Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
One of the universal responses to tackling global climate change is teaching climate change concepts at all levels of formal education. This response requires, among other things, teachers who are fully literate about climate change science, so that they can explain the concepts underlying the cause...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Education Association of South Africa
2015-08-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000300005&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1818284954245660672 |
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| author | Raymond Anyanwu Lesley Le Grange Peter Beets |
| author_facet | Raymond Anyanwu Lesley Le Grange Peter Beets |
| author_sort | Raymond Anyanwu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | One of the universal responses to tackling global climate change is teaching climate change concepts at all levels of formal education. This response requires, among other things, teachers who are fully literate about climate change science, so that they can explain the concepts underlying the causes, impacts and solutions of climate change as accurately as possible to learners. The main intention of this study was to understand high school Geography teachers' levels of knowledge about climate change science. A 15-item, criterion-referenced, multiple-choice Climate Change Literacy Questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.74 using the Guttman's spit-half test was administered to 194 high school Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Data collected were analysed with the Pearson's Chi-square test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the majority of the participants demonstrated significantly high literacy levels in climate science, with their literacy levels higher in climate processes and causes of climate change than climate change impacts and solutions. Misconceptions were found in all three categories of climate change science as represented in the survey instrument. These findings suggest that teacher educators and policymakers should improve professional development programmes and support interventions in teacher knowledge and understanding of climate change concepts, so as to enhance climate change education in schools. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T01:01:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eadf0519d7074fbb98783eb20fdb38cc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T01:01:00Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Education Association of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-eadf0519d7074fbb98783eb20fdb38cc2022-12-22T00:04:41ZengEducation Association of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Education2076-34332015-08-013531910.15700/SAJE.V35N3A1160S0256-01002015000300005Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South AfricaRaymond Anyanwu0Lesley Le Grange1Peter Beets2Stellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityOne of the universal responses to tackling global climate change is teaching climate change concepts at all levels of formal education. This response requires, among other things, teachers who are fully literate about climate change science, so that they can explain the concepts underlying the causes, impacts and solutions of climate change as accurately as possible to learners. The main intention of this study was to understand high school Geography teachers' levels of knowledge about climate change science. A 15-item, criterion-referenced, multiple-choice Climate Change Literacy Questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.74 using the Guttman's spit-half test was administered to 194 high school Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Data collected were analysed with the Pearson's Chi-square test and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the majority of the participants demonstrated significantly high literacy levels in climate science, with their literacy levels higher in climate processes and causes of climate change than climate change impacts and solutions. Misconceptions were found in all three categories of climate change science as represented in the survey instrument. These findings suggest that teacher educators and policymakers should improve professional development programmes and support interventions in teacher knowledge and understanding of climate change concepts, so as to enhance climate change education in schools.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000300005&lng=en&tlng=enclimate change educationclimate change misconceptionsclimate change science literacyGeography teacherssurvey research |
| spellingShingle | Raymond Anyanwu Lesley Le Grange Peter Beets Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa South African Journal of Education climate change education climate change misconceptions climate change science literacy Geography teachers survey research |
| title | Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full | Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_short | Climate change science: The literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa |
| title_sort | climate change science the literacy of geography teachers in the western cape province south africa |
| topic | climate change education climate change misconceptions climate change science literacy Geography teachers survey research |
| url | http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-01002015000300005&lng=en&tlng=en |
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