Educating for Action: Undergraduates Learning About Climate Change in an Agentic Context

• In Event: Empowering Students Through Innovative Pedagogies in Environmental and Climate Change Education

Abstract

A semester-long investigation explored four undergraduate students’ experiences while learning about climate change through project-based learning in an agentic context. Using multiple data sources (surveys, classroom observations, interviews), we identified three themes: (a) personalized learning within agentic environments fosters curiosity and motivation; (b) students feel empowered as climate change educators; (c) project-based learning helps students grapple with complex feelings about climate change and leverage their personal identities to develop a sense of agency. This exploration highlights the potential of agentic learning to foster not just climate knowledge, but a sense of agency and hope in students, suggesting a transformative shift from passive recipients of information to empowered actors in tackling climate change.

Authors

• Alisa Kukharkin, Colgate University

• Allison Zengilowski, Lehigh University