Climate Change, Sustainability, and Education: Conceptions of Teachers of Geography in England

Grace Healy, David Mitchell and Nicola Walshe ()
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Grace Healy: IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK
David Mitchell: IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK
Nicola Walshe: IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: Drawing upon a survey of teachers in England conducted by the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE), this paper reports on teachers of geography’s conceptions of climate change, sustainability, climate change education, and sustainability education. We address how teachers of geography across the primary and secondary phase appear to distinguish the concept (climate change or sustainability) from the concept within education (climate change education or sustainability education) given that research to date has not engaged with both these framings together in empirical research with teachers. Across both climate change education and sustainability education, there was recognition for (i) the importance of these concepts for young people, (ii) the ways in which education can support young people to make informed choices or take action, and (iii) the importance of addressing these concepts across subject curricula. Teachers’ descriptions indicate (i) disconnections between policy rhetoric and teaching, (ii) a lack of attention to social and environmental justice, and (iii) an over-focus on individual action.

Keywords: climate change education; sustainability education; school geography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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