Science Teachers’ Selection of Visual Displays for Climate Change Education: Psychological Distance to Climate Change (Poster 20)

• In Event: Saturday Poster Sessions 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Contemporary Approaches to Science Education

Abstract

This study explored teachers’ rationales for the selection of climate change visual displays. Twenty-five secondary teachers were shown 25 visual displays and asked to select five they would use in a climate change presentation. Teachers were interviewed about the rationale they used for their selections. Results showed that all the participants built their selections on a pre-existing goal for their climate change instruction. The majority of the teachers also examined psychological temporal dimensions (e.g., a past hurricane) of the selections to determine if the display would be relevant, as well as cognitive complexity of the display. Display accuracy was rarely mentioned as a selection criterion. The study results provide insight into the ways teachers select and use visual displays.

Authors

• M. Gail Jones, North Carolina State University

• Julianna Nieuwsma, North Carolina State University

• Rebecca V. Ward, State Climate Office of North Carolina

• Madeline Stallard, North Carolina State University

• Kathleen Bordewieck, North Carolina State University

• Amber Jechell Meeks, North Carolina State University

• Tanzimul Ferdous, North Carolina State University

• Kimberly Ideus, North Carolina State University