Exploring Climate Change and Disciplinary Literacy: Future Social Studies Teachers Evaluate the Reliability of Internet Sources

• In Event: 34.080 - Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: 34.080-1 - Division K Section 5 Poster Session 1

Abstract

As a complex, multi-faceted issue with political, civic, geographic, economic, social, cultural, psychological, and historical significance, climate change is a ripe topic for social studies. To date, however, there is scant research that examines how current or future social studies teachers in the US understand and approach climate change. The goal of this study is to discern the ways a group of undergraduate preservice social studies teachers read and evaluated the reliability of four diverse Internet sources about climate change across three time intervals. Findings highlight challenges working with Internet sources, the advantage of a focused multi-step process to evaluating sources, the complex relationship between one’s beliefs and reliability evaluations, and the value of a whole group deliberation process.

Authors

• James S. Damico, Indiana University

• Alexandra Panos, Indiana University - Bloomington