Between Urgency and Uncertainty: The Challenge of Being a Human and an Educator in the Age of Climate Change

Abstract

The window in which we may act to avoid the most extreme impacts of anthropogenic climate change is rapidly closing. Addressing this crisis requires immense collective action and political will. Climate Change Education (CCE) is a global movement and a long-term strategy to empower all members of society to engage in climate action. Educators are the heart of this movement; they are tasked with appropriating CCE frameworks to the reality of their own context and classroom. In this study, we use survey data from a research-practice partnership between <name removed> and New York City Public Schools to explore educators’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices around climate change and education. Our findings paint a complex picture. Educators show high levels of concern and negative emotions about climate change, as well as confusion and underestimation about climate change causes and impacts. Educators support comprehensive CCE in schools, and are overall aligned with international frameworks. While we find growing instructional time dedicated to climate change, the data also point to the important sociological barriers (e.g., perception and labeling of climate change as mostly relevant to the STEM curriculum). We discuss the implications of our findings and offer strategies to enhance CCE in New York City and beyond.