Niondeklassares och geografilärares förståelse av bakgrunden till och följderna av klimatförändringen<br>Ninth-graders’ and geography teachers’ understandings of the background to and consequences of climate change

Abstract

Even though students’ understandings of climate change have been frequently studied, research on students’ views in combination with their teachers’ views is still missing. This study attempts to remedy that by including both ninth-graders and their geography teachers as respondents. The aim is to investigate the respondents’ understandings of the background to climate change and its consequences for biodiversity, human health and own living conditions. The respondents represented eleven secondary schools from all parts of Swedish-speaking Finland. A mixed methods research design was applied, combining data from questionnaires (549 students) and interviews (13 teachers). Similarities and differences between the understandings of the students and their teachers were examined. The results show that the students’ understandings and to some extent the teachers’ understandings differed from the scientific perspective. A common conception in both groups was that climate change does not affect them. Pedagogical implications for the development of climate change education are discussed.