Excitement or Anger: A Look at How Teachers Feel About Teaching Climate Change and Why

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Climate Change: Navigating Conflict, Anger, Trauma, and Moving Toward Hope (Table 6)

Abstract

Climate change is not consistently taught in K-12 schools in the United States, but some districts and states are introducing policies that require climate literacy. Teachers are the ones making sure this topic is included in curricula, so understanding how they feel about teaching climate change is critical to providing the most effective support. This mixed methods study, using an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, shows that teachers have generally positive emotions towards the idea of teaching climate change, regardless of whether they have taught the subject in the past. This paper will discuss why teachers feel the way they do and pave the way for leaders to provide tailored resources that correspond with teachers’ different needs.

Authors

• Laurel Kruke, University of Southern California

• Gale M. Sinatra, University of Southern California