Climate Change Education in Formal Settings, K-14 A Workshop Summary (2012) / Chapter Skim
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4 Teacher Understanding and Preparation
4 Teacher Understanding and Preparation
Pages 37-48
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From page 37... ...
TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES AND ATTITUDES The controversy that has been a persistent factor in public opinion and policy related to climate change has also affected classroom teachers, observed Buhr. To illustrate her point, she drew on research on teacher practices and teacher learning: a descriptive study (Wise, 2010)
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Many also participated in short-duration learning experiences, such as workshops and conferences, but fewer have had sustained preparation in college or graduate school classes, and very few have had professional development in their own district focused on climate change. The other three studies offered insights about teachers' content knowledge, suggesting that most feel comfortable teaching about earth systems but less so with climate topics (such as the greenhouse effect)
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She pointed out that far more students take a biology class in high school than a geology or earth sciences class, stressing that biology classes are a key opportunity to reach more students. Teachers also devote relatively little time to climate change -- in a survey of 213 educators from middle school through the undergraduate level, the majority of middle and high school teachers reported spending less 1Originally aired in the United Kingdom on Channel 4, March 8, 2007, the documentary film was directed by Martin Durkin.
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Teacher PracticeS and Challenges Johnson drew on additional sources of data to expand the picture of current teacher practice and experience with respect to climate change. The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)
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. Forty-two percent reported experiencing pressure not to teach about climate change, although in terms of their own views, the vast majority of responding teachers reported that they believe global warming is happening.
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Given evidence of differences in teachers' understanding by gender, region, and type and degree of preparation, as well as the finding that so many teachers believe they should teach "both sides," she stressed the potentially significant benefit of in-service professional development. Johnson
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. noted that "we need data-driven, inquiry- or discovery-based educational resources that are particularly well suited at the introductory level so that teachers that have a diversity of views in their classroom will have Figure 4-4 something they can do with the students, and can also dig in and discover it themselves." Bitmapped Professional development needs to be intensive and long-term, she emphasized, but resources for teachers need to be flexible and realistic so that teachers can adapt them to the limited time they have for climate change instruction.
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From page 44... ...
Students then are given the opportunity to make choices on their own behalf after the science is explained. I don't think I have had any leave in disbelief in climate change, the science speaks for itself." "I teach real science and bring in climate change whenever I want to show junk science or how a political agenda can slant people's honesty to produce false reports." SOURCE: Johnson (2011a)
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From page 45... ...
This person added that "when I make a presentation on climate change and show a polar bear sitting on a dwindling iceberg, it probably looks biased to somebody who is outright against this. The data are overwhelming and the challenge is to make it accessible so that both teachers and students can effectively access it, probe it, analyze it for trends, and come to science-based conclusions." Others thought that the most promising approach is to increase teachers' content knowledge and understanding of the nature of science.
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One representative from each of the breakout groups reported back, highlighting key points from their conversations, which are summarized below. · It is important to connect local changes to changes in the larger global system -- to help students understand climate change.
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· The most useful professional development is long term, as opposed to "quick hits," and helps teachers develop better com munication strategies. · Stronger incentives would encourage teachers to pursue profes sional development related to climate change, such as explicit state endorsements for earth science and climate literacy, profes sional development credits, time off, and stipends for teachers who pursue continuing education.
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