` questions can be used as part of climate change education in classrooms to make the topic approachable for the students, to activate students to learn, and raise hope for the future. The Finnish national core curriculum has also emphasized the importance of students` questions and climate in education.
LUMA science education centre (part of LUMA centre Finland) launches a research-based climate change education project CLIMATE?, the aim of which is to co-design and test pedagogical models for student-question-based climate change education with teachers all over the world using an online platform. Project is part of a larger research-based climate change education program. Recent years we have organized for example Teachers` climate change forum together with INAR. Project is co-designed with teachers as well as experts, such as assistant professor Dr. Cliona Murphy from Ireland.
During the project, teachers get concrete ideas and examples on how to use students` questions as part of their climate education and discuss with other teachers about their ideas and experiences in the classroom using student-question-based pedagogy. The goal is that teachers` self-efficacy for the pedagogy improves and student-question-based pedagogy in climate change education is developed into new didactic models for teachers all over the world to be able to utilize in their teaching.
The project begins in October 2020. Teaching models are tested in schools in 2020-2021. More detailed schedule is designed with the participants. There are registered participants from over ten countries already, but you can still join the project by emailing the project leader Jaana Herranen by October 15th 2020 (jaana.herranen@helsinki.fi).
For more info: project leader Dr. Jaana Herranen, or leader of climate change program in LUMA science education professor Maija Aksela, University of Helsinki.
Teachers in our international Teacher Climate Change Forum (TCCF) event learning with researchers in Hyytiälä.
