Embedding & Enacting Climate Change Education in Teacher Education

• In Event: Teacher Education for Transdisciplinary Climate Change Education

Abstract

Faculties of education can play pivotal roles in enhancing Climate Change Education (CCE) within formal and higher education systems, aligning their efforts with international climate agreements. These institutions can serve as leaders in advocating for and implementing climate change education policies and practices. To be effective, interdisciplinary education is needed that introduces not only basic climate science but also the political, economic, sociological, and philosophical dimensions of climate change, climate impacts and collective responses (or lack thereof), Indigenous leadership, and climate solutions. We believe holistic approaches are needed to consider the socio-emotional, action-oriented, and justice-focused implications of CCE learning (Grewal et al., 2022; Hargis & McKenzie, 2020; Trott, 2023), including recognition of how a sense of urgency and accompanying negative climate emotions are often unavoidable in learning about the climate crisis. To “turbocharge” CCE through interdisciplinarity, faculties of education must leverage their unique positions to influence and drive change in both policy and practice (Tytler & Freebody, 2023).

In this session, we will explore a few key areas where faculties of education can make an impact across various scales.

First, the presentation will outline a federally funded-project aimed at accelerating CCE across teacher education programs in Canada. Each of the five program components develops and/or enhances professional learning opportunities for preservice and inservice teachers, and members of faculties of education. Through organizing consultations, webinars, online courses, as well as making grants and resources available, insights will be shared on the project’s impact after two years of government support.

We will then discuss advocacy of teacher licensing agencies and how climate leadership from faculties of education can influence program accreditation guidelines, leading to jurisdictional program requirements that mainstream climate change education.

Next, the presentation will highlight the efforts of Cape Breton University’s faculty of education in embedding and enacting CCE through seed funding. This funding has enabled the faculty to develop a CCE symposium that has led to the development of a stand alone CCE course.

Lastly, the outcomes of a 36-hour holistic and interdisciplinary CCE course will be discussed, highlighting shifts in students' climate views, and their knowledge, sense of urgency and agency. This course was designed to advance students’ capacities as climate change educators—whether they will teach in K-12 schools or engage in public pedagogy.

Through discussing these four examples, we can better understand the conjoined role of faculties of education across advocacy, research, program/curriculum development and funding towards promoting and reconfiguring CCE across disciplines, and within and across education institutions.

Authors

• Maria Vamvalis, University of Toronto - OISE

• Ellen Field, Lakehead University

• Carrie Karsgaard, Cape Breton University