Mitigation Through Pedagogy: Strategies for Effective Climate Change Educational Interventions
by Juan Sandoval
Category: Humanities and Social Sciences
Abstract – Climate change is continually growing as a pressing issue with natural, economic, and health repercussions. Concurrently, education has become a notable tool to induce pro- environmental behavioral change in students, considerably assisting in global mitigation efforts. This opportunity prompted a systematic literature review to determine what impact recent findings can have in understanding and implementing effective climate change educational approaches in secondary schools. Google Scholar, an academic database, was used to identify 469 relevant sources. Twenty-two of these were used in the final analysis, which assessed practical strategies to communicate climate change to students. Three main themes were identified in successful interventions: (1) Employing personal relevance and empowerment as tools for engaging students, (2) Adopting a multidisciplinary and system-based approach in the classroom, and (3) Embracing effective communicators as sources of information, namely teachers and peers. The results of constructive pedagogy translate to action beyond educational institutions and generate positive changes in students that aid in the fight against the climate crisis. Future research ought to focus on longitudinal studies and interventions in developing nations that disproportionately suffer from the impacts of climate change.