Abstract
Climate change education (CCE) has been proposed to be a driver for the much-needed knowledge and skills on climate change (CC). Teachers, and consequently learners, are key change agents in any society; therefore, it is necessary that they have knowledge and skills on CC and how to mitigate and adapt to these changes. This chapter discusses pre-service teachers' pedagogical knowledge and perceptions of CCE. The discussion is contextualized through research conducted in Kenya. While it was evident that the pre-service teachers had basic knowledge and skills about CC, they also had misconceptions. Further, CCE was not documented in their curricula. They propose that CCE can be integrated with other subjects or implemented as a stand-alone subject or both. The study consequently identifies pre-service teachers' knowledge gaps and reports on their mixed perceptions of CCE. The need to include CCE in the curriculum is then underscored in view of targeted agencies.
TopKnowledge On And About Climate Change Education
Climate change is referred to as the variations in climate which are attributed directly or indirectly to human activities observed over a comparable period (UN, 1992). The variations alter the composition of the global atmosphere, hence affecting the natural climate. Climate change science draws from multiple subjects in schools and disciplines in tertiary education (Boon, 2016). Climate change education is consequently about teaching and learning matters of climate change. It aims to equip learners with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values about CC so as to understand and address the causes and impacts of global warming, and consequently mitigation and adaptation measures. While it may introduce new content, CCE commonly uses existing content and concepts to explain matters of CC. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Environmental Education: Is a discipline that deals with how human beings engage with their environment, its conservation, and preservation.
Climate Change Education: Is the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes of changes in climate over a considerable time in a place. It aims to explore and explain the causes, impacts of climate change, and the necessary mitigation and adaptation measures.
Pedagogies: Are approaches to teaching.
Climate Change: Is the long-term unprecedented changes in weather patterns of a place that lead to an increase in atmospheric temperatures directly or indirectly affecting human activities.
Pre-Service Teachers: Are student teachers under training.
Education for Sustainable Education: Is an education that enables individuals to acquire and develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to take part in decisions to improve the quality of life locally, regionally, and globally based on their context.
Teacher Education: Is a program intended for students who after graduation take up teaching as a profession.