Learning and Questioning: How Social Actors Engage with Sustainability and Climate Change

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Climate change represents one of the most pressing existential threats of our time, driving unprecedented global warming and contributing to a sharp decline in biodiversity. With at least 150 million people projected to be displaced due to rising sea levels, droughts, and escalating temperatures, the world faces a profound humanitarian crisis (IPCC, 2022). While some privileged communities may mitigate parts of this devastation, low-income and BIPOC communities, particularly in the United States and the Global South, will experience exacerbated vulnerabilities. Thus, climate change transcends scientific concerns, emerging as a global moral and ethical challenge.

Addressing this crisis necessitates a robust approach to education. Preparing students, teachers, and the public to navigate and respond to climate change is crucial in fostering resilient communities. Understanding how different social actors engage with climate change education—through questioning, learning, and advocacy—is essential for developing effective strategies and interventions.

This panel brings together three papers that collectively offer insights into how social actors engage with climate change education in the United States. Sarah Lewis’s paper will set the stage by exploring the types of questions the public poses to scientists about climate change, shedding light on public curiosity and misinformation. Noa Urbach’s research examines the network of organizations involved in promoting sustainability education within New York City schools, highlighting collaborative efforts and institutional engagement. Christina Torres investigates the role of research-practice partnerships in training educators for climate change instruction, emphasizing the importance of bridging research and practical application. Finally, Niklas Nyblom explores the connection between educational settings and climate activism, analyzing how learning environments influence individual and collective engagement with climate action.

Taken together, these papers underscore the critical role of learning in addressing climate change. They demonstrate how social actors—ranging from the public to educators and organizations—actively question, learn about, and engage with climate issues, ultimately shaping our collective response to this global challenge.

Sub Unit

• Environmental and Sustainability Education SIG

Chair

• Oren Pizmony-Levy, Teachers College, Columbia University

Individual Presentations

• Any Questions? Seeking Public Interest in Climate Change - Sarah Lewis, Columbia University Teachers College

• School Ties, Green Rise: How Network Centrality Predicts Implementation of Sustainability Education in Public Schools - Noa Urbach, Columbia University Teachers College; Oren Pizmony-Levy, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Bridging Educational Divides: A Research-Practice Partnership to Empower Teachers to Integrate Climate Change Across Subjects - Christina Ann Torres, Columbia University Teachers College; Oren Pizmony-Levy, Teachers College, Columbia University